National Sports Commission Director-General Bukola Olopade has expressed confidence that Lagos is fully prepared to host the inaugural National Intermediate Games, known as EKO 2026. According to Olopade, the event will showcase the depth of Nigeria's emerging sporting talent. Speaking at a joint technical session ahead of the competition, he praised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government for their preparations for the games, which are set to spotlight the country's up-and-coming athletes.

The 2026 Nathaniel Idowu U-16 Football League kicked off on Saturday with 22 goals scored across five opening-round matches. The youth competition, which runs for nine weeks, saw fast starts prove decisive on the first day, including a goal by St Petersburg FA within 42 seconds of their match. The opening round featured five fixtures in total on Matchday 1, according to Zalebs.

Zonal elimination rounds for team sports ahead of the 23rd National Sports Festival, tagged Coal City Games 2026, will begin on September 12 across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. According to the National Sports Commission, the qualification competitions will run until September 15, with teams competing for places at the festival scheduled to hold in Enugu. The event will determine which state and zonal teams advance to the national competition.

The Nigerian government is increasing its efforts to address oil theft by focusing on youth engagement and community development initiatives, with the goal of securing oil infrastructure. This strategy aims to involve local communities in protecting resources and reducing illegal activities associated with oil theft.

Youths in Ogoniland, Rivers State, have threatened to block the planned resumption of oil exploration in the area unless the Federal Government creates Bori State, according to Punch. The youths also demanded the immediate dissolution of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, which is currently negotiating with the Federal Government over the return of oil activities. They warned that oil resumption would not proceed without their demands being met, raising the prospect of protests in the region.

The 10th edition of the Valden Youth Cup, a memorial grassroots football tournament, is underway at Kawempe Ttula in Uganda under the theme "Spread Love and Unity Through Sports". According to Kawowo Sports, the competition features Geto2Geto Derby categories B8, B10, B12 and B14, with over 30 teams and around 300 junior players expected to take part across the age groups.