Nigeria Pursues To Host 2022 Youth Olympic Games

West African superpower, Nigeria has officially made a proposal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Abuja.

During a video presentation held in Abuja, the Nigerian delegation comprising the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Adesola Olusade, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) President, Habu Gumel, officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Federal Capital Territory, Dalung assured the visiting IOC members that Abuja would be ready to host the games if Nigeria got the nod.

He commended the IOC for considering an African host for the event, adding, “I want to commend the IOC for developing a mechanism for Africa to be taken along through the changes introduced in the organization of the Youth Olympics. I want to assure you that the capacity of the country to deliver is not in doubt. We will ensure that we package a brand of the Youth Games, which after 2022 will set an agenda for the IOC to emulate.

“Abuja is ready to host because we have hosted international competitions in the past. Moreover, the IOC has emphasized that countries seeking to host the games should not build new structures but improve on their existing ones or make use of temporary facilities, which will be dismantled after the games.

“We have the organizational capacity, the experience and the technical know-how to host. Abuja as a city has most of the requirements as enumerated to us by the IOC in a video presentation. We hope that at the end of the day, Nigeria will be chosen to host the 2022 Games for Africa.”

Argentina is hosting the 2018 edition in October.