Lagos to use national identity system to prevent age cheating at Eko 2026

Organizers of the maiden National Intermediate Games, known as Eko 2026, plan to use the National Identity Management System (NIMS) to prevent age cheating among participants. The games are scheduled to take place in Lagos from October 1 to 15.

Approximately 15,000 young athletes aged 15 to 18 are expected to compete across various sports. Lekan Fatodu, Co-chair of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), stated that the technology will be used to cross-check athletes’ biodata against national records to ensure only eligible participants compete.

Fatodu noted that previous competitions have faced challenges where over-aged athletes competed against younger ones, which denied genuine talents opportunities. By leveraging national identity infrastructure, the organizers aim to establish a new standard for transparency and integrity in Nigerian youth sports administration.