National Sports Festival Postponed Again, Now Slated for May 2025

The much-anticipated 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged “Gateway Games, Ogun 2024,” has been rescheduled once again. Initially slated for January 12, 2025, the festival will now take place from May 16 to 30, 2025.

Ogun State, which secured the bid to host the festival during the closing ceremony of the 21st edition in December 2022, had earlier postponed the event from November 2024 to January 2025 due to challenges in preparation.

In October, Governor Dapo Abiodun assured that the state was making significant progress in readying facilities such as the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, and the Ijeja Sports Centre for the January event. However, during a Joint Technical meeting held recently in Abeokuta, the state capital, it was decided that more time was needed to implement recommendations from an earlier inspection.

The communique released after the meeting, signed by the Director General of the National Sports Commission and Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, Adebukola Olopade, and the State Commissioner for Sports, Wasiu Isiaka, stated:

“The JT meeting agreed that to give some time to effect the observations and recommendations from the Joint Technical Meeting, the dates for the 22nd National Sports Festival should be adjusted to May 16-30, 2025, and the Zonal Eliminations for Team Sports for the Games would hold from February 23-28, 2025.”

The Joint Technical Committee also resolved to use the report from the first inspection as a checklist to guide the state’s preparations.

State Commissioner for Sports Development, Wasiu Isiaka, welcomed the decision, emphasizing that the additional time would allow Ogun State to enhance its infrastructure and ensure a festival that sets a high standard for future editions.