Olopade parleys WA to discuss Nigeria’s bid to host 2030 World Athletics U20 Championships

Olopade parleys WA to discuss Nigeria’s bid to host 2030 World Athletics U20 Championships

As the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships got underway in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, held discussions with officials of World Athletics on Nigeria’s interest in hosting the 2030 World Athletics U20 Championships.

The meeting focused on Nigeria’s ambition to bring the global athletics community to the country and showcase its capacity to host a world-class international sporting event.

Olopade reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to provide an excellent sporting atmosphere, warm hospitality and the necessary facilities and organizational standards required to deliver a successful championship.

He noted that Nigeria’s growing investment in sports infrastructure, athlete development and event management has positioned the country to take on greater responsibilities on the international sporting stage.

It’d be recalled that Nigeria successfully hosted the 2025 CAA Africa U20/U18 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State, which stands as a recent evidence of the country’s ability to deliver major athletics events.

At very short notice, Nigeria stepped in to host the continental championship in July 2025, welcoming delegations from more than 40 African countries and close to 1,000 athletes, officials and other participants to the Ogun State capital.

Olopade said the successful hosting of the Abeokuta championships demonstrated Nigeria’s hospitality, organizational capacity and passion for athletics, while providing a strong foundation for the country’s ambition to host the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2030.

The engagement with World Athletics in Budapest forms part of the NSC’s broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s relationship with international sports governing bodies and position the country as a preferred destination for major global sporting events.