It was traumatized by the Civil War in the late 1960s; it came to be as a result of a psychological initiative to restructure the psyche of Nigerians and Nigeria as a whole.
Eko 2012 is aimed at the promotion of keen and healthy competition amongst competitors under an atmosphere of sportsmanship and friendly interaction with a view to enhancing and strengthening national unity. It gives room for the identification of uncommon talent to unravel for further development. Be not confused, it is the 18th biennial National Sports Festival, tagged ‘Eko 2012′.
The National Sports Festival has been introduced by the Federal Government to play against the drift towards inter-tribal morass occasioned by the Civil War which lasted four years and most importantly, to checkmate the declining standards of Nigerian sports. It is however important to note that the interesting bulk of the Festival would unravel with the month of November,2012 where athletes and dancers from different states of Nigeria would showcase unique abilities.
Three best dance groups- Locomotion, Surulere and Unilag, have been chosen to launch the festival on the 27th day of November and make it a memorable one for dignitaries across the nation, gathered at the Teslim Balogun Stadium(TBS).
Other venues for the National Sports Festival include the National Stadium for athletics for the Whole,the Deaf and the Paralyzed; Unilag Handball Court for handball; Rowe Park Sports hall for badminton and basketball; the NIS for hockey,scrabble and boxing; the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club for lawn tennis; Yaba College of Technology for kickboxing and football; Onikan Stadium for football matches; Oba Elegushi Roundabout for cycling; Abalti Barracks for Langa and dambe; Games Village and the Eko Hotel and Suites for accomodation.
Each one tell another that this period is amongst the few that should never be missed. Stay tuned and prepare in anticipation.