The Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) announced Monday that it has met the March 28 deadline to express interest in bidding for the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Abuja.

Tony Nezianya, Public Relations Officer of the NOC, revealed this in a statement issued in Lagos following the committee’s executive meeting on April 3. He noted that “Nigeria can only commence a formal bid if the Federal Government gives backing to the project.”

According to Nezianya, hosting the Games would provide Nigeria with a unique opportunity to showcase its development, enhance its global standing, and reinvigorate its sports culture. The country previously hosted the African Games in Abuja in 2003, demonstrating its capability to organize large-scale international events.

The NOC believes bidding for the Games could catalyze investments in sports infrastructure, boost tourism, create jobs, inspire a new generation of athletes, and foster national unity.

Other upcoming international sporting events include the ANOCA School Sports’ Games in Algeria (July 5-13), Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia (November 7-31), and ANOCA Youth Games in Angola (December 5-20). The next Commonwealth Games will be hosted in Glasgow, Scotland in 2026, and Dakar, Senegal will host Africa’s first Youth Olympic Games in 2026.