Speaking to newsmen during a press conference held at the June 12 cultural centre Abeokuta, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade highlighted the surge in visitors to Abeokuta, which has led to a remarkable increase in hotel bookings.
He noted that demand for accommodation has outpaced supply, with many guests now staying in private residences.
Olopade also emphasized the opportunities the festival presents for small businesses, citing the previous edition of the games held in 2019 as a reference point.
The DG noted that a similar trend is already unfolding in this year’s edition, with over a hundred small businesses currently operating near the entrance of Babcock University and within the stadium complex.
"The impacts of sport can not be overemphasised, because of this festival, we have witnessed building of new roads, health care infrastructure development, and capacity building visibility.
"Hotels in Abeokuta are recording high patronage due to this festival. This is part of the economic impacts of sport. Sports does not only unite people, it boosts the economy of a nation.
"Let's talk about the naira and kobo. Over three hundred small scale businesses are operating inside the stadium in 2019. People became multimillionaires, people showed me houses that they built after the games and they are there again doing their businesses.
"When you go to Babcock on the entrance of Babcock over a hundred small scale businesses are there because of this game.", Olopade said.
