Sports

President Buhari Declares 2023 Commonwealth Youth Students Summit Open

Published

3 years ago

May 9, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared the 2023 Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit (CYSS), African Region open with a charge to the youth to hone their leadership skills and make relevant contributions to the decision-making process, especially on issues that bother on their development and welfare.

The President who gave the charge today in Abuja stated that the youth all over the world have proven time without number that if given the opportunity and support to showcase their talents and energy, they are capable of becoming change catalysts.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, President Muhammadu Buhari stated that government is conscious of the fact that a positive force for societal development reside in the young people and thus called on the comity of the Commonwealth Nations to give them the opportunity and support to enable them exhibit their talent and energy in line with the noble ideas which the Commonwealth represents.

According to him, “Nigeria, as a firm believer in the capabilities of young people is hosting the Summit to create a platform for the youth to network, collaborate and foster sustainable learning environment as well as promote youth development in institutions within the Commonwealth”.

He assured that Nigerian Government as a member of the Commonwealth will continuously create an enabling environment for the youth to blossom and reach their potentials.

The President expressed optimism that with the breed of young people gathered here and the theme chosen for the Summit, *”Co-creating our Common Future Leadership in the Digital Age in Africa”*, actionable policy-decisions that will further enhance development and productivity of the youth will not only be reached but will also address the world of challenges and opportunities open to the Commonwealth Youth, especially those in Africa which is technologically driven”

President Buhari therefore called on the youth who are the leaders of the Digital Revolution to align their knowledge of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and the likes, with investment in ideas, skills and enterprise so as to ensure the socio-economic development of the Region.
Also speaking, the President Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated that the future, development and growth of the Continent is a task the youth must take upon themselves.

Represented by the National Youth Leader, Mr. Dayo Isreal, the President Elect called on the youth to join hands with their various governents in creating a safe and secure environment for all as there can be no growth or development without security and peace.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu further urged the youth to seize the opportunity provided by the Summit to build lasting and productive connections, learn from one another and also unite in the war against underdevelopment.

In his Opening Remarks, the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare stated that the declaration of the Year 2023 as the year of the Youth as pronounced in Kigali is both timely and instructive.

He explained that the African youth have come of age and cannot be ignored, noting that this can be validated with the exploits of the African Youth in various spheres of endeavour.

Dare who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for hosting the Summit urged the youth to look beyond political leadership to being in the forefront of creativity, science and technology, arts, sports and the whole gamut of human endeavour with a view to giving the African its pride of place in the Comity of Nations.

Share on Facebook

Sports

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

Published

12 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