Day 3: High Competition, Strong Camaraderie Mark NOGIG 2026 — LOC Chairman Affirms

Day 3: High Competition, Strong Camaraderie Mark NOGIG 2026 — LOC Chairman Affirms 

By Niyi Busari 

The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2026 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games (NOGIG), Engineer Sulaiman Sulaiman, has expressed satisfaction with the organisation, competitiveness, and overall objectives of the ongoing games, describing the event as a success so far.

 Sulaiman noted that the primary goal of NOGIG—fostering unity and interaction among workers within the oil and gas sector—has been effectively achieved.

Assessing the competition midway into the games, he praised the level of preparedness and commitment displayed by participating teams. “So far, so good. The level of competition has been very high. All the teams came well prepared, and from what we are seeing, everyone is determined to win medals. There are no underdogs; every company is pushing hard to emerge successful,” he said.

Speaking after observing the swimming events at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, Eng. Sulaiman described the competition as thrilling and of international standard. He highlighted the vibrant atmosphere created by enthusiastic fans, even as the event remains at the preliminary heats stage.

Beyond the sporting contests, the LOC chairman expressed greater satisfaction with the social interactions taking place off the field. According to him, the informal engagement among workers from different organisations outside their professional environments reflects the true spirit of NOGIG. “That interaction is what makes the games special and represents the core purpose of NOGIG,” he added.

Day three of the Games was marked by excitement across multiple venues, with the swimming arena echoing with cheers and vuvuzelas as athletes competed in the pool, while volleyball matches continued nearby with intense rivalry.

Competitions in tennis, squash, basketball, scrabble, and chess also progressed, although officials indicated that results in some events were being withheld due to the early stages of the contests to avoid logistical challenges.

In volleyball, several matches were concluded, with Renaissance edging Oando 2–1, while NUPRC secured a straight-set victory over Chevron. PTI defeated ExxonMobil 2–1, Aradel recorded a 2–0 win against NCDMB, TotalEnergies overcame NMDPRA 2–0, and NLNG also claimed a 2–0 victory over Seplat.