Senior Correspondent Comfort Isaac reports that Akwa Ibom State is increasingly becoming the nation’s sports capital
With modern sports and tourism facilities, sports tourism is increasingly playing significant role in the economy of Akwa Ibom State. Its 30-000 capacity stadium is home to the Super Eagles where the national football team plays its entire home matches in the 2025 Nations Cup and 2026 World Cup qualifying competitions. On Wednesday, April 2, another big sporting event will open in Uyo. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is hosting the maiden edition of its sports festival in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital. Over 300 athletes from the nine NDDC states will compete in 17 different sports, ranging from track and field to swimming. The core objective of the event is to discover and nurture talents in the region and groom them into global stars.
The state Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has promised to reward athletes who will win medals for the state. He says his administration remains committed to sports development and urged the athletes to reciprocate the gesture by making the state proud at the games, assuring that the government will reward all the medalists. He commends NDDC for organizing the sports festival, adding that it will help boost and promote sports tourism in the region and discover talents for national and international competitions.
The state has adequate sports centres and hotels to accommodate domestic and international events, and this include Uyo Township Stadium; the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium; Eket Township Stadium and Ikot Ekpene Township stadium. NDDC events will also be held at the Ultrafit Sports Center and Cornelia Connelly College Sports center. NDDC’s Executive Director (Finance) who serves as the festival’s main organizing committee says Akwa Ibom was chosen to host the maiden sports events because of its excellent facilities and safe, secure and peaceful neighbourhoods.
The 30,000-capacity football stadium, named after Godswill Akpabio, is the most modern football facility in West Africa. It’s modeled after the Allianz Aerena, the 70,000-capacity stadium in Munich, Germany. Also known as the Nest of Champions, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium has a bulletproof VVIP/VIP area, a box office and media facilities for replays. There are 30 emergency exit points; a helipad; two dressing rooms and an ambulance bay. The stadium has a maintenance contract with Julius Berger for the upkeep of the facility.
Sports tourism has immense impacts on the Akwa Ibom economy. The state-owned football teams, Akwa United FC, Dakkada FC and Ibom Angels FC, have considerable fan base in the state. Hotels in Uyo have been experiencing increased occupancy whenever there are football competitions. While Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort usually accommodate the visiting teams and their officials, the Super Eagles and their officials prefer to stay in the newer Sheraton Hotel at Ikot Ekpene. The two hotels typically make up to between N100 million and N120 million during each football competition. Opened in 2007, Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort has an 18-hole golf course which ranks among the best in the country.
The Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Ikot Ekpene, just a 25-minute drive from the Nest of Champions, carries the renowned Sheraton brand. It’s one of the best furnished hotels in Africa. It houses a Raffia Co-operative store which sells raffia crafts and masquerades.
When I visited the hotel last weekend, it was brimming with guests and revelers, especially families as the day was celebration of “Mothering Sunday” or “International Mothers’ Day”. Four Points by Sheraton has 146 rooms and suites and each room costs between N270,000 and N700,000
The other hotels such as Royalty Signature, Watbridge, EMMJM, De Castle, CEEDAPEG and Luton Park, among others serve the lower segments of the market.
