Akwa Ibom officially unveils plans for State Sports Festival
The Akwa Ibom State Government has officially unveiled plans for the 2025 Sports Festival, a multi-sport event aimed at discovering new talents, promoting youth development, boosting the sports industry, and strengthening tourism in the state.
Anchored on Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda, which prioritises sports as a tool for human capital development and economic growth, the Festival is scheduled to take place from 8 to 13 September 2025 with the theme: “Nurturing Talents, Promoting Tourism.”
At a media briefing held in the Conference Hall of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, the inter-ministerial committee, headed by the Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, outlined modalities for the successful staging of the event.
Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, described the Festival as a landmark initiative that aligns with Aspiration 2 of Governor Eno’s ARISE Agenda in the areas of sports tourism and youth empowerment. He called on the media to give wide publicity to the Festival, noting that it will not only raise new champions but also spotlight Akwa Ibom as a destination for sports tourism.
Speaking further, the Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, revealed that the Festival will feature both junior and senior athletes from all 31 Local Government Areas of the state. They will compete in 18 core sports, including athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, judo, karate, scrabble, swimming, wrestling, weightlifting, and football. Demonstration sports such as golf, cricket, kokowa, and ayo will also be showcased, while team events will be contested at senatorial district level.
Elder Bassey added that the Sports Festival complements other ongoing projects of the Umo Eno administration, such as the upcoming Sports Academy, the 9-hole Golf Course, and modern sporting facilities at the ARISE Resort, all targeted at nurturing young talents and positioning Akwa Ibom as a hub for sports excellence.
The event also witnessed the colourful unveiling of the Festival’s logo, symbolising the state’s rich cultural heritage.
Present at the briefing were the Commissioners for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Anietie Udofia, Education, Prof. Ubong Umoh, Humanitarian Affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga, Women Affairs, Hon. Inibehe Silas, and Youth Development, Dr. Ekanem Ekerete, as well as the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh. Permanent Secretaries, Mrs Rosemary Ubia (Sports) and Akparawa James Edet (Information), were also in attendance, underscoring the government’s inter-sectoral approach in linking sports with education, tourism, and community development.
With the Akwa Ibom Sports Festival 2025, the state is not just celebrating athletics, it is making a bold investment in a future where sports drive youth empowerment, unity, and socio-economic growth.
