Bayelsa State is set to host a 10-kilometre international road race on Saturday, April 4, as Governor Douye Diri positions the state as a centre for sports, youth development and healthy living.
The race, which will start at the Opolo Roundabout and finish at Peace Park in Yenagoa, is expected to attract more than 2,000 runners from Nigeria and across Africa.
A delegation from World Athletics, led by Nadeem Khan, is already in the state to monitor preparations and ensure compliance with international standards.
Speaking at a world press conference held at the Golden Tulip Resort in Yenagoa, Governor Diri said his administration was deliberately investing in sports as a tool for youth engagement, economic stimulation and global visibility.
Represented at the event by the Commissioner for Sports, Daniel Igali, the said the race is an important step in Bayelsa’s ambition to host larger competitions, including the 2028 National Sports Festival, while also promoting community participation and healthier lifestyles.
The Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, said sports development remained a core policy of the Prosperity Government, adding that sustained investment in the sector was already yielding results.
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She added that the state’s security architecture had been strengthened to guarantee a peaceful environment for athletes, visitors and residents during the event.
First Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Solomon Ogba, described the race as historic and praised the Bayelsa government for using sports as a platform to empower young people and promote Olympic values.
Khan said the event would place Bayelsa on the World Athletics calendar after the race, disclosing that prize money would range from 5,000 dollars for first place to 500 dollars for fifth position.
He further announced that elite status was restricted to athletes ranked among the world’s top 300.
The race is being organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited, whose managing director, Yetunde Olopade, said the competition had been structured into three categories to ensure fairness, with medical and technical teams deployed along the route.
Notably, the peak of the build-up to the race was the presentation of official kits to the governor at his country home in Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, underscoring the state’s backing for the event.