There is a growing realisation around the world that sports is no longer merely about recreation, entertainment or the pursuit of medals. It is a huge economic ecosystem capable of creating jobs, developing young people, attracting investment and projecting the image of a nation or state. Against this background, Governor Umo Eno’s renewed commitment to sports development deserves commendation.
Receiving the Unity Torch to signal the commencement of the 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival, Governor Eno described sports as a multi-billion-dollar industry and reaffirmed his administration’s determination to equip young people to take advantage of the opportunities within the sector. This is the right direction.
But the real test is not in the speeches or ceremonies; it is in how consistently the policy is implemented and how many young Akwa Ibom people are ultimately able to build sustainable careers from sports.
The results of the State’s emerging sports programme are already encouraging. Akwa Ibom’s performance at the Niger Delta Games in Benin City, where its athletes won 16 gold, 17 silver and 22 bronze medals, demonstrates that talent exists in abundance.
Even more significant is the performance of the three Akwa Ibom athletes who represented Nigeria at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Edidiong Umofia won gold in weightlifting, Ruth Nyong secured silver, while Enku Ekuta claimed bronze in judo.
Governor Eno’s decision to offer the three Commonwealth medalists automatic employment into the State Ministry of Sports Development is therefore more than a reward for their achievement.
It sends a powerful message to young people that excellence in sports can be recognised and translated into meaningful opportunities. It also ensures that accomplished athletes can remain connected to the development of the next generation instead of being discarded after their competitive careers.
However, government must go beyond rewarding successful athletes.
The real foundation of sports development is at the grassroots. There is a need for functional playing fields, properly equipped sports facilities, qualified coaches, sports academies, regular competitions and deliberate talent-identification programmes across the 31 local government areas.
The annual State Sports Festival should become a pipeline through which raw talents are discovered, trained, exposed and eventually produced for national and international competitions.
We believe Akwa Ibom has the potential to go even further. With its relatively strong sporting culture and existing infrastructure, the State can develop a sports economy that extends beyond athletes to coaching, sports medicine, physiotherapy, sports journalism, event management, merchandising, sports technology and tourism. Such an ecosystem would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for young people.
The Commissioner for Sports Development, Elder Paul Bassey, and the Inter-Ministerial Committee responsible for the festival must therefore see the second edition not merely as another sporting event but as part of a long-term development strategy. Every talent discovered should have a pathway to professional development.
Every promising athlete should have access to coaching and facilities. And every medal won should represent the beginning of another opportunity, not the end of the journey.
Governor Eno deserves commendation for recognising sports as an investment rather than an expense. But history will judge the administration not by the number of athletes celebrated, but by whether it succeeds in building a sustainable system capable of producing champions long after the present administration has left office.
The Evangelist therefore urges the State Government to sustain and deepen its investment in sports. If properly structured, the Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival can become one of the State’s most important engines for youth empowerment, employment, social development and economic growth.
The message should be clear: discover the talent at the grassroots, develop it with discipline, reward excellence and build an economy around it. That is how sports can truly become a pathway to a better future for Akwa Ibom’s youths.
The Evangelist News
