Sports

NUGA 2022: Vice President Osinbajo Receives Torch of Unity

Published

5 years ago

February 11, 2022

… Sports Minister reiterates Government ‘s Commitment to Varsity Games

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe and some members of the Organizing Committee of the Unilag 2022 NUGA games have presented the event’s Torch of Unity to the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

At an elaborate ceremony held at the Vice President’s Conference Room at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, Professor Osinbajo and the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare commended the University of Lagos for reviving the games and creating some excitement around it.

The Vice President, an alumnus and former lecturer at the University, expressed his delight at the preparations made for the NUGA games, hoping that it surpasses the organization put in place when it last hosted in 1998.

“I am delighted to be receiving this Torch of Unity. I thank the hardworking Vice-Chancellor of Unilag, Professor Ogundipe.

“I remember the last time Unilag hosted the games, that was 24 years ago, in 1998. It was very colourful and very well organised. I believe a top quality games will be delivered yet again.”

Reeling out names of notable student athletes like Olusoji Fasuba, Bisi Afolabi, Vincent Enyeama, Chika Chukwumerije, Precious Dede, Nkiru Okosieme, Adeolu Adekola, Mutiu Adepoju, Seyi Olofinjana, Edema Fuludu, Edith Agoye and Olumide Oyedeji discovered during the NUGA Games, who later become world class sports men and women, the Vice President described NUGA as an important platform for talent discovery.

He also urged the athletes to exhibit the spirit of true sportmanship.

In his own remarks, the Sports Minister Sunday Dare charged the Organizing Committee to put together a competition that every stakeholder would be proud of.

Dare also pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to grassroots sports development, believing that young talents would be unearthed at the competition.

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe promised that the Unilag 2022 NUGA games will be used to project the culture of excellence and hospitality of Lagos State and Nigeria.

The games are scheduled to hold between March 16-26, 2022.

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

8 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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