Sanwo-Olu says EKO 2026 will retain Nigeria’s young sporting talent

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the inaugural National Intermediate Games, EKO 2026, will help Nigeria identify, develop and retain young sporting talent. The event is scheduled for October 1 to 15 and is expected to attract between 14,000 and 15,000 athletes.

Lagos will host the first edition after being chosen by the National Sports Commission. Sanwo-Olu said the Games would give athletes an opportunity to progress from grassroots competition towards the elite level without having to leave Nigeria to continue their development.

The governor made the comments while inspecting rehabilitation work at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, one of the venues planned for the festival. He presented the competition as part of a longer-term effort to build a system that can produce athletes for Nigeria’s national and international teams.

Teslim Balogun Stadium is undergoing work across its football, athletics, indoor sports, volleyball and swimming facilities. The main bowl is being rebuilt, while the football pitch has been upgraded to FIFA standards and fitted with natural grass. Completion of the tartan track is expected within four to six weeks, with work on the swimming pool and other areas also due before the Games.

Sanwo-Olu said the approaching festival had increased the urgency of the rehabilitation programme. He expressed confidence that the stadium and the other venues would be ready to meet the required standards before the October opening.

The investment extends beyond Surulere. Over the past three years, Lagos has also upgraded sports facilities in Ifako, Bariga, Ikorodu, Epe, Agege and Badagry. The state sees the venue improvements and EKO 2026 as linked parts of a grassroots programme intended to nurture young athletes and create a more sustainable route into elite sport.