Over 400 student-athletes across the U-11, U-13, and U-15 age brackets will gather at James Hope College, Lekki, Lagos, today, Friday, October 16, 2026, as the second edition of the Pan African School Games officially gets underway.
​The three-day multi-sport showcase, running daily from 8:00 AM, through Sunday, October 18, features young competitors representing various schools battling for honours across 30 track and field events, 30 swimming races, and football, basketball, and table tennis tournaments.
​Beyond individual medals and championship trophies, the centerpiece of this year’s competition is a brand-new school bus sponsored by Mikano Changan Motors, which will be awarded to the tournament’s overall top-performing school.
​Speaking at the venue ahead of Friday’s opening events, an official representative for the organising committee, Ope-Ajayi, highlighted the significance of the partnership and the growth of the competition:
​”The school bus is one of the major attractions and key prizes for this year’s competition. We believe it will add immense excitement to the Games and provide long-term, practical value to the winning institution. Lessons learned from our inaugural edition have enabled us to strengthen planning, improve venue logistics, enhance athlete welfare, and raise technical officiating standards across the board.”
​Formerly known as the Africa School Games, the event was officially rebranded this year to reflect its broader vision of creating a continent-wide talent pipeline and promoting elite youth sports alongside academic development.
Organisers revealed that preparations are already in motion to invite schools from Kenya and Ghana for the 2027 edition as part of its ongoing expansion across Africa.
​The 2026 Games are staged in partnership with the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Sports Commission, with additional corporate backing from Zenith Bank, Prime Atlantic, UAC Foods, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), Flutterwave, 33 Productions, What Media, Kantar, and Logic City.
