Sylvester Idowu in Warri
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The Convener of the 2026 Delta Ethnic Peace & Unity Cup and National Coordinator of the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Chief Mulade Sheriff, has inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the forthcoming youth Football competition, describing the tournament as a strategic platform to strengthen peace, unity, cultural integration, and youth empowerment across Delta State.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony yesterday, Chief Mulade, who is the Ibe-Sorimowei of the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West council area, said the initiative, jointly organised by CEPEJ and the Africa 4 Peace Sports Academy, is designed to unite the state’s seven major ethnic nationalities—Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Aniocha/Oshimili, Ika, Ndokwa, and Urhobo—through sports while promoting mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence.
He explained that the Delta Ethnic Peace & Unity Cup is more than a football competition, stressing that it is a peacebuilding project aimed at fostering friendship among young people, encouraging cultural exchange, and creating opportunities for positive engagement across communities and ethnic groups.
According to the CEPEJ Boss, the competition will serve as a vehicle for breaking ethnic barriers, building trust, and reinforcing the values of tolerance, dialogue, and cooperation, which are essential for sustainable development in Delta State.
Chief Mulade noted that the tournament would also provide a constructive platform for engaging youths, inspiring leadership, discovering sporting talents, and redirecting young people towards productive ventures capable of contributing to the growth of their communities and the state at large.
He disclosed that the competition, with the theme “One in All,” would feature four age categories—Under-12, Under-14, Under-16, and Under-20—to ensure broad participation and talent development among young Deltans.
The peace advocate further announced that winners of the tournament would receive multi-million naira prizes, explaining that the reward system was designed to encourage healthy competition, increase participation, and generate enthusiasm among youths across the state.
Describing the inauguration of the LOC as the beginning of an important journey, Chief Mulade charged committee members to discharge their responsibilities with transparency, professionalism, dedication, and teamwork to guarantee the success of what he described as a historic competition.
He also appealed to traditional rulers, government institutions, corporate organizations, development partners, community leaders, and other stakeholders to support the initiative, noting that collective participation would strengthen relationships among the various ethnic nationalities and promote lasting peace in the state.
Chief Mulade further emphasized that peaceful coexistence remains a critical requirement for attracting investments and development opportunities into Delta State, stating that the initiative complements the development vision of Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori by helping to create a peaceful environment capable of attracting investors and generating employment opportunities for the people.
Expressing confidence in the long-term impact of the tournament, the CEPEJ National Coordinator said the Delta Ethnic Peace & Unity Cup would become one of the state’s most significant grassroots sports and peacebuilding programmes.
Highpoint of the event is the inauguration of the 25 members committee with ex-international Edema Fuludu as Adviser while ex Footballer and former chairman Delta State Football Association (DFA) as LOC chairman with the unveiling and inspection of football kits for all participating ethnic teams across the state.
He urged all Deltans to embrace the vision of a united and prosperous state where diversity is celebrated as a source of strength rather than division, while stating that the 2026 Delta Ethnic Peace & Unity Cup is expected to bring together youths from the seven major ethnic nationalities of Delta State under the slogan: “One Delta. One People. One Victory.”