Diaspora Athletes to Compete as 38th State at 2026 National Intermediate Games in Lagos

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has unveiled plans to introduce an “Invited Diaspora Athletes” (IDA) team as a symbolic 38th state at the maiden edition of the National Intermediate Games scheduled to hold in Lagos later this year.

The initiative marks a major expansion of the commission’s athlete development framework and is positioned as part of ongoing reforms within Nigeria’s sports sector.

Director-General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said the move followed growing interest from Nigerians abroad eager to represent the country in international competitions.

According to him, the Diaspora Discovery Athletes Committee chaired by Tunde Adelakun has moved swiftly since its inauguration, laying the groundwork for diaspora-based talents to integrate into Nigeria’s competitive structure.

“We are very excited about this initiative because of the immediate and futuristic impact it will have on our Sports development. At the Intermediate Games in Lagos, we will be having about 50 athletes that will be coming from the Diaspora, competing for IDA”.

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Olopade in a statement by the S.A. Media, Office of the Director General, NSC, Kola Daniel, described the IDA concept as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s long-term competitiveness on the global stage.

“This will surely be another major game changer for Nigerian sports and it will surely upscale the competitive edge of Team Nigeria at major International competitions”.

Chairman of the Diaspora Discovery Athletes Committee, Tunde Adelakun, confirmed that preparations are already underway to assemble the athletes ahead of the Games.

He disclosed that the committee is working on establishing a European training base where invited athletes will camp before the final team selection for Lagos.

“We are already working on having a camp site here in Europe where we will have all the Invited Diaspora Athletes, from where we will pick the team for the intermediate games and I must tell you, the athletes are already looking forward to this because it has never happened in the history of our country”, he said.

The IDA project builds on a similar innovation introduced at the 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State last year, where Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) competed as a 37th state and delivered notable medal-winning performances.

With the Intermediate Games set to debut in Lagos, the NSC is replicating that model by formally incorporating diaspora athletes into national competition as a standalone contingent.

Officials say the move is designed not only to strengthen domestic competition but also to broaden Nigeria’s talent pool ahead of major international tournaments.

The 2026 National Intermediate Games will be the first of its kind, serving as a developmental platform between grassroots and elite-level competition in the country’s evolving sports structure.