The National Sports Commission (NSC) has officially secured host states for the 2028 and 2030 editions of the National Sports Festival, marking another major stride in the country’s sports development.

Bayelsa State will host the 2028 Games, the first time the festival will take place in the oil-rich South-South state. Kaduna State has been confirmed as the host for the 2030 edition, which will be the third time it stages the competition, having previously hosted in 1977 and 2009.

NSC Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, expressed satisfaction with the commitment shown by both states, emphasising that their readiness reflects the festival’s renewed prestige.

According to Olopade, the strong interest in hosting represents a major shift from previous years when the festival battled for relevance and consistency.

“We are glad that we have made the Sports Festival attractive again, where states are now showing serious interest to host. This is as a result of how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has prioritised the Sports sector under his administration,” he said.

He added that the Commission’s RHINSE (Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigerian Sports Economy) agenda aims to overhaul the festival’s structure and standards to mirror global competitions like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

Olopade also noted that the 2025 National Sports Festival in Ogun State was widely regarded as the best in history, and the bar will be raised even higher with the 2026 edition in Enugu — and now the upcoming 2028 and 2030 editions in Bayelsa and Kaduna.