Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, is full of activity as preparations continue for the first-ever West Africa Zone A & B Para Games.
Members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), led by Victor Achakpo, have already arrived in the city to make arrangements for the event. Achakpo, a former baseball and softball player and current first vice president of the Baseball and Softball Federation, is in charge of a 13-member committee set up by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The President of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, told The Guardian that the LOC is working hard to ensure the event runs smoothly from November 26 to December 4, 2025.
He explained that teams from West African countries are expected to arrive between November 26 and 27, while the opening ceremony will take place on November 28.
Odebode, who recently returned from Saudi Arabia after supporting Team Nigeria at the Sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, said 12 sports will be featured in the competition. These include para athletics, para swimming, para powerlifting, para table tennis, wheelchair basketball (3×3), sitting volleyball, amputee football, para canoeing, wheelchair tennis, para badminton, para arm-wrestling, and para shooting. He said the event will be one of the biggest para-sport competitions in West Africa’s history.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, said the creation of the 13-man LOC shows Nigeria’s commitment to hosting international sporting events.
He explained that the initiative supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope sports agenda, which aims to use sports to boost Nigeria’s global image and national development.
He added that the West Africa Para Games is more than just a competition — it represents Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting inclusive sports in West Africa.
