Commonwealth Games
All you need to know about the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games opens this Thursday night in Birmingham as the 22nd edition of the competition. Sports Village Square brings to you points of interest about the games.
- Nigeria have participated in 15 of the previous 21 editions.
- Barbados are taking part for the first time since they replaced the Queen of England as head of State in 2020. It is the third time is taking place in England after those of London 1930 and Manchester 2002. But overall, it is the seventh time it is taking place in the UK.
- The Queen doesn’t need to be the head of state for a nation to be included in the Commonwealth, or in the Commonwealth Games. Rwanda, for example, was never part of the British Empire but joined the Commonwealth in 2009 and has competed at the Games ever since. This year, around 20 Rwandans are expected to compete in athletics, beach volleyball, swimming and cycling. So far, the nation has not won a Commonwealth medal.
- Cameroon, not colonised by the British joined the Commonwealth in 1995 and has competed at every Commonwealth Games since
- No African nation has ever hosted it. Nigeria bided unsuccessfully for the 2014 edition which was intended to mark the 100th year of the country as a nation.
- With 72 different nations and territories set to compete for glory this time around, the 2022 games are set to be the biggest ever with 280 different events across 20 sports scheduled to take place over a two-week period.
- The Commonwealth, or the Commonwealth of Nations, is a political association that currently has 56 member states.
- The link between those nations is that the majority of them, including Nigeria use to be former territories of the British Empire.
- The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport competition that takes place every four years with certain nations invited to take part.
- The 56 member states of the Commonwealth are invited to participate alongside 18 other territories who do not compete separately in the Olympics but compete in the Commonwealth Games under their own flags.
- Similarly, Team Great Britain, who take part in the Olympics as a nation, are split into 14 separate teams during the Commonwealth Games. Those are the four home nations – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales -, three crown dependencies and all but three inhabited overseas territories.
- The first Commonwealth Games took place in Hamilton, Canada back in 1930 with the 2022 competition in Birmingham, United Kingdom being the 22nd edition of the games.
- Even though the USA used to make up part of the British Empire, the country does not take part in the Commonwealth Games. The United States declared independence from Britain in 1776 and has never been part of the Commonwealth during its 73-year existence.
- As of July 22, all 72 Commonwealth Games Associations have confirmed they will send athletes to the 2022 games in Birmingham. Those associations are:
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Botswana
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Cook Islands
- Cyprus
- Dominica
- England (Host)
- Eswatini
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Guernsey
- Guyana
- India
- Isle of Man
- Jamaica
- Jersey
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- Northern Ireland
- Pakistan
- Papa New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saint Helena
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Scotland
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Wales
- Zambia
Commonwealth Games
Nigeria Steps Up Bid to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games as Delegation Arrives London
A high-powered Nigerian delegation has arrived in London, United Kingdom, for the decisive phase of the country’s campaign to host the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030.
The team is led by Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, and the Commission’s Director General, Bukola Olopade, who are set to present Nigeria’s final case before the Games’ decision-makers on Wednesday.
Dikko had delivered Nigeria’s preliminary pitch last month, laying the foundation for this week’s crucial engagements. If successful, the bid would make Nigeria the first African nation to host the Commonwealth Games since the event’s inception in 1930.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has repeatedly reaffirmed the Federal Government’s full backing for the bid, assuring the international sporting community that Nigeria is ready to deliver a world-class Games.
Only last week, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, joined other senior government officials in welcoming the Commonwealth Games Bid Evaluation team during their inspection visit to Nigeria.
Further demonstrating the administration’s commitment, the President’s Special Assistant on Public Communication and Presidential Spokesperson, Sunday Dare, is part of the London delegation.
Other members of the Nigerian contingent include Bid Coordinator Mainasara Ilo; President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel; Minister of Arts and Culture, Hannatu Musawa; five-time Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Mary Onyali; and current para-badminton world number one, Eniola Bolaji.
Nigeria’s 2030 bid is anchored on themes of inclusivity, legacy, and development, with promises to stage a Games that not only reflects the Commonwealth spirit but also creates lasting opportunities for sport, culture, and youth empowerment across Africa.
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Nigeria’s push to become the first African country to host the Commonwealth Games gained momentum on Tuesday as the National Sports Commission (NSC) received the Commonwealth Sport Bid Evaluation Committee in Abuja.
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director General Bukola Olopade reaffirmed the Federal Government’s determination to secure the hosting rights for the 2030 Games, describing the bid as a landmark opportunity for Africa and a historic milestone for Nigeria.
Dikko stressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has thrown his full weight behind the bid, highlighting it as a platform to showcase Nigeria’s growing influence in global sports.
“We are delighted to welcome the Evaluation Committee to Abuja as a sign of our seriousness,” Dikko said.
“President Tinubu sees the Commonwealth Games as more than just an event; it will be a celebration of Africa’s sporting passion and Nigeria’s role as a continental leader.”
Olopade added that Nigeria’s bid is built on four critical pillars—modern facilities, political will, private sector support, and strong public enthusiasm.
He noted that the Bid Committee, led by veteran sports administrator Mainasara Illo, has prepared a “robust document” to strengthen Nigeria’s case.
“With our preparations, engagements, and strong government backing, we are confident Nigeria can win the right to host the Games,” Olopade said.
Underscoring government commitment, the delegation was hosted at the Presidential Villa by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside nine Federal Executive Council members, including Minister of Youth Ayodele Olawande, Minister of Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa, and Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
The visiting delegation, led by Darren Hall, Director of Games and Assurance at the Commonwealth Sport, included Ann-Louise Morgan, CS Director of Sport, and Ezera Tshabangu, Regional Development Manager for Africa and Europe.
Nigeria’s bid, if successful, would make the 2030 Commonwealth Games the first ever to be hosted on African soil, fulfilling a long-standing call for inclusivity in the Commonwealth sporting family.
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Nigeria may have a major African challenger in the bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. South Africa is preparing to join the competition. The Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) had announced a Nigerian bid in April. This follows the failed bid in 2007 for the 2014 Games.
The earlier bid was made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the amalgamation. This amalgamation joined the Northern and Southern Protectorates with the Lagos Colony to form Nigeria.
Sports Village Square has gathered that South Africa, through its Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), is making a bid and is merely waiting for cabinet approval.
The country intends to use the Commonwealth Games of 2030 as a dress rehearsal for the bigger Olympic Games.
According to the SASCOC president, Barry Hendricks, the 2030 Commonwealth Games hosting will be part of the learning curve for the Olympics. “… it teaches us what we can do over the next eight years to get to 2040.”
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