NIG postponement not helpful to Nigerian sports development, Fasuba urges Nigerian sports officials to be forward looking

By Ben Efe 10.9.2026
Former Nigerian sprinter Olusoji Fasuba has faulted Nigerian sports officials postponement of the inaugural National Intermediate Games originally billed for October 1-15 in Lagos.
The National Sports Commission announced Tuesday that due to Lagos State inability to speed up facilities renovations and other technicalities, the NIG will come at a later date in the first quarter of 2027. But it seems Nigerian sports officials weren’t forward looking, to host the NIG in States with ready to go facilities, Delta has been hosting the National Youth Games steady and Edo who recently hosted the Niger Delta Games were locked and ready. But the NSC chose Lagos with the hope that it would be up to speed with the technicalities of hosting the Games.
“This is simply not good enough. The issue is not that the Games have been postponed. If the facilities are not ready, postponement is the responsible decision,” Fasuba stated.
“The real question is: how did we get this close to an October 1 start before discovering that the facilities, technical requirements and operational arrangements were not ready?”
He pitied the athletes and coaches who had been working since they became aware of the October date.
“Athletes and coaches have spent months preparing. Training programmes have been planned around these dates, and families and states have made commitments. Now they are given a vague January to March 2027 window.
“We talk constantly about developing young athletes, but development also requires proper planning and respect for the athletes’ time and preparation.
“There is also an important question about age eligibility. Moving a youth competition from 2026 into 2027 could affect athletes who move into another age category. Will eligibility remain based on the original 2026 criteria?”
He called for foresightedness on the part of Nigerian sports policy makers since competitions such as the NIG were crucial to athletes development.
“The NIG is a great idea, but if we want to develop world class athletes, the organisation around them must also improve. Accountability cannot only be demanded from athletes, coaches and states. It must start at the top.”