Sports
Minister Of Sports Pays A Call To Nigeria’s Coal City To Discuss Sports Development In The State
…Says if sports can work in other climes it will work in Nigeria
Joel Ajayi
The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh had an engagement with the Enugu State government, where topical concerns on the potency of sports to significantly impact, and open up value chains at National and sub-national levels were discussed. He further mentioned how it will create jobs and grow the economy while helping to address insecurity.
Senator John Owan Enoh, made this known during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.
The Minister commended Governor Mbah for his commitment to promoting the sports sector in the state through his innovative and comprehensive upgrade and rebranding of sporting infrastructural facilities in the state, saying the federal government was interested in collaborating with the state to make sports a profitable business.
“Sports is a $5 trillion industry. Sports have the power to inspire and change the world. It has the power to give hope when there is despair. Sports speak to the youths in the language they understand. Sports has more power than government to break barriers and boundaries of racial discrimination and injustices”, the minister stated.
He said this informed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to create a separate Ministry of Sports Development, adding that sports were expected to contribute in so many ways, especially in job creation and security in the country.
“We have a challenge of unemployment, and there is no sector that can help in tackling this if not sports and even for our economic growth”, he said.
Senator Enoh commended the contributions of Enugu to sports development, saying it has a rich history with an international brand like the Rangers football club.
“Sports is no longer for leisure and recreation; it is a critical business sector. We need to start thinking of how we can translate the passion and energies of our youths into sports business, which will boost Enugu’s economy and the country’s economy.
“The national sports policy is talking about infrastructure, incentives, and investment because the businessman who wants to invest in sports needs to be assured of his return on investment. Sports is doing much more than it is appreciated because it has the potential to contribute between 4 to 7% to our GDP”, he said.
Also speaking, the Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu said the sports sector is vital for economic development in the state while commending the federal government for sharing the same vision with Governor Mbah’s administration and seeking collaboration with it to boost the economy, reduce youth unemployment, and improve the security in the state.
Responding, Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia said the state would play a significant leadership role in catalyzing the change that the nation seeks to achieve in sports and youth development.
“It is reassuring because that is in line with the vision of this administration, which is also in our manifesto, on how youths are going to be integrated into the economic development trajectory because Enugu State has a growth trajectory of $4.4b to $30b in the next eight years. And we are very mindful of the role sports will play to achieve this target,” he stated
He noted that the National Bureau of Statistics’ designation of sports as mere leisure and recreation was discouraging. He therefore called for a change in the designation from leisure and recreation to business, saying this would change the mindset of people towards the sports sector.
The governor called for more collaboration between the government and the private sector to expand the horizon of sports and youth development for economic benefits and to ensure sustainability.
“We are building back Enugu Rangers and re-enacting it back to what it used to be. We have the branding of the Rangers jersey by Afrinvest, and we have other private-sector investors who are also showing interest in investing in the club.
“We will not be left behind; we will fight toe to toe with you the federal government and make sure we change how sports is perceived in the country and Enugu will be a model for that”, he said.
The Honourable Minister of Sports Development reiterated the need for private sector involvement at different levels to enable significant progress in the sports sector
“If there’s any sector that needs a lot of support, it is the sports sector, due to the long period of neglect “.
He stated the need for expansive private sector involvement in Sports Development in the Country, while the government steadily gives the trust and enablement for such collaborations and partnerships to thrive.
Sports
Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney
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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