The National Sports Commission has officially signed the Games Hosting Agreement with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa for the staging of the 2027 African School Games in Abuja.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony held in Abuja on Wednesday, formally confirming Nigeria as host of the second edition of the continental event, themed “Abuja 2027.”
Speaking at the ceremony, NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko described the hosting rights as a major achievement for Nigerian sports, saying the Games align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of repositioning the nation’s sports sector.
He assured ANOCA that Nigeria would deliver a memorable tournament capable of setting a benchmark for future editions.
“Developing Nigerian sports from the grassroots level is one of our mandates, and at that grassroots level, the foundation should be school sports, which is why we are having strong collaborations with the Federal Ministry of Education.
“To emphasise how aggressive we are with our grassroots drive, the DG and I created the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative for the National Sports Festival as the 38th state, and that programme has been a huge success.
“We also have a mandate to revamp our sporting infrastructure around the country, and hosting these Games clearly aligns with this. Therefore, we are very excited to host the rest of Africa next year, and I can assure ANOCA that, with their collaboration, Nigeria will deliver a world-class Games, as we have done in the past with international events like COJA and the U-18 and U-20 CAA Athletics Championships held last year.”
NSC Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade said the event reflects the Commission’s commitment to grassroots sports development and expressed confidence in Nigeria’s readiness to organise a successful competition.
He noted that ANOCA had expressed satisfaction with the quality of the Local Organising Committee assembled for the Games.
“I am glad that ANOCA is very satisfied with the quality of the team we have put in place to organise these Games, starting from the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Lekan Abari, to all the committee members. This goes to show the level of commitment Nigeria is putting into the Games.”
ANOCA President Mustapha Berraf commended the Nigerian Government and the NSC leadership for embracing the responsibility of hosting the Games, describing it as a significant moment for sports and youth development across the continent.
“This is a great moment for sports in Africa and an even greater moment for our children. The signing of the Games Hosting Agreement further confirms that the Games will be held here in Abuja, and I wish Nigeria the very best.”
A major highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of an Honorary Award of Excellence to NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko by ANOCA in recognition of his exceptional leadership and contributions to sports development in Nigeria and across Africa.
The continental body also honoured NSC Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade with a Plaque of Appreciation for his outstanding administrative leadership in the sports sector.
The ceremony was attended by several senior ANOCA officials, including First Vice President João Da Costa, Secretary General Ahmed Hashim, ANOCA Treasurer and Nigeria Olympic Committee President Engr. Habu Gumel, and NOC Secretary General Babatunde Popoola.
Also present were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports, Anthony Adeboye; Director General of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu; Algerian Ambassador to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued; and Chairman of the Abuja 2027 Local Organising Committee, Lekan Abari, who unveiled the official Games logo and mascot to the ANOCA delegation.
