Nigeria opens LA28 planning at Los Angeles pre-Games meeting

Nigeria has started laying groundwork for the 2028 Olympic Games, sending two senior sports officials to a planning meeting in Los Angeles, the host city.

The delegation was made up of Bukola Olopade, Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), and Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

The meeting, held ahead of the Games, gives countries a chance to hear directly from organisers and line up their preparations early. Los Angeles will stage the Olympics from 14 to 30 July 2028.

In a statement released on Wednesday by his media aide Kola Daniel, Olopade said Nigeria cannot wait until athletes arrive at the venue before planning starts. He said the work begins with careful planning, coordination between agencies and early contact with Olympic organisers.

He said Nigeria wants to learn from past Games and make sure its athletes get the support, facilities and competition opportunities they need.

"Our ambition is not simply to participate, but to prepare thoroughly and compete with distinction," Olopade said.

Why it matters

For Nigerian sports fans, the meeting is an early signal of how seriously the country is treating the next Olympics. Team Nigeria has often been criticised for late preparations, which can leave athletes short of training camps, equipment and warm-up competitions.

The presence of both the NSC, which runs sports development, and the NOC, which handles Olympic entry and logistics, suggests the two bodies intend to work together rather than separately. Athlete performance was named as a central concern.

Los Angeles is hosting the Summer Olympics for the third time, after 1932 and 1984.

What happens next

The NSC and NOC are expected to draw up a joint preparation plan in the run-up to the Games. Details of funding, training camps and qualifying events have not been announced.