Stakeholders Hail Gov. AbdulRazaq’s Sports Revolution as Kwara Inaugurates 8th Festival Committees
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Preparations for the 8th Kwara State Sports Festival have entered a new phase following the inauguration of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Local Organising Committee (LOC) and 12 sub-committees by the Kwara State Sports Commission on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
The inauguration, held in Ilorin, is part of efforts to ensure a successful, transparent and well-coordinated festival that will bring together athletes and officials from all 16 Local Government Areas of the state.
Performing the inauguration, Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission and Chairman of the MOC, Coach Bolakale Adisa Mogaji, charged members of the various committees to hit the ground running and work within the stipulated timeframe to deliver a festival that reflects the state’s growing investment in sports.
Mogaji tasked the committees with developing realistic budgets and effective operational plans capable of achieving the objectives of the festival, while urging members to demonstrate professionalism, commitment and teamwork in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Sports Commission chairman commended the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for his consistent investment in sports development, describing the approval for the hosting of the 8th edition as another demonstration of the Governor’s passion and commitment to the growth of sports in the state.
He noted that the festival would provide another platform for discovering, nurturing and exposing sporting talents across the 16 Local Government Areas, while strengthening grassroots sports development in Kwara.
The committees inaugurated include Ceremonial, Publicity and Media, Technical, Security, Accreditation, Accommodation, Feeding, Venues, Power and Transportation, alongside other specialised sub-committees.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the LOC, Dr. Steve Olarinoye, commended Governor AbdulRazaq for providing what he described as top-class sporting facilities across the state.
Olarinoye also appreciated Coach Mogaji for considering experienced stakeholders for the various responsibilities, describing the appointment as an opportunity for them to once again contribute their wealth of experience to the development of sports in Kwara.
Former Director of Sports, Mrs. Serah Bola Ẹsan, also praised Governor AbdulRazaq for his commitment to sports development, noting that the Governor’s passion for sports extends beyond Kwara to the wider development of Nigerian sports.
She, however, called for a strong maintenance culture to preserve the sporting facilities provided by the administration.
Ẹsan, who is the first and only female Director of Sports the state has had so far, also stressed the need for professionalism, discipline and proper handling of proceedings within the Kwara State Sports Commission.
Other stakeholders on the committees equally commended Governor AbdulRazaq for what they described as a significant transformation in the state’s sports sector.
They also applauded Coach Mogaji for championing sports development and carrying key stakeholders along in the administration and development of sports in Kwara.
The committees comprise experienced sports administrators and stakeholders, including serving and former commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Directors and former athletes. Some members also shared their experiences of representing Kwara at the maiden National Sports Festival in 1973, bringing decades of institutional and sporting knowledge to the organisation of the 8th edition.
The 8th Kwara State Sports Festival is scheduled to take place from August 21 to August 29, 2026, at the George Agbazika Innih Stadium Complex, Ilorin, with activities commencing daily from 9:00 a.m.
The festival is expected to provide another major platform for grassroots talent identification and development, while further strengthening the foundation for Kwara’s continued emergence as one of Nigeria’s leading sports-development states.
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