The Nigerian Society of Engineers flagged off its 2026 National Engineering Games in Abuja over the weekend, describing the annual sporting event as a platform for healthy living, professional networking and unity among engineers nationwide.
NSE President Ali Rabiu, represented by Deputy President Valerie Agberagba, said the games, introduced in 2011, were designed to give engineers who work tirelessly across every sector of the economy a well deserved break from demanding schedules while promoting physical fitness and overall wellness. He said the event has also grown into an important platform for social interaction and professional networking, bringing engineers together with government officials, private sector stakeholders and members of the diplomatic community, and has steadily evolved over the years into a genuine celebration of sportsmanship and healthy living that reflects the unity, discipline and strength of the engineering profession. This year’s edition retains the annual marathon introduced in 2025 in honour of former NSE President Habu Gumel, recognising his contributions to sports administration and engineering, whom Rabiu called a distinguished sports administrator and a unique example of how engineering leadership can extend its influence into the global sports arena, commending participants for embracing the event and the National Engineering Games Committee for organising it successfully.
2026 National Engineering Games Committee Chairman Giandomenico Massari called the event more than a sporting competition, describing it as a celebration of unity, teamwork and wellness within the engineering profession, one conceived to promote physical fitness, mental alertness and social interaction among engineers, since healthy professionals are essential to national development. In our demanding profession, where we design, build and sustain the infrastructure of society, he said, it is equally important that we take deliberate steps to care for our own health and wellbeing, calling sport a universal language capable of breaking social, cultural and physical barriers while promoting inclusion, diversity and equal opportunity. This year’s edition features the NSE Habu Gumel Olympic Marathon and Awareness Walk alongside several indoor sporting events aimed at promoting work life balance for engineering professionals.
The tournament unfolds in three stages across Abuja and Maiduguri. The first stage began Saturday with a morning session at the National Engineering Centre in Abuja’s Central Business District, featuring the Habu Gumel Marathon Walk and Awareness Parade, followed by an afternoon session at Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, where competitors take part in nine sporting events and 13 marathon competitions, including chess, monopoly, ayo, scrabble, badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis, volleyball and basketball. The second stage covers golf and football, with the golf event scheduled for October 31, 2026 at the TYB International Golf Club, Yar’Adua Barracks, Abuja, and football, including regional playoffs, quarter finals, semi finals, third place match and final, running November 21, 2026 at the Turf Arena in Abuja’s Central Business District. The tournament closes November 29, 2026 at the International Conference Centre in Maiduguri, Borno State, with an awards ceremony and cultural performances. Participation remains open only to registered corporate, graduate and student members of the Society.
