Nigeria ready to host inaugural West Africa Para Games – AfPC President
President of the African Paralympic Committee (AfPC), Mr Samson Deen, has concluded an official visit to Nigeria ahead of the historic 1st West Africa Para Games, set for September 2025 in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The visit, a landmark step toward regional inclusion and sporting development, reflected the AfPC’s broader mission to rally governments and private sector players, among other stakeholders, to invest in disability sports, infrastructure, and empowerment programmes across Africa.
Mr Deen’s visit further aimed at assessing Ogun State’s readiness to host what will be West Africa’s first sub-regional para sports event, expected to welcome hundreds of para-athletes and officials from across the ECOWAS region. His tour included the M.K.O Abiola Sports Arena, where he inspected the athletics oval, football pitch, basketball courts, tennis courts, and swimming pool.
Speaking to the media after the facility inspection, Mr Deen expressed excitement at the level of preparations put in place by the National Paralympic Committee of Nigeria (NPC Nigeria).
While giving NPC Nigeria a thumbs up for the measures implemented for the Games, the AfPC President announced his organisation’s full endorsement of the event, labeling it a “continental turning point” for inclusive sports on the continent.
“The West Africa Para Games is not just a sporting event. It is a bold statement that ability has no limits and disability is not inability. Ogun State has the chance to write history for generations of para-athletes,” he stated.
He also called on African business leaders to step forward as strategic partners in disability sports, highlighting the sector’s potential for youth development, social innovation, and equity. “When African businesses invest in disability sports, they invest in hope, unity, and in the power of human potential. This is our moment to build arenas of equity across Africa,” he added.
After the facility tour, Mr Deen engaged in high-level deliberations with the Ogun State Commissioner for Sports, Mr Wasiu Isiaka, where both parties discussed operational strategy, accessibility upgrades, and the long-term legacy potential of the Games.
The West Africa Para Games is expected to draw significant policies to boost funding for para-sports and lay the framework for sustainable collaboration among West African nations. It aims to reshape perceptions of disability and create enduring opportunities for leadership and participation across all sectors of society.
The AfPC is working closely with the Government of Ogun State, NPC Nigeria, and other development partners to deliver world-class inaugural games.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
