NSC names Bayelsa, Kaduna as hosts for 2028, 2030 National Sports Festival
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced Bayelsa and Kaduna as host states for the 2028 and 2030 editions of the National Sports Festival.
According to the NSC, Bayelsa will host the 2028 edition — its first time staging the festival — while Kaduna will host the 2030 games, the state’s third time since previously hosting in 1977 and 2009.
Addressing journalists on Friday, the Director-General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, affirmed that both states demonstrated strong commitment and readiness to organise the country’s biggest domestic sporting event. He described the development as a clear departure from previous years when the festival struggled for feasibility and the recognition it deserved.
“We are glad that we have made the sports festival attractive again, with states now showing serious interest to host. This is a result of how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has prioritised the sports sector under his administration,” he said.
Olopade added that the commission, under the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigerian Sports Economy (RHINSE), aims to revamp and rebrand the National Sports Festival to meet international standards comparable with the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games.
He noted that the 2025 National Sports Festival in Ogun State was widely regarded as the best edition in the history of the competition, and assured that the 2026 games in Enugu — as well as the newly announced 2028 and 2030 festivals — would raise the bar even further.
