EKO 2026 to Drive School Sports Development Nationwide – LOC

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the maiden National Intermediate Games, says the upcoming competition will drive the development of school sports.
It added that the Games would also create a sustainable pathway for young talents, noting that it would go beyond the competition arena by strengthening links between school sports, grassroots participation and elite competition.
This was contained in a statement by Gbenga Omotoso, Chairman, Media Publicity sub-committee, issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.
The Games, tagged EKO 2026, will hold in Lagos from Oct. 1 to Oct. 15, with about 15,000 athletes expected from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The LOC is chaired by Sam Egube, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while Lekan Fatodu, Director-General, Lagos State Sports Commission and Mobolaji Ogunlende, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development are co-chairmen.
According to Egube, the Games will not be treated as a one-off sporting event.
He said EKO 2026 would serve as a sustainable platform for talent identification, monitoring and development.
“This is a commitment to human development and to encouraging our sporting system.
“Immediately after the event, athletes will benefit from tangible incentives, opportunities for support and training.
“As we build new schools, modern sporting facilities are integrated, ensuring that talents are nurtured within school programmes,” Egube said.
He added that the initiative complemented the state government’s ongoing investment in sports infrastructure, particularly at the school and grassroots levels.
According to him, the investment will create better environment for young athletes to discover and develop their abilities.
Egube said Gov. Sanwo-Olu had noted that EKO 2026 would give young athletes the opportunity to showcase and refine their talents.
He said the Games would also establish a system capable of retaining promising athletes in Nigeria.
The LOC chairman further explained that the state’s investment in sports facilities was part of a broader strategy to strengthen sports development across Lagos.
According to him, the Sanwo-Olu administration started a comprehensive upgrade of sports facilities about three years ago.
He said the projects were spread across Surulere, Ifako, Bariga, Ikorodu, Epe, Agege and Badagry.
Egube said the Games would transcend competition by helping to build a sustainable grassroots sports system capable of producing athletes for the country’s elite teams.
He said with thousands of young athletes expected to participate, EKO 2026 would provide a major platform for talent discovery and development.
The LOC chairman further explained that the initiative would also give Lagos an opportunity to demonstrate how grassroots athletes could be nurtured into future national and international stars.