Athletes representing Team Ogun at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival (Gateway Games 2025) staged a protest on Wednesday over unpaid allowances, causing significant disruption to the day's scheduled events.

The demonstrating athletes blocked the entrance of the Games Village at Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, preventing buses from transporting competitors to their respective venues. The protest particularly affected athletes whose events were scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Kuto and the Alake Sports Centre in Ijeja.

According to reports, members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) attempted to persuade the protesters to take their grievances to appropriate authorities rather than disrupting activities at the university campus. However, the athletes remained firm in their stance, insisting they would not disperse until either the governor personally addressed their concerns or their promised payments were made.

The Gateway Games 2025, hosted by Ogun State, has been utilizing multiple venues including Babcock University as the Games Village. The protest highlights ongoing challenges with athlete compensation at the national competition.

This incident comes at a time when the National Sports Festival has been praised for returning to its original objectives. Former Nigerian international footballer Segun Odegbami had recently commended the Ogun 2024 organization for restoring the original purpose of the National Sports Festival.

The protest's impact on the day's competition schedule remains unclear, as officials work to resolve the situation and resume normal operations at the festival.