Historic: AfPC President Samson Deen Opens 1st West Africa Para Games in Nigeria
By Victor Kwawu
The West African Paralympic Movement witnessed a defining moment as Mr. Samson Deen, President of the African Paralympic Committee (AfPC), delivered a powerful keynote address to officially open the 1st West Africa Para Games in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Friday, November 28, 2025. The five-day event will run until December 3, 2025.
Addressing distinguished personalities, including the Governor of Ogun State, ministers, traditional authorities, sports leaders, and hundreds of athletes, Deen declared that the event represents “not merely a sporting event but the ignition of a continental movement of dignity, equality, and human possibility.”
The AfPC chief drew a historic parallel between the Games and the inaugural Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in 1957, noting that Africa’s greatest institutions were founded on courage and unity.
“What AFCON became to football, Para Sports must now become to Africa,” he stated, describing the Games as a crucial step toward institutionalising Para Sports as a continental priority.
Deen emphasized that Ghana lit the flame, Nigeria expanded the vision, and West Africa now leads the continent. He highlighted six key benefits of strengthening the sector across Africa: national unity, youth empowerment, sports tourism, job creation, global moral leadership, and the restoration of Africa’s dignity on the world stage.
He urged African leaders to make Para Sports a continental priority, describing 2025 as a historic turning point. Addressing athletes, he said, “You are the heroes of this new era. You rise where others fall. You break barriers others surrender to.”
With the crowd on its feet, Samson Deen officially declared the Games open: “With the blessings of our leaders, with the spirit of AFCON 1957, with the flame lit in Accra 2023, and with the courage of our athletes, I declare the 1st West Africa Para Games officially open.”
The AfPC leader thanked the Government of Nigeria for championing inclusive sports development, commending several key figures. The 1st West Africa Para Games will host athletes from 12 countries, marking the start of a new chapter in Africa’s sporting history.
