IDA to Compete as 38th State at 2026 Intermediate Games in Lagos — NSC

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced that the “Invited Diaspora Athletes” (IDA) initiative will make its debut at the maiden edition of the National Intermediate Games, scheduled to hold in Lagos later this year.
The announcement was made in a statement by Kola Daniel, Special Adviser in the Office of the Director General (DG), NSC, Bukola Olopade.
Daniel disclosed that the IDA was one of several key reforms introduced by the NSC under the leadership of Shehu Dikko and Olopade.
“IDA is established as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE),” he said.
Olopade further stated that since the establishment of the Diaspora Discovery Athletes Committee, currently chaired by Tunde Adelakun, the committee had swung into action.
“Many Nigerians in the diaspora have shown significant interest in competing for Nigeria,” he said.
The D-G maintained that this growing interest was one of the reasons the IDA team would be fully involved in this year’s Intermediate Games in Lagos.
”We are very excited about this initiative because of the immediate and futuristic impact it will have on our Sports development.
“At the Intermediate Games in Lagos , we will be having about 50 athletes that will be coming from the Diaspora, competing for IDA”.
“This will surely be another major game changer for Nigerian sports and it will surely upscale the competitive edge of Team Nigeria at major International competitions,” he said.
The Chairman of the Diaspora Discovery Athletes Committee, Adelakun said the IDA team would be ready for the Intermediate Games and subsequent National competitions while commending the NSC for pulling through the initiative.
”We are already working on having a camp site here in Europe where we will have all the Invited Diaspora Athletes, from where we will pick the team for the intermediate games.
“The athletes are already looking forward to this because it has never happened in the history of our country”, he said.
“At the 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun last year, the Invited Junior Athletes competed as the 37th state and made a significant impact, winning several medals.
“Similarly, the Invited Diaspora Athletes (IDA) will feature at this year’s Intermediate Games as the 38th state,” he said.