Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has inspected the ongoing transformation of the long-abandoned Awgu Games Village, assuring that the facility will emerge as a world-class sports complex ahead of the 23rd National Sports Festival, tagged “Coal City Games.”
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Mbah, who spoke during a weekend inspection tour of the facility, said the state government was working against a tight timeline to ensure that Awgu Games Village is completed and fully ready to accommodate contingents from across the country for the festival scheduled for November 27 to December 11, 2026.
The governor said the government’s objective was to deliver one of the most memorable editions of the National Sports Festival while using the event as an opportunity to create enduring sports infrastructure across the state.
According to him, construction is ongoing on a 1,000-capacity-bed hostel, indoor and outdoor courts, a standard FIFA football pitch and an eight-lane athletics track at the Awgu Games Village.
“Recall the commitment we made as a government that we are going to make the 23rd National Sports Festival one of the most memorable festivals in the history of the event,” Mbah said.
He stressed that the pace of work was critical, noting that the facility, which had remained abandoned for years, would cease to be a construction site within two months and become a fully functional Games Village.
“In less than two months, what you will have here is a proper venue that will be hosting contingents from across the country,” he said.
Mbah explained that the development of Awgu Games Village was part of a broader strategy to position Enugu as a preferred destination for investment, business, tourism and living, rather than a project designed solely for the National Sports Festival.
He said the government was equally undertaking an extensive reconstruction of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, which is being transformed into a FIFA-standard, multi-sport facility.
The governor disclosed that the stadium project includes the installation of a new FIFA-standard football pitch and athletics track, rehabilitation and replacement of spectator seats, construction of a new roofing and canopy system, and upgrades to the VIP and VVIP stands and players’ changing rooms.
Other improvements, he said, include electronic access-control systems, new LCD scoreboards, perimeter LED display boards, protective mesh fencing, upgraded floodlighting and other electrical and mechanical systems.
The external areas of the stadium are also being clad and landscaped as part of efforts to give the complex a modern architectural appearance.
Beyond the main stadium bowl, Mbah said the state was constructing a new Olympic-size swimming pool and upgrading indoor and outdoor sporting facilities for volleyball, basketball, squash and other sporting activities.
He emphasised that the government was transforming the entire stadium complex rather than merely renovating a football ground.
“This is not simply renovating a football stadium. We are transforming the entire Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium complex into a modern, world-class multi-sport facility,” the governor said.
Mbah also assured that Enugu was not considering a change to the scheduled dates of the National Sports Festival, saying the state had given its commitment to the National Sports Commission that all facilities would be delivered on time.
He said the government was paying attention not only to the efficiency of hosting the festival but also to the overall experience of athletes and officials, including accommodation, logistics and other welfare arrangements.
For the governor, sports represent more than recreation, describing them as a tool for social cohesion and a major economic opportunity capable of contributing to the development of the state when properly harnessed.
Also present during the inspection were the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Osita Okoh; Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedett Okoli; Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Development and Implementation, Arch. Uche Nwatu; and Chairman of Awgu Local Government Council, Hon. Uchenna Okolo.
The Awgu Council Chairman commended Governor Mbah for reviving the long-abandoned Games Village, saying the transformation would not only support the successful hosting of the National Sports Festival but would also accelerate economic and infrastructural development in Awgu and Enugu State generally.
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