For more than six decades, the Niger Delta has produced some of Nigeria’s finest athletes, but the region has struggled to replace its superstars.
According to Sir Itiako Ikpokpo (KSM), the reason is simple: opportunities dried up. “You will agree with me that the superstars were not being replaced. One of the challenges is that there were no opportunities.
That’s one of the reasons we are doing this competition,” the Managing Director of Dunamis Icon Limited and Managing Consultant of the Niger Delta Games stated.
Ikpokpo made the remarks on Channels Sports with Ochonogor , where he also revealed a major capacity-building initiative for coaches and technical officials ahead of the 2026 edition of the Games.
He announced that a specialised training programme will be held in January, aimed at improving the efficiency and preparedness of the technical workforce driving the competition.
Responding to a question on how to sustain long-term talent discovery in the region, Ikpokpo expressed concern over the poor remuneration of coaches, wondering how they are expected to scour communities for emerging athletes without adequate support.
“We are working with partners, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and, specifically for this event, the Nigeria Local Content Development and Management Board, to organise a workshop in January for Coaches and Technical Officials,” he said.
Ikpokpo urged both federal and state governments to give sports infrastructure the same priority accorded to roads and hospitals.
“For us to make any impact in sports, government must invest in sports infrastructure. It is good to build roads and hospitals, and it is also important that we invest in sports infrastructure,” he maintained.
Highlighting the deeper structural problems, the Delta State Athletics Association chairman lamented that many schools across Nigeria are built without sports grounds, a major setback to grassroots talent development.
“The schools are the cradle of sports development, yet we have people building schools with no sports facilities,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ikpokpo assured that the second edition of the Niger Delta Games, scheduled for Benin City, Edo State, will deliver significant improvements across all fronts compared to the inaugural edition, setting a stronger foundation for nurturing the next generation of champions.
