EKO 2026 to Highlight States that Invest in Young Athletes

Former Nigerian Olympian and sports leader, Yusuf Alli, has said that the first National Intermediate Games, called EKO 2026, will show which states are really putting money into training young athletes. It will also show those that just want to buy experienced talents to win more medals.

The event will take place from October 1 to 15 in Lagos. Athletes aged 15 to 18 will compete in 28 different sports. Organisers expect around 15,000 athletes from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to take part in this first edition.

Alli, who is involved in organising the event, said the competition aims to create a better link between youth sports and senior sports.

“This will expose states. States that just go and buy athletes for festivals, this will determine the ones that have really been training,” he explained.

He added that the Games will focus less on quick medal wins and more on finding states that have solid plans to develop athletes over time.

“I know for sure that states like Edo and Lagos train athletes very well. It will come to play for us to see the states that have been training athletes,” Alli mentioned.

The debate over athlete recruitment has been around for a long time in Nigeria’s multi-sport competitions. At the National Sports Festival, Nigeria’s main event, only a few states often take the spotlight. For instance, Delta State kept its title at the 2025 edition in Ogun, winning 323 medals, including 122 gold.

But at the youth level, Lagos proved the strength of its development program by finishing first in the medal table at the 2025 National Youth Games in Asaba, with 52 gold medals.

Alli also highlighted that talent identification teams will pay close attention to the performances of the athletes.

“We look at the extra-talented athletes that may not have what it takes now, but may have what it takes in the future. Those are the ones we are really looking to concentrate on,” he said.

For Alli, the real success of EKO 2026 will not just be about the medal count but also about how many young athletes are found, trained, and kept by their states as they move up to senior levels.