Lagos State Reveals Plan To Use 11 Venues For Various Events At First National Intermediate Games In October
Golden Page News | August 20| 2026
LAGOS — Lagos State is stepping up preparations for the maiden National Intermediate Games, with sporting facilities across the state being positioned to host athletes from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory when the competition gets underway on October 1.
Tagged EKO 2026, the inaugural National Intermediate Games will run from October 1 to 15, 2026, bringing together thousands of young athletes in a competition designed to strengthen the transition from grassroots and youth sports to elite competition. The official EKO 2026 platform says the Games are targeted at athletes aged 15 to 18, while earlier National Sports Commission documents have described the intermediate category as a pathway for athletes above the youth level and toward elite competition.
Lagos has earmarked a network of sporting facilities across the state for the Games, with key venues including Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere; Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan; Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba; and other facilities in areas including Ifako, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Epe, Agege and Badagry.
The venue strategy reflects the scale of the festival, which is expected to attract between 12,000 and 15,000 athletes, according to figures released by organisers and Lagos State officials.
Lagos ramps up facility upgrades
Preparations have moved beyond planning, with rehabilitation and upgrading works continuing at several sporting facilities.
During a recent inspection of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the main bowl was undergoing major reconstruction, while the football pitch had been upgraded to FIFA standards with natural grass installed.
The governor also said work was continuing on the athletics track, swimming pool and other facilities, expressing confidence that the outstanding projects would be completed before the Games begin.
The readiness of Lagos has also received positive assessments from the National Sports Commission. In June, a Main Organising Committee inspection covered competition venues, accommodation facilities and supporting infrastructure across the state. The delegation inspected facilities including Teslim Balogun Stadium, the National Stadium Complex, the National Institute for Sports, Rowe Park, Yaba College of Technology, University of Lagos facilities, Elegbata Sports Centre, the Cricket Oval at Tafawa Balewa Square and Mobolaji Johnson Arena.
Olopade backs Lagos
National Sports Commission Director-General, Bukola Olopade, has repeatedly expressed confidence in Lagos’ ability to deliver a successful maiden edition.
Olopade described the Intermediate Games as an important part of Nigeria’s athlete-development strategy, particularly because they are intended to address the gap between youth competitions and the senior elite level.
He said the initiative would provide young athletes with more opportunities to compete, develop and prepare for higher-level national and international competition.
According to the NSC DG, the decision to introduce the Intermediate Games is also aimed at rebuilding a structured pathway for Nigerian sporting talent.
“The Intermediate Games will surely be one of our true sporting legacies in terms of podium placement, grassroots development and building capacity,” Olopade said during an earlier organising committee meeting.
15 sports on the programme
The inaugural Games are expected to feature 15 compulsory sports, including athletics and para-athletics, badminton and para-badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, football, gymnastics, judo, swimming, table tennis and para-table tennis, tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and beach volleyball, weightlifting and para-powerlifting, as well as wrestling.
The structure is intended to make EKO 2026 more than a one-off competition by creating a clearer progression for promising athletes who have outgrown youth-level competition but are not yet established at senior level.
A landmark event for Lagos
For Lagos, hosting the inaugural Games represents another opportunity to reinforce its reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading sporting centres.
The Main Organising Committee has noted that Lagos has a strong history of hosting major sporting events, while the state has continued to invest in the rehabilitation and modernisation of its sporting infrastructure.
The official EKO 2026 organisers have framed the Games around three central objectives: discovering talent, uniting Nigeria through sport and showcasing Lagos as a destination for sports, tourism and business.
With October 1 fast approaching, attention is now turning to the final delivery of venues, accommodation, transportation, medical services and other logistics required to host what organisers expect to be a major gathering of Nigeria’s emerging sporting talents.
If successfully delivered, EKO 2026 could establish a new national platform for identifying the next generation of Nigerian athletes while giving Lagos another opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to host major sporting competitions.
