At Last Sports Festival To Hold, As FG Inaugurates Committees

After several postponements due to Cross River’s failure to put in place organisation structures for the National Sports Festival since 2014, and after Eko 2012 Games, the Federal Government, which had since took over the hosting of the competition, on Wednesday inaugurated 17 Sub-Committees for the 19th National Sports Festival to be staged in Abuja.

On the occasion which took place at the Media Centre of the Abuja National Stadium, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Chairman, Main Organising Committee Mr Olusade Adesola described the inauguration as a milestone in efforts towards hosting the National Sports Festival.
He said the members were carefully chosen based on merit.

“With about six months to the festival and considering the enormous task involved in the organization of a game of this magnitude the Main Organizing Committee decided to set up relevant Sub Committees to achieve its mandate.

“The 17 Sub-Committee members were chosen based on competence, exposure and commitment to successful delivery of assignments. I am proud of the caliber of persons that make up the sub-Committees and I have no doubt in my mind that we will have a good Games.”

In his acceptance speech, the Chairman, Games Services Sub-Committee and Director Grassroots Sports Development Dr Ademola Are thanked the Permanent Secretary for the confidence reposed in the members and promised on behalf of other sub Committee members to deliver an excellent Games.

Earlier, the Secretary of the Main Organising Committee and Director Planning, Monitoring and Implementation, Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi noted that the 19th National Sports Festival ‘Abuja 2018’ which suffered several postponements and uncertainties has finally become a reality.
Mrs Akinyemi thanked the National Council on Sports for its decision to move the Festival to Abuja.

“This inauguration will further lend credence to the Federal government’s determination to save the National Sports Festival from extinction as a result of the apathy of states to host the games.”

The 17 Sub Committees of the Main Organising Committee are Accommodation, Accreditation, Anti-Doping, Feeding, Finance, Games Services, Games Village/Management, Publicity and Communications, Medical, Marketing/ Sponsorship, Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Protocol.
Others are Security, Transport, Torch of Unity, Venues & Facilities and Zonal Eliminations.