The Managing Director of Dunamis Icon Limited and Project Consultant for the Niger Delta Games (NDG), Sir Malik Ikpokpo, has tasked state liaison committees to intensify mobilisation for athlete and coach registration ahead of the 2nd edition of the games.

Ikpokpo gave the charge while inaugurating the Akwa Ibom State Liaison Committee for the 2026 NDG, reiterating that the competition is strictly for athletes under 20 years.

Represented by the Games Project Director, Mr Fred Edoreh, Ikpokpo warned that athletes who fail to register on the official games portal would not be cleared to participate.

“Members of the various state committees must mobilise aggressively for registration. Any athlete not registered on the portal will be denied clearance to participate in the fiesta,” he said.

At the inauguration ceremony, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Elder Paul Bassey, described the Niger Delta Games as a catalyst for youth sports development, aligning with the state government’s grassroots empowerment agenda.

Bassey commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dunamis Icon Limited for initiating and sustaining the games, describing the event as a veritable platform for talent discovery and development.

“It is the mandate of His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, for us to go to the grassroots to discover talents, and these games have come to help us achieve exactly that,” he said.

He assured the organisers of the committee’s commitment to quality, discipline and strict compliance with guidelines.

The Akwa Ibom Liaison Committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Sports, with Mr Mfon Bassey as secretary. Other members include Olympian Catherine Ewa, George Essien and Edidiong Stephen.

The committee is responsible for pre-games coordination and logistics to ensure a hitch-free participation of Team Akwa Ibom in the 2026 Niger Delta Games.