Nigerian Sports Commission Budgets N2.1billion In 2026 To “Organise” Sports Festival Already Held In Ogun

The 2025 National Sports Festival was held in Ogun State between May 16 and May 30, 2025, and was formally declared open in May by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

A SaharaReporters' review of Nigeria’s 2026 budget has revealed that the National Sports Commission (NSC) allocated N2.1 billion to “Promote and organise National Sports Festival 2025 in Ogun State."

This is despite the event having already taken place and Ogun State is not scheduled to host another edition in 2026.

The 2025 National Sports Festival was held in Ogun State between May 16 and May 30, 2025, and was formally declared open in May by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Despite this, the same event appears in the 2026 federal budget, raising questions about the purpose of the N2.1 billion allocation.

In the 2025 fiscal year, the  Federal Ministry of Sports Development — had already budgeted N3 billion for the “promotion and organisation of the 2025 National Sports Festival Ogun State.”

In addition to federal budgeting , Ogun State committed significant resources to hosting the festival.

A review of the Ogun State 2025 budget showed that N2.6 billion was spent on hosting the National Sports Festival in the 2024 financial year. The state also budgeted another N2.3 billion in its approved 2025 budget for the same event.

Budget performance documents further showed that in 2024, Ogun State spent N36.5 million on overhead costs related to the festival, as well as N2.652 billion on capital expenditures connected to hosting the event.

In the 2025 financial year, the Ogun State government budgeted N285 million for personnel expenditure related to the festival and another N1.261 billion for capital expenditures.

However, while Ogun State has already hosted the 2025 National Sports Festival, the National Sports Commission has designated Enugu State as the host of the 2026 edition.

As early as 2025, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development (now the National Sports Commission) budgeted N185 million to begin preparations for the 2026 National Sports Festival in Enugu State. In the 2026 fiscal year, an additional N129.5 million was allocated for “preparation for the National Sports Festival Enugu.”

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State governor Dapo Abiodun on media and strategy, Kayode Ogunmade, told SaharaReporters that the state has no plans to host another National Sports Festival in 2026.

“We cannot host such huge event twice in a year,” he told SaharaReporters.

He also dismissed suggestions that the state incurred debts from hosting the festival.

“We do not host events and then run into debts. We do not do things that we are not capable of. We are not indebted due to hosting of the event,” he said.

When SaharaReporters drew his attention to the N2.1 billion allocation by the National Sports Commission for “promoting and organising National Sports Festival in Ogun State” in the 2026 budget, the adviser said only the commission could explain the rationale for the expenditure.

He further attempted to defend the Sports Commission, noting that perhaps there were events they were considering for Ogun State.

"The NSC as a national body maybe plans an event in Ogun State, you know the state is now a centre of sports development."

When quipped if such events are inclined towards National Sports Festival, he stated that knowledge of such.

"I am not aware that we are hosting another National Sports Festival as government spokesperson," he insisted.

It is unclear why the NSC imputed an already held event for funding in the 2026 fiscal year despite previous budgeting provisions.