Dignitaries To Lead Opening Ceremony As 3rd National Para Games: Holds In Abuja

The stage is set for the official opening of Nigeria’s Third National Para Games, with prominent figures, including former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare, joining the National Sports Commission (NSC) leadership to launch the highly anticipated event.

Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the NSC, alongside the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, will preside over the opening ceremony. This is scheduled for Saturday, 28th March 2026, at the iconic Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

Running from 26th March to 3rd April 2026, the Third National Para Games is Nigeria’s premier para-sporting event. It will bring together over 3,000 athletes from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, competing across 15 different sports. This makes it one of the largest assemblies of para-athletes in the nation’s history.

Disciplines will include para-athletics, wheelchair basketball, para-swimming, amputee football, sitting volleyball, para-powerlifting, and wheelchair tennis, among others. This extensive programme highlights Nigeria’s increasing dedication to inclusivity and the development of para-sports nationwide.

Organised by the National Sports Commission, the event has become a crucial platform for talent identification, fostering national unity, and preparing athletes for international competitions suchibilities as the Paralympic Games, African championships, and the Commonwealth Games.

Beyond the competition, the Games stand as a powerful emblem of resilience, demonstrating the extraordinary abilities of athletes with disabilities and championing equal opportunity and social inclusion across the country. The attendance of high-profile dignitaries at the opening ceremony underscores the Federal Government’s robust commitment to advancing para-sports and enabling athletes to achieve excellence both nationally and globally.

As excitement mounts, Nigeria’s focus once again shifts to Abuja, where courage, determination, and sporting excellence will take centre stage.