Former Nigerian Olympian and sports administrator, Yusuf Alli, has stated that the maiden National Intermediate Games, tagged EKO 2026, will serve as a litmus test for states genuinely investing in grassroots athlete development, against those relying on recruiting established talents to boost medal counts.
Scheduled to run from October 1 to 15 in Lagos, EKO 2026 will feature athletes aged 15 to 18 competing across 28 sports. Organisers expect about 15,000 athletes from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to participate in the inaugural edition.
Alli, who is part of the organising structure, emphasised that the competition is designed to strengthen the pathway between youth 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 said.
He noted that the Games will shift focus from short-term medal success to identifying states with sustainable systems for producing athletes.
