Eno Moves To Revive Akwa Ibom Inter-school Competitions
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has directed the ministries of education and sports development to collaborate with the ministerial organising committee of the just concluded sports festival to revive inter-school competition across the state.
The governor, according to a statement obtained from the Government House Press Unit on Sunday, gave the directives at the closing/medal presentation ceremony of the Akwa Ibom Sports Festival.
He described sports as a multi-billion-dollar global industry and one of the cardinal points of the tourism drive of his administration, as outlined in his ARISE Agenda.
“I want the ministerial organising committee to work with the state ministry of education to revive inter-house sports across all our schools in this state. That is where talents can be harnessed, too. We can catch them young
“Back in the days, we used to go to other secondary schools for sports competitions. I would like us to begin those inter-secondary school sports festivals.
“And I can tell you that that was where we discovered some of the talented stars abroad. We shall make funding available, but sport and tourism must be encouraged. It will be a regular event in our calendar.
“We want to tap into this huge industry and discover new talents who would thereafter carry our flag at major sporting events,” he said
The governor promised to inaugurate Arise Resorts in December, which, among other world-class amenities, would feature a nine-hole golf course and sporting pavilions, both indoor and outdoor.
Eno recalled that the last sports festival in the state was held 15 years ago, describing the 2025 sports festival as a revival of sports in the state.
“In the last week, we have brought together 3,600 youths drawn from all the 31 local government areas, who, in an infectious display of the spirit of unity, brotherhood, sportsmanship, and peace, competed for laurels in 18 individual sports and five team sports.
“The event, from all indications, has been a huge success,” Eno added.
He congratulated all the athletes who participated in the week-long event.
“You and the state are all winners. The youth are all winners, and the chairmen of local government councils who daily showed solidarity with their athletes and cheered them to victory are all winners as well,” he said.
The governor also congratulated athletes from the state who participated in the recent National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State, and commended them for winning 11 gold medals, nine silver, and 10 bronze medals.
The team came seventh out of the 36 participating states and the Federal Capital Territory, which competed in the games.
“We are rewarding all the gold medallists with N500,000 each, N250,000 for silver, and N150,000 for bronze medallists.
“We will train them further at the Sports Academy in Eket, an ambitious and strategic investment we have undertaken, aimed at discovering, preparing, and exposing our youths to compete in sporting events, utilising modern sporting equipment we have purchased for the academy,” he said.
The sports festival produced 156 gold medallists, 156 silver, and 198 bronze medallists from 18 competitive sports.
The governor lauded the organising committee and urged them to commence preparations for the 2026 edition.
The Commissioner for Sports, Paul Bassey and the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Dr Uwemedimo Udo, commended the governor for reviving the sports festival in the state.
The high point of the event was the presentation of trophies to Itu, Uyo and Nsit Atai local government areas for emerging first, second and third in the competition.
Source: PUNCH
