President declares Gateway Games Ogun 2024 open President Bola Tinubu yesterday declared the 22nd National Sports Festival otherwise known as Gateway games Ogun 2024, open amid pomp and ceremony, at the newly renovated MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State. Represented by the Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu underlined the ethos and spirit behind the National Sports Festival, adding Sport has become a rallying point and a unifying factor for Nigerians of all cadres. He said National Sports Festival, Gateway Games Ogun 2024, is not only about competition but an opportunity to develop the country’s sports economy, as he urged the athletes to compete fairly. Read Also: Taiwo Awoniyi releases first statement after surgery, appreciates fans In his declaration of the festival opened, Vice President Shettima , said matter of factly: “May the best team wins and may Nigeria continue to soar,” The colourful opening ceremony of the Gateway Games Ogun 2024 was witnessed by the Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, several state governors including Professor Charles Soludo ( Anambra,) Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Dr. Ahmed Aliu (Sokoto), Alhaji Usman Ododo (Kogi) as well as high ranking Federal Executives Council members including the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Olawale Edun, the well as former Minister of Youth & Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare and a host of other VIPs. In his welcome address, the chief host and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said the Gateway Games Ogun 2024, would leave a lasting legacy and would in years to come, be a reference ‘ because judging by the opening ceremony, we are going to host the best National Sports Festival in history.’ He urged all athletes to compete with honour and dignity and that they should imbibe the spirit of Olympics, saying the state has put in place a ‘robust’ security so that visitors and participants would enjoy the games under a safe and conducive environment. Both the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko and the Director General of the NSC, Honourable Bukola Olapade, in their remarks, praised President Tinubu for his ingenuity towards the revitalization of the country’s sports economy through the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying that this National Sports Festival would break new grounds more so with the inclusion of the novel Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) as the 38th competing state at the event.