The Pan-African School Games will return to Lagos for its second edition from October 16 to 18, 2026, as organisers intensify efforts to use school sports to create academic opportunities and develop young athletic talent across Africa.

The three-day event will take place at James Hope College, Lekki, with organisers targeting increased participation following the maiden edition, which attracted 11 schools and more than 300 student-athletes. 

Organisers Dr Seun Akinbohun, Dr Busola Tejumola and Aderoju Ope-Ajayi said the competition had been renamed from the Africa School Games to the Pan-African School Games to reflect its wider continental ambitions.

They explained that the initiative was designed to go beyond medals and trophies by connecting young athletes with opportunities for academic advancement, sporting development and cultural exchange.

According to the organisers, the long-term objective is to build a platform where talented students can gain exposure, access scholarships and establish connections that support their future education and sporting careers. 

“The change reflects the ambition and direction of the competition. From the outset, our vision has been bigger than a Lagos or Nigerian school sports event. We want to build a platform that brings young people together across Africa through sport, education and cultural exchange,” the organisers said.

They added that the second edition would place greater emphasis on the quality of competition and the overall experience of participating athletes.

“Our target is to grow participation substantially while maintaining the quality of competition and the overall athlete experience,” they said, stressing that participation should lead to meaningful opportunities beyond the event itself. 

The organisers are working to establish connections between outstanding young athletes and educational institutions that can support their academic and sporting ambitions.

Partnerships facilitated through Plumptre Advisory have reportedly helped create links with international schools, including McCallie School in the United States and Bethany School, Buckswood School and Roedean School in the United Kingdom.

These relationships are expected to strengthen opportunities for talented students to explore educational placements, scholarships and further athletic development. 

The initiative has also received support from the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Sports Commission, alongside corporate partners including Prime Atlantic, Mikano Changan, UAC Foods, Nigerian Exchange and Flutterwave.

The organisers said the sponsorship and strategic partnership model was important to the sustainability of the competition, particularly in addressing operational requirements such as transportation, logistics, medical support and technical officiating. 

Although Lagos remains the event’s current host, the organisers intend to expand participation beyond Nigeria as the competition develops.

Schools from Kenya and Ghana are expected to participate in the 2027 edition, a move that would represent an important step towards establishing the Games as a more inclusive continental competition.

The expansion plan is also intended to increase opportunities for students from different African countries to interact, compete and learn from one another through sport. 

For Nigeria, the return of the Games provides another opportunity to strengthen the relationship between education and grassroots sports development.

School competitions can help identify promising athletes at an early age, while structured partnerships with educational institutions can provide pathways for them to combine sporting ambitions with academic progress.

The organisers believe that creating these opportunities will give young participants a stronger foundation for the future and help ensure that their achievements in sport translate into lasting benefits.

With its second edition scheduled for October 16–18, the Pan-African School Games is seeking to build on the maiden event and establish a sustainable platform for youth development, sporting excellence and educational advancement across Africa.