- Three-member media panel appointed for Congress coverage
Kaduna State is ready to stage the 2026 Triennial National Delegates Congress of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), with the association also setting up a three-person team to oversee media operations for the event.
Sports journalists and delegates representing the country’s various regions are due to arrive in Kaduna for the congress, which is built around the theme, “Harnessing the Power of Sports and the Media for National Development, Youth Empowerment and Global Competitiveness.” The programme will begin with its opening ceremony on Thursday, August 27.
SWAN has assigned the three-member panel responsibility for producing, coordinating and distributing material ahead of, during and after the gathering. Samuel Ahmadu, the Managing Editor of SavidNews and NigeriaFootball.ng, will lead the group. He will also chair the Media Committee for the main congress. Austine Agbo Emmanuel, a Blueprint correspondent and Assistant Secretary of the SWAN Kaduna State Chapter, will serve as secretary, with Tunde Liadi of The Nation Newspaper and Sporting Life as the third member.
The group will work across newspapers, television, radio and online channels. Its brief also includes finding and developing stories about national, African and international sports matters, covering both grassroots development and elite competition.
SWAN President Isaiah Benjamin said the congress should be viewed as more than an electoral exercise. He described it as a forum for sports writers to assess how their profession can support national progress and called on delegates to arrive ready to make constructive contributions.
Mallam Shehu U. Abdullahi, who heads the Kaduna State SWAN Chapter, said the hosts were prepared to welcome representatives from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as the invited dignitaries.
SWAN Secretary-General Amb. Ikenna Okonkwo, ANIPR, said the preparations were designed to provide delegates with a smooth experience from start to finish. Ahmadu added that the media team’s role would go beyond recording the proceedings, saying it must also show people across Nigeria the importance of the congress.
Discussions at the congress will extend beyond the election, with professional advancement, digital change, ethical standards in journalism and the welfare of sports reporters also included on the agenda.
