Osinbajo to declare 20th National Sports Festival open

By Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The 20th National Sports Festival, tagged, Edo 2020, will be declared open on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The sports fiesta which has suffered several postponements caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will hold from April 2 to 14, in various venues in Benin City, Edo State.

Chairman of the local organising committee (LOC) and the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, disclosed on Friday, in Benin, during a meeting of the LOC.

Shaibu had earlier disclosed that the Games Village will be open for athletes and officials, on April 2, 2021.

He further disclosed that the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are to arrive in Benin City four days to the commencement of the festival, to monitor compliance with Covid-19 guidelines.

“The torch of unity will arrive in Edo State on April 3 and will go round the 18 local governments in the state. It will arrive at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium main bowl on April 6, where the governor will light it up.

“All the non-pharmaceutical measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 will be provided for by the state government at the various venues and camps,” Shaibu added.