The Cross River State Government, under Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, is using sports as a tool for youth empowerment, human-capital development and economic opportunity.
The forthcoming Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in India, October 21–30, 2026, where 28 athletes and eight officials will represent Nigeria, highlights the potential of deliberate investment in grassroots talent.
With 18 Local Government Areas, Cross River has a vast pool of young sporting talents. The administration’s focus on grassroots development is aimed at identifying, nurturing and providing opportunities for these talents to progress from local communities to national and international competition.
For Governor Otu, sports is about more than medals. It offers young people opportunities to build discipline, teamwork, leadership, professional skills and international exposure, while creating jobs across the wider sports ecosystem.
The initiative complements the state’s broader youth-development agenda, including plans to empower 4,500 young people across the 18 LGAs through skills development, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
The Cross River approach underscores a simple vision: turning sporting talent into human capital and human capital into opportunity.