NSC drops blockbuster announcement, Bayelsa and Kaduna to host 2028, 2030 National Sports Festivals

By Maxwell Kumoye 

 

 

 

In a thunderous statement that reshapes Nigeria’s sporting future, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has unveiled Bayelsa and Kaduna as the next powerhouses to host the 2028 and 2030 National Sports Festivals and the excitement is already electric.

For the first time in history, the festival will storm the creeks of Bayelsa in 2028, taking the nation’s biggest multi-sport event to the heart of the Niger Delta.

Then in 2030, the festival returns to familiar territory, Kaduna, the Crocodile State, marking its third time after memorable editions in 1977 and 2009.

The announcement didn’t just land; it sent a message.

Director General of the NSC, Honourable Bukola Olopade, declared that both states have shown “unmistakable readiness” to host, signalling a new era where states are now jostling, not hesitating, to stage the games.

Olopade didn’t mince words as he contrasted this new energy with the past.

“This is a departure from the years when the festival struggled for relevance,” he said.

“We’ve made the National Sports Festival attractive again. And this turnaround is driven by President Bola Tinubu’s firm prioritisation of the sports sector.”

Under the NSC’s RHINSE agenda (Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigerian Sports Economy), the festival is being rebuilt from the ground up—to match the structure and prestige of global events like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

The DG recalled the 2025 Games in Ogun State as the “best ever,” but he was quick to raise the stakes. With Enugu 2026, Bayelsa 2028, and Kaduna 2030, Olopade insists the bar will not just be raised, it will be shattered.

The road ahead looks nothing short of explosive for Nigerian sports. The festival isn’t just back—it’s bigger, bolder, and charging into a new era with unstoppable momentum.