2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival: The Winners, The Gains, As Curtain Falls
Itu Local Government Area has retained its title as champion of the Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival after finishing top of the final medal table at the 2026 edition.
The defending champions won 108 medals — 59 gold, 33 silver and 16 bronze — to finish first in the seven-day competition involving athletes from all 31 local government areas.
Uruan finished second with 83 medals, made up of 27 gold, 33 silver and 23 bronze, while Etinan took third place with 51 medals — 23 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze.
Overall, 29 local government areas won medals during the festival, while Eastern Obolo and Obot Akara finished without a medal.
The 2026 edition brought together about 4,000 young athletes and saw the number of sports disciplines increase from 18 in the 2025 edition to 27 this year.
More Than Medals
The festival was not only about winning medals. It also provided an opportunity to discover young talents from different parts of Akwa Ibom.
Governor Umo Eno, who was represented at the closing ceremony by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, said the festival was building on the foundation laid during the 2025 edition.
He highlighted the inclusion of golf as one of the major additions to this year’s festival and said sports could create opportunities for young people while also supporting tourism.
One of the biggest plans announced at the closing ceremony was a free golf development programme.
The Ibom Golf and Country Club is expected to train five young boys and five young girls from each of the 31 local government areas, creating a pool of 155 young golfers.
The programme is expected to help introduce more young people to golf and provide a pathway for future talents.
From Grassroots To Bigger Stages
Governor Eno also pointed to the success of Akwa Ibom athletes at national and international competitions.
Three Akwa Ibom athletes who won medals at the Commonwealth Games were offered immediate employment in the State Ministry of Sports Development. They are Edidiong Umofia, Ruth Nyong and Enku Ekuta.
The governor also announced rewards for athletes who performed well at the NDDC Games in Benin, Edo State.
He said the Sports Festival was part of the state’s plan to discover athletes who could go on to represent Akwa Ibom and Nigeria at national and international competitions.
Sports Infrastructure And The Future
The governor also highlighted plans for sports facilities under the ARISE Agenda, including the sports facilities at the ARISE Palm Resort and the Ibom Sports Academy project in Eket.
Commissioner for Sports Development, Elder Paul Bassey, thanked the governor for making the Sports Festival an annual event and said the competition would continue to support grassroots talent development.
The festival also featured the debut of golf, while other sports produced new champions and memorable performances across the seven days. The event continued the grassroots sports development programme started with the first edition in 2025.
Itu Leads Again
For Itu, the 2026 title represents another successful outing after winning the inaugural edition in 2025.
Itu’s Chairman, Hon. Ubong Nkutt, attributed the latest success to hard work and preparation by the athletes.
He also praised Governor Eno for providing a platform for young people from the 31 local government areas to come together, compete and showcase their talents.
The closing ceremony at the Uyo Township Stadium featured the presentation of trophies, a march-past by the participating local government areas and traditional dances.
After seven days of competition, the 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival has ended — but for many of the young athletes discovered during the event, it could be the beginning of a much bigger journey.
