Thursday August 28, 2025
By The NewsDESK |
About 3,600 competitors are set to participate in the Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival, codenamed IBOM 2025.
The announcement was made on Thursday, August 28, by the State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Aniekan Umanah, during a media briefing at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium held for the official unveiling of the festival’s logo.
Scheduled to take place from September 8th to September 13th, 2025, the festival will feature 18 sporting events.
Hon. Umanah stated that beyond fostering unity, the festival will provide a platform for athletes to showcase their talents, win laurels and prizes, and position Akwa Ibom to tap into the lucrative global sports market.
“Global sports tourism was valued at $565 billion as of 2023 and is envisaged that it will grow to $1 trillion by 2031. This festival will position Akwa Ibom and our people to partake in this trillion-dollar market,” Umanah said.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Umo Eno for approving the festival, noting that it underscores the administration’s commitment to sports development and tourism.
“Sports development, particularly sports tourism, is a key component of the Governor’s ARISE Agenda. It is embedded in Aspiration II, Item Number 8, which focuses specifically on this sector. This initiative is a product of the Governor’s deep strategic thinking,” the Information Commissioner added.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, confirmed that this will be the first state sports festival under the current administration, which he praised for its “sincere commitment to the development of sports” since inception.
He affirmed that the festival is designed to position the state for “dominance in national and international competitions.”
Elder Bassey announced that the festival torch will be handed over by the Governor on Friday, September 29th, at the Government House. The torch will then tour all 31 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. He called on all participants to exhibit the highest levels of professionalism throughout the event.
Highlighting the government’s broader investments in sports, Elder Bassey cited the creation of a stand-alone Ministry of Sports, the upcoming commissioning of the ARISE Sports Park in December, and the development of the Ibom Sports Academy in Eket as proofs of the administration’s resolve to harness grassroots sporting talent.
The media briefing was attended by members of the inter-ministerial committee for the festival, including the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Inibehe Etukudo; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Anieti Nseowo; Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr Ekerette Ekanem; and Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga. Others were the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ubong Essien; Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Sports, Hon. Uwemedimo Asuquo; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, Mrs Roselyn Ubia; Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Information, Akparawa James Edet; Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ekerette Udoh; among others.
