KING’S BATON RELAY TO BE HOSTED IN NIGERIA AHEAD OF 2026 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

By: Gyang Dakwo

The King’s Baton Relay is set to be hosted in Nigeria as part of the official countdown to the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The event will take place in Abuja from July 1 to 2, 2025.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Press at the National Sports Commission, Dr Kehinde Ajayi, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be formally presented with the Commonwealth Sport King’s Baton during the ceremony. The Baton will be brought into the country by a delegation representing Buckingham Palace.

The King’s Baton Relay is a long-standing tradition of the Commonwealth Games that celebrates, embraces, and connects communities across the Commonwealth. It is regarded as a symbol of peace, unity, and shared values among member nations and territories.

The Relay is expected to last 500 days, beginning on 10 March 2025 at Buckingham Palace, where His Majesty King Charles III, as Head of the Commonwealth, will place his message to the Commonwealth into the first Baton. The Relay will conclude at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on 23 July 2026.

Each of the 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth will receive a Baton. These Batons will be uniquely customised and decorated to reflect the culture and creativity of each participating country. Every Baton will also carry a portion of the King’s message addressed to the people and athletes of the Commonwealth.

The Relay will travel across the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and Europe, covering the entire Commonwealth in an epic global journey.

Inspiring individuals striving for change in their community will be chosen to take on the once-in-a-lifetime role of carrying the Baton in their nation or territory.

This year’s Baton Relay is also supporting the “Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign,” an initiative driven by the Commonwealth Sport movement, the Royal Commonwealth Society, and all the Commonwealth member nations’ National ports bodies. The campaign is aimed at involving athletes, young people, and communities in the fight against plastic pollution.

Its main objective is to prevent one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waters. Through sport and social action, the campaign seeks to drive long-term behavioural change, promote innovation in waste management, and increase awareness about the need to protect and conserve the oceans.