Former Olympian and sports administrator Yusuf Alli says the inaugural National Intermediate Games, EKO 2026, will reveal which states are genuinely developing grassroots talent and which are recruiting experienced athletes to boost their medal totals.
The Lagos-based event is scheduled for October 1-15 and will bring together athletes aged 15 to 18 in 28 sports. More than 14,000 competitors are expected from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Alli, who is part of the Games’ organising team, said the competition would help build a stronger route from youth sport to senior-level competition. He said the event would distinguish states that have invested in training from those that simply acquire athletes for festivals.
He said the priority should be creating lasting development systems rather than pursuing immediate medal success. Alli identified Edo and Lagos as states with strong athlete-training programmes and said EKO 2026 would show which other states had made similar investments.
Performance-monitoring teams will assess athletes during the Games as part of the talent-identification process. Alli said they would pay particular attention to competitors who might not yet be ready for major success but possess the potential to develop into high-level athletes.
According to Alli, the true measure of EKO 2026 will be how many promising young athletes are discovered and kept within their states as they advance into senior competition, not simply where each state finishes on the medal table.
