A new chapter in Nigerian sports development is unfolding as over 100 teenagers, officially known as the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA), prepare to compete at the 22nd National Sports Festival, the Gateway Games 2025, in Abeokuta.
This innovative initiative, launched by the National Sports Commission (NSC), marks the first time a youth development team will participate alongside Nigeria’s top-tier athletes at the country’s largest sporting event.
Dubbed the festival’s unofficial “38th state,” the IJA are set to compete in 11 selected sports, including athletics, football, swimming, table tennis, wrestling, and weightlifting.
Designed as a high-performance pipeline for future stars, the IJA programme aims to accelerate the growth of young talent by immersing them in a competitive national environment.
“These young athletes are here to compete, to gain experience, and to challenge expectations,” said an NSC official. “This is about building the future—on the field, in the pool, and on the podium.”
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The atmosphere at the IJA training camp reflects this mission. Coaches describe a camp filled with energy, discipline, and determination, with many teenagers seeing this as the first step toward international competition and national recognition.
Their inclusion aligns with Nigeria’s long-term sports strategy, which focuses on strengthening areas where the country traditionally excels. By exposing young athletes to elite competition early, the NSC hopes to build a more resilient and competitive generation of sportspeople.
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The Gateway Games 2025 is set to be the largest sports gathering in Nigerian history, hosting between 12,000- 15,000 athletes across more than 30 sports.
