Governor Peter Mbah and the National Sports Commission have unveiled the official mascot for the 2026 Coal City Games, promising a world-class and record-breaking National Sports Festival in Enugu.
Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, and the National Sports Commission, NSC, have unveiled the official mascot for the 2026 National Sports Festival, tagged the Coal City Games, with assurances that Enugu will deliver a world-class and record-breaking sporting festival.
The mascot, named Odumeze, was unveiled at the Enugu State International Conference Centre by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, who represented Governor Mbah.
The unveiling marks another major milestone in preparations for the National Sports Festival, scheduled to hold in Enugu from November 27 to December 11, 2026. The official dates were earlier confirmed by the National Sports Commission following consultations with the Enugu State Government.
Speaking at the event, Governor Mbah said the choice of the lion-inspired mascot was deliberate, representing the identity, strength, courage, leadership and discipline associated with Enugu State.
According to the Deputy Governor, Odumeze embodies boldness, strength and power—qualities that reflect both the identity of the people of Enugu and the competitive spirit expected at the Games.
The Governor said the 2026 National Sports Festival would be defined by integrity, discipline and excellence, expressing confidence that Enugu would meet—and surpass—international standards in hosting the competition.
“We expect a sports festival that will be defined by integrity. We expect a sports festival that will depict Nigerian strength, courage, and utmost discipline.
“We expect a sports festival that the media will write, after we have concluded, that we met world standards and surpassed all expectations,” he said.
Mbah also expressed concern that Nigeria had lost some of its historic strength in international sports and called for renewed investment in grassroots sports development.
He urged the National Sports Commission to place greater emphasis on school sports as a pathway for discovering and nurturing young talents capable of restoring Nigeria’s sporting dominance.
Earlier, the Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, expressed satisfaction with Enugu’s preparations, describing the state’s hosting of the Games as a significant development for the South-East.
The 2026 edition will bring the National Sports Festival to Enugu after the state formally secured hosting rights through an agreement signed between the Federal Government and the Enugu State Government in January 2025.
Olapade said inspections of sporting and supporting infrastructure showed that Enugu was making strong progress towards hosting the Games.
“After the inspection yesterday, we came to the conclusion that Enugu is ready to take the National Sports Festival to unprecedented heights. We are very much impressed with what is going on in Enugu,” he stated.
He noted, however, that some facilities, including the swimming pool and indoor sports hall, still required finishing touches, but expressed confidence that they would be ready before the commencement of the festival.
The NSC Director-General also disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening support for host states through investments in sports infrastructure rather than leaving the enormous responsibility entirely to state governments.
Olapade expressed optimism that the Coal City Games would set new standards for the National Sports Festival, describing the forthcoming edition as potentially the biggest and most highly sponsored in the history of the competition.
The NSC had earlier projected that the Enugu Games would become the best-sponsored and best-funded edition of the National Sports Festival, with Premium Trust Bank serving as a major sponsor. Other corporate and institutional partnerships have also strengthened preparations for the event.
“This is going to be the biggest and highest-sponsored sports festival in the history of Nigeria,” Olapade declared.
Speaking with journalists, the Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu, said Governor Mbah’s administration was determined to deliver not only an outstanding festival but also establish Enugu as a major destination for sports development.
Ekweremadu said the scale of work ongoing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, the Games Village in Awgu and other infrastructure across the state demonstrated Enugu’s determination to host a successful competition.
“If you look at the rate and magnitude of work going on at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, the Games Village at Awgu, and the infrastructure generally in the state, you would agree that Enugu State is preparing to host to win and to set new records in organisation and infrastructure,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Premium Trust Bank reaffirmed its commitment to the Coal City Games and the broader development of sports in Nigeria.
Represented by its Chief Business Officer for the South-South, Aniebet Offiong, the bank said it was pleased to partner with the Enugu State Government and the National Sports Commission to deliver a memorable National Sports Festival.
The 2026 Coal City Games will bring athletes and officials from across Nigeria to Enugu, with state contingents expected to arrive on November 25 and 26 ahead of the opening ceremony on November 27. The festival will officially end on December 11.
Also present at the mascot-unveiling ceremony were the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel; President of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode; and the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, among other sports and government stakeholders.
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