Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has been confirmed as the host for the 29th Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) Games, scheduled for 2028.
The announcement was made public on Friday, January 9, 2026, through a statement issued by Malam Auwalu Umar, Director of the Public Affairs Directorate at ABU.
The statement confirmed that the university had received a letter dated December 3, 2025, from Yunusa Bazza, Acting Secretary-General of the NUGA Council, officially granting ABU the hosting rights.
The letter also authorized the university to begin improvements to sports facilities and related infrastructure, with the award subject to a formal Memorandum of Agreement between ABU and NUGA.
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ABU’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adamu Ahmed, described the hosting rights as an opportunity to strengthen university sports and develop the next generation of Nigerian athletes.
He emphasized ABU’s long-standing sporting tradition and pledged that the university would meet the expectations associated with organizing the games.
ABU previously hosted the NUGA Games in 2001, making the 2028 event a return of the university sports festival to Zaria after more than two decades.
The NUGA Council is expected to announce the exact dates of the games in due course.