Twenty one states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have registered for this year’s edition of the Olympic Day celebration, which holds on Saturday, 24th June across the country. All states are expected to organise the event in their respective jurisdiction.
A statement by the the Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Tony Nezianya listed the registered states to include Anambra, Edo, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kwara, Ondo, Gombe, Sokoto and Ogun. Others are Osun, Jigawa, Taraba, Delta, Oyo, Sokoto, Kano, Imo, Nasarawa, Kogi and Borno, and the FCT.
Nezianya said that the event has been scheduled to run through one of the NOC commissions – The Sports-for-All.
He explained that the Olympic Day, which is under the slogan, ‘Let’s Move’, has been planned as a special day to promote the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect as enunciated by the International Olympic Committee over the years.
“The aim is to encourage people to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, corresponding to the minimum time recommended by the World Health Organization for good health”, the NOC spokesman further said.
Olympic Day has always been celebrated by the NOC with fanfare nationwide, although the scope was limited a few years back during the outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic.
NOC’s Secretary-General, Babatunde Popoola said that other states are expected to indicate interest in the Olympic Day celebration.
The coordinators of The Sports-for-All promised that the programme would witness one of the most successful events being the first time almost all the states will be organising it in their domains.
In Anambra, the celebration is coinciding with the grand finale of its resuscitated grassroots age-group Sports Solution initiative, being run by the Chairman of the state Sports Development Commission, Patrick Estate Onyedum. Governor Chukwuma Soludo is expected to attend.
In Lagos where our NOC head office is located, a series of physical fitness and recreational activities, including aerobic exercises, jogging and demonstration are being organised.
