As the curtains fall on what will be remembered as a landmark moment in Nigerian sports, the Esports federation of Nigeria took out time to appreciate everyone that contributed in one way or the other to the success of its Demonstration events first of its kind in the history of National Sports Festival.
A statement contained in a press release made available to sportsgaloreonline.com on Monday, 26th of May 2025 and signed by Damililola Pedro, the Chief Operating officer, COO of the Esports Federation of Nigeria read: “we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made the first-ever Esports Demonstration at the National Sports Festival a resounding success.
For the first time in our nation’s history, Esports took its place at Festival. What many once called a possibility is now a reality witnessed, celebrated, and competed in by some of Nigeria’s brightest esports athletes.
We are immensely grateful to the individuals and institutions who not only embraced this moment but elevated it. What began with a modest prize pool of ₦2 million was generously scaled to ₦10 million a clear testament to the belief esports matters.
Our sincere appreciation goes to:
• The Chairman of the National Sports commission, who contributed ₦4 million
• The Director General of the National Sports Commission, who contributed ₦3 million to the prize pool
• And the DG of the Lagos State Sports Commission, for an additional ₦1 million
Their combined support turned ambition into impact.
We celebrate two remarkable champions:
• John Okan, representing Lagos, who emerged victorious in the EAFC title, taking home ₦1.5 million
• Shehu Mansur, representing the FCT, who claimed top spot in Street Fighter, also winning ₦1.5 million
To both, and to every competitor who showed up with skill, heart, and hunger thank you. You’ve made history.
This is only the beginning. The Esports Federation is already working diligently on a sustainability and grassroots strategy that will ensure what we’ve built here doesn’t fade after the spotlight, but grows deeper roots. We’ll be sharing this plan with our media partners and stakeholders in the coming weeks.
To the Federal Government of Nigeria, we say thank you for believing in the power of innovation, youth, and digital futures. Your support is not just noted it’s deeply felt.
And to our friends in the media: we look forward to welcoming you to Lagos Games Week, kicking off June 19th in Lagos. There’s more to be unveiled, more to be celebrated, and even more to be built together. It promises to be another bold chapter in the evolution of Nigeria’s Video games landscape.
Nigeria has spoken. Esports is here and it’s only going up from here.
