Sports

2024 NSF: FG, Ogun State Sign MoU

Published

3 years ago

May 7, 2023

….We are ready to Hold a World-class Festival-Governor

The Ogun State Government and the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Saturday, 6th May 2023.
Reacting after signing the MoU at the Governor’s Office in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta on Saturday, Governor Dapo Abiodun updated the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare that Ogun is noted for recording many firsts and hosting of the competition would not be an exception.

“Ogun State indigenes have invested in sports development in Nigeria. Apart from that, we have eminent sports men and women who have distinguished themselves and brought glory to this country. We are ready to host a world-class festival next year. We have capable hands and sponsors that are ready to support us.

“I want to assure you that we will live up to expectations as reflected in the MoU. I can assure you that we will not disappoint you.
“I want to assure you that, like you have said to me that the one in Edo was a very good showing, the one in Delta was better than the one in Edo, the one in Ogun will be the best. We will immediately move to set up a Local Organizing Committee,” the governor stated.

Governor Abiodun expatiated that the National Sports Festival was introduced to promote unity and cohesion among the youths, noting that Ogun as a state with a huge number of youths due to the large number of education institutions, his administration has developed strategies to productively engage them through sports and other relevant activities.

“Sports is a tool to teach our youth leadership skills development, discipline, team work and self confidence. When youth are busy through sports engagements, they won’t have time for social vices. Some of them have developed into world beaters and we will continue to encourage them”, Abiodun added.

The governor recollected how the state performed very well in the last edition of the Festival, winning 70 medals, and appreciated the Minister and the Federal Ministry of Sports for supporting the state at the bidding stage. Assuring that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure a successful National Sports Festival in the year 2024.

In his remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare said the choice of Ogun State as the next host was due to its culture of sports development, availability of sporting infrastructure and potentials to host a befitting festival that would linger for a long time.

He said the state has been blessed with famous sports men and women making the country proud, and expressed confidence that its performance as the host of the next edition will outshine the last two editions.
The Sports Minister however, called on the state to start preparations, as soon as possible, assuring corporate bodies that are ready to sponsor the competition handsome incentives, such as; tax holidays, and others.

Share on Facebook

Sports

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

Published

16 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.

Share on Facebook