The North East Development Commission, NEDC, Adamawa State Office, has flagged off the first edition of its 2026 football tournament in Yola, with a call for greater unity, peace and social cohesion among young people across the state.
The opening ceremony was held on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at the Federal College of Education, FCE, Yola, with teams from the Central Zone of Adamawa State participating in the competition.
Declaring the tournament open on behalf of the NEDC Adamawa State Coordinator, Barrister Khalifa M. Lawan, the Branch Manager, Malam Musa Usman Hyeladi, said the initiative was in line with the commission’s mandate to promote peaceful coexistence, youth development and social cohesion across the North East.
Hyeladi described sports as an effective platform for engaging young people productively, discovering talents and building relationships among communities affected by insurgency.
He said the tournament was not only about winning trophies but also about creating opportunities for young people to interact, build friendships and strengthen peaceful coexistence.
According to him, NEDC remains committed to initiatives that promote peace, health, youth development and community resilience in the region.
The event attracted representatives of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, the NFF Adamawa State Branch, sports officials, stakeholders and hundreds of enthusiastic youths who witnessed the official kick off.
The NEDC Adamawa State Office reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining youth focused programmes aimed at promoting reconciliation, livelihoods, peace and resilience across the North East in partnership with development partners and relevant stakeholders.
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