The 2026 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games will draw to a close on Saturday at the Package A Stadium of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, after a week of intense competition involving more than 1,200 athletes from 15 oil and gas companies across Nigeria.
The grand finale of NOGIG 2026 is expected to deliver high drama, with the football championship match and key athletics events set to headline the closing ceremony in the nation’s capital.
In the football final of the 20th Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games, Nigeria LNG will face the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in what promises to be a tightly contested encounter. Both teams earned their places in the final through tense penalty shootouts. NLNG edged past NNPC 5-4 after regulation time ended in a stalemate, while NMDPRA defeated OANDO 5-3 in their semi-final clash, also settled from the spot.
Ahead of the championship match, NNPC and OANDO will battle for third place, adding further excitement to the concluding fixtures of NOGIG 2026 in Abuja.
Organisers say the success of the games reflects months of planning and coordination. When football preliminaries were staged in Port Harcourt last year, the Local Organising Committee described it as a test run for the larger spectacle that has now unfolded in Abuja.
Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Sulaiman Sulaiman, said the Port Harcourt phase provided valuable lessons that shaped the execution of the main event in the Federal Capital Territory. Speaking at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, he described the 2026 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games as a significant milestone for corporate sports development in Nigeria.
“It has been a wonderful experience. We have learned a lot and hope to build on what we have accomplished here,” he said, expressing satisfaction with the overall coordination of the tournament.
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Beyond football, the final day of NOGIG 2026 will also showcase track and field events, including the 100 metres and 200 metres sprints, as well as the 4×100 and 4×400 metres relays for both male and female athletes. Organisers expect athletics fans to turn out in large numbers to witness the closing races.
The ceremony will also feature a farewell parade and cultural displays, reflecting the unity and diversity within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The Managing Director of NNPC Limited, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, is scheduled to officially declare the games closed, with senior government officials, industry executives and members of the public expected in attendance.
Chairman of the technical committee, Tayo Akande, acknowledged that minor operational challenges arose during the competition but maintained that the 20th edition stands out in scale and organisation.
According to him, careful planning and collaboration among stakeholders ensured that events proceeded without major disruption, positioning NOGIG 2026 as one of the most successful editions in the history of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games.
