The National Council on Sports has officially approved a 32-sport limit for the 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF), aiming to bring greater consistency and strategic focus to Nigeria’s biggest multi-sport event.
The resolution was reached during an Extraordinary Council meeting held on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, following a memorandum submitted by the National Sports Commission (NSC). A communiqué signed by NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, confirmed that the 32-sport lineup would consist of 27 compulsory events and a maximum of five optional sports selected by the host state.
The policy is backed by Rule 11 of the 2024 NSF general rules and regulations—a provision first introduced during an Extraordinary Council meeting in Benin City in 2019 and reaffirmed this week.
According to the NSC, the 27 compulsory sports were selected based on their popularity across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, historical participation trends, and the nation’s competitive performance in those disciplines at international competitions.
These core events include athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, cycling, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, and judo. Others are karate, kick-boxing, kung-fu, para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, scrabble, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling.
To complete the 32-event programme, the host state will be allowed to choose up to five optional sports from a pool of 25.
The Council emphasised that this streamlined approach would help stabilise the festival’s structure, making it easier for organisers, athletes, and stakeholders to plan effectively, while also supporting long-term athlete development and national sports policy goals.
Ogun State will host the 22nd edition of the NSF, tagged Gateway Games, in Abeokuta from May 18 to 30.
