Olopade Reacts To Nigeria Winning Hosting Rights For 2028 African Table Tennis Championship
By Saheed Afolabi
Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mr Bukola Olopade, has described Nigeria’s emergence as host of the 2028 African Table Tennis Championships as a significant milestone in the country’s ambition to become a leading destination for international sporting events.
Nigeria secured the hosting rights at the African Table Tennis Federation’s Annual General Meeting in Morocco, defeating Tunisia by 23 votes to 15.
The country also won the right to host the 2027 Africa Para Table Tennis Championships as the federation confirmed host nations for its senior and youth competitions scheduled for 2027 and 2028.
Olopade said the double hosting success reflected growing international confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to organise major sporting events, describing it as another achievement under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda for sports development.
According to the NSC chief, attracting international competitions to Nigeria was among the key objectives set by the President when he appointed him and NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko to reposition the country’s sports sector.
“This was one of the clear mandates Mr President gave to Mallam Shehu Dikko and me when he appointed us to revamp the country’s sports landscape to make Nigeria more attractive as an international sports destination,” Olopade said.
He explained that hosting major competitions was central to the Commission’s Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE), which seeks to shift the country’s approach from merely consuming sports to producing and hosting events capable of generating economic benefits.
“One of the pillars of our RHINSE agenda is concentrating on sports production, which involves hosting major international competitions rather than only sports consumption,” he added.
Olopade noted that Nigeria had hosted several international sporting competitions and events across Lagos, Abuja, Abeokuta and Abia State over the past two years, contributing to the government’s efforts to expand the sports economy and its contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product.
He assured the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the wider African sporting community that Nigeria would deliver a world-class championship in 2028.
The NSC Director-General also expressed the country’s determination to set a new standard for the competition, with the ambition of making the tournament a benchmark for future editions.
Nigeria’s successful bids come as the country prepares to host the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Congress in Abuja and the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony in Lagos, further strengthening its profile as a potential hub for major continental sporting events.
