NSC Steps Up Team Nigeria’s Preparations For 2026 Youth Olympics

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has intensified preparations for Team Nigeria’s participation in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as the countdown to Africa’s first Olympic sporting event enters its final month.

The Games are scheduled to hold from October 31 to November 13, 2026, in Senegal, with about 2,700 young athletes aged 17 and under from across the world expected to participate.

Director-General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said Nigeria’s participation would provide an important platform to identify, nurture and expose some of the country’s most promising young sporting talents to international competition.

Olopade said the Commission was committed to strengthening the pathway for young athletes and creating a sustainable pipeline capable of producing future Olympians and world-class sportsmen and women.

According to him, the Dakar Games offer Nigeria another opportunity to invest in the next generation while giving young athletes valuable experience of competing on the international stage.

“The Games present another opportunity to identify, nurture and expose the next generation of sporting stars as the country continues to strengthen its pathway for young athletes and build a sustainable future for Nigerian sports,” he said.

The competition will feature 25 sports, alongside 10 engagement sports designed to broaden participation and interaction beyond the main competitive programme.

Events will be staged across three host zones in Senegal — Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly — with athletes and officials expected to converge on the country for two weeks of youth sporting action.

As preparations enter the final stretch, the NSC is expected to focus on ensuring that Nigeria’s young representatives receive the necessary support and exposure ahead of their appearance at the Games.

Olopade said the Commission’s objective extended beyond immediate results, stressing the importance of using international youth competitions to develop athletes who can eventually compete successfully at senior Olympic and global championships.

He said the experience gained in Dakar would form part of Nigeria’s broader strategy of building a stronger and more sustainable sports development system.

The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will also mark a historic milestone for Africa, as the continent hosts an Olympic sporting event for the first time.

For Team Nigeria, the Games represent an opportunity for the country’s emerging athletes to gain international experience, test themselves against their peers from around the world and begin laying the foundation for future success at senior level.