The upcoming Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF),
set to take place in Akwa Ibom from April 1-8, is expected to provide a
significant economic boost to the host state, particularly in the hospitality
sector.
Organisers have projected the need for 3,000 bed
spaces for athletes and coaches, alongside over 2,000 hotel accommodations for
administrators, organisers, and VIP guests. This estimate does not include the
expected influx of local and international media, scouts, sports enthusiasts,
and tourists.
Head of Special Duties, Onome Obruthe, confirmed to
NDSF Media Channel that while data collation is ongoing, the number of athletes
alone is expected to be around 3,000 from the nine Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC) states.
Obruthe highlighted the festival’s international
dimension, noting that regulatory officials from global sports bodies will
oversee events like athletics, wrestling, and weightlifting.
“We are working on accommodation for athletes,
coaches, technical officials, administrators, organisers, and guests. This is
approaching the size of a National Sports Festival, and we aim to set a
benchmark for sports development in line with the Federal Government’s vision
of a sports economy,” he stated.
The maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival
will feature athletes from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo,
Imo, Ondo, and Rivers. The NDDC, as the festival’s major sponsor, aims to
discover and nurture sports talents from the region, offering them a platform
to showcase their abilities and drive sports development.
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