Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has assured that the state is fully prepared to host about 15,000 athletes at the maiden National Intermediate Sports Festival scheduled for October 1 to 15, 2026, describing the event as an opportunity to strengthen grassroots sports, retain young talents and create a pathway for them to progress to elite competition.
Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance on Saturday during an inspection of ongoing rehabilitation works at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, one of the facilities being prepared for the inaugural festival.
The governor said Lagos accepted the hosting rights after the National Sports Commission awarded the state the opportunity to stage the first edition of the National Intermediate Sports Festival.
He said about 14,000 to 15,000 athletes were expected to participate in the event, with Rowe Park and other sporting centres across the state also scheduled to serve as venues.
According to him, the festival would provide a major platform for discovering, nurturing and retaining young sporting talents before they progress to elite-level competition.
“About two months ago, we had the unique opportunity that the National Sports Commission handed over to Lagos the hosting rights for the very first National Intermediate Sports Festival.
“We are going to be the first state and the first host of this sports festival that would help us do what we are all talking about. We want to hold grassroots sports. We want to encourage the young people before they begin to jump out and run away. We want to hold and develop all the children,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor said the event aligned with his administration’s broader strategy to revive grassroots sports and provide young Nigerians with opportunities to develop their abilities within the country.
He said the state had, over the past three years, embarked on the rehabilitation and upgrading of sporting infrastructure across several locations, including Surulere, Ifako, Bagada, Ikorodu, Epe, Agege and Badagry.
Sanwo-Olu inspected the main football and athletics arenas, indoor sports hall, volleyball court and swimming pool at Teslim Balogun Stadium as part of preparations for the festival.
He disclosed that the stadium’s main bowl was undergoing extensive reconstruction, with the football pitch upgraded to FIFA standards and natural grass already installed.
The governor added that work on the tartan track was expected to be completed within the next four to six weeks, while outstanding work on the swimming pool and other facilities would be concluded within the timeframe allocated for the project.
“We are confident that Teslim Balogun Stadium and the other facilities that we are going to use for this event will meet the required standards before the commencement of the festival,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said the hosting of the maiden festival had increased the urgency of completing the ongoing rehabilitation works, noting that Lagos was determined to provide suitable facilities for athletes participating from across the country.
He described the National Intermediate Sports Festival as an important intervention in the development of sports at the grassroots, particularly in creating a structured pathway through which young talents can move from intermediate competitions to elite sports.
The governor said the state’s investment in sporting facilities was not limited to the festival, but formed part of a long-term strategy to expand access to quality sports infrastructure across Lagos.
He expressed optimism that the event would not only showcase the talents of young athletes but also encourage more children and youths to take up sports and pursue careers in various disciplines.
