Lagos expects 14,000 to 15,000 young athletes for the October 1 to 15 National Intermediate Games, aimed at strengthening grassroots development
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday, August 8, 2026, described EKO 2026 as a vital opportunity to identify, develop and retain Nigeria’s young sporting talent as Lagos prepares to host the inaugural National Intermediate Sports Festival.
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The Games, scheduled for October 1 to 15, are expected to attract between 14,000 and 15,000 athletes, making the maiden event a significant test of Nigeria’s grassroots sports development system. (Information Ministry)
Sanwo-Olu spoke during an inspection of ongoing rehabilitation work at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, one of the principal venues for the competition.
Lagos secured the hosting rights from the National Sports Commission for the first edition of the National Intermediate Games. (Punch Newspapers)
For Sanwo-Olu, the importance of EKO 2026 extends beyond the medals and competition.
He sees the Games as a potential bridge between school and elite sport, giving promising athletes a structured route to continue developing their abilities in Nigeria.
“We are going to be the first state and the first host of this sports festival that will help us achieve what we have all been talking about,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“We want to hold grassroots sports. We want to encourage young people before they begin to leave. We want to nurture and develop all our children.”
The official EKO 2026 programme is designed for athletes aged 15 to 18 and will feature 28 sports, with participants drawn from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Organisers say the event is intended to create pathways for young athletes towards national and international competition. (Eko 2026 Games)
That ambition comes against a familiar challenge for Nigerian sport: identifying talented young athletes is often easier than providing them with the facilities, coaching and competitive opportunities needed to sustain their development.
EKO 2026 is being positioned as an attempt to close part of that gap by creating a national platform where emerging athletes can compete, be assessed and potentially move into higher levels of the sporting system.
The Games will also put considerable pressure on Lagos’s sporting infrastructure.
During his inspection, Sanwo-Olu examined the football and athletics arenas, indoor sports hall, volleyball court and swimming pool at Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The governor said the stadium’s main bowl was undergoing extensive reconstruction, while the football pitch had already been upgraded to FIFA standards and fitted with natural grass.
The tartan running track was expected to be completed within four to six weeks, while work on the swimming pool and other outstanding facilities was scheduled for completion before the Games. (Information Ministry)
Sanwo-Olu expressed confidence that Teslim Balogun Stadium and the other venues would be ready in time, noting that Lagos’s selection as host had accelerated the rehabilitation programme.
The preparations form part of a broader sports infrastructure programme that the governor said began about three years ago.
Facilities in Surulere, Ifako, Bariga, Ikorodu, Epe, Agege and Badagry have been among those targeted for rehabilitation and upgrades. (New Telegraph)
Other venues, including Rowe Park and sports centres across Lagos, are expected to support the Games, spreading the competition beyond Teslim Balogun Stadium. (Punch Newspapers)
The scale of the event means its success will ultimately depend on more than renovated facilities.
Athlete welfare, coaching, competition standards and the ability to maintain development opportunities after the closing ceremony will determine whether EKO 2026 leaves a lasting legacy.
The official organisers have framed the Games as more than a sporting festival, describing them as a platform for discipline, resilience, friendship and national unity while creating pathways towards continental and global success. (Eko 2026 Games)
For Lagos, the challenge is therefore twofold: deliver a well-organised maiden competition and turn the attention generated by EKO 2026 into a sustainable grassroots system.
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If that ambition is realised, the most meaningful outcome may not be the medals won in October, but the emergence of a stronger and more deliberate pathway for Nigeria’s next generation of athletes.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
