Sports
Esports Makes Historic Debut with Dazzling Demonstration at Gateway Games in Ogun State
…As ESports set to lead Nigeria’s New Sports Economy
Joel Ajayi
Chief Operating Office,COO, of the Nigeria Esports Federation, Damilola Pedro, says eSports has the capacity to lead the Sports Economy drive of the country as the Sports made history with its demonstration at the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games.
” Today at the National Sports Festival Gateway Games 2024, we are not just adding another game, we are making a very bold statement.
” Esports is taking the stage. And with it, so is the voice of an entire generation that has long been ignored, misunderstood, and underestimated”.
” Because the numbers don’t lie and so let me set the facts. The video game industry is worth over $180 billion, larger than the film and music industry combined”.
” Over 3.3 billion people play games globally, with Africa projected to house the fastest-growing gaming population, and Nigeria being at the forefront of that conversation, with the projection of having the highest deposit of gamers in Africa and in the world come 2027, being the third-largest projection”.
” In 2023 alone, the Esports Tournament paid out over $350 million.Nigeria, with its population of over 70% youth, is not just ripe for this moment, we are the movement. Esports is a discipline, esports is data, esports is strategy, esports is communication, leadership, and performance under pressure”.
” At a time when unemployment is rising, and youth potential is being exported or wasted, we have in our hands an industry that can employ, educate, empower, without needing a single drop of oil.
” What this moment means for us as an industry, and for us as a federation, under the able leadership of our president, Messiah Mekori, this demonstration of esports at the National Sports Festival is not just a showcase, it is our validation”.
The ESports Federation COO however appealed to the media to partner the Federation to push out the right messages to the public in order to set the right perspective for the realisation of the full potential of the Sports.
” This is our call to the media and to the nation, to our journalists, our storytellers, the cultural interpreters, we need you, not just to cover this, but to help the nation understand the importance of this, because how you report this moment will shape how millions of parents, teachers, investors, and decision makers see us”.
She also urged every stakeholder and players in the Sports ecosystem to come onboard and join the train rather than wait to play catch-up tomorrow. ” To every stakeholder reading this, partner with us now, or play catch up later. To every skeptic, watch closely. We are not here to prove ourselves, we are here to take our place. This is not a hobby, this is a revolution. This is what the future of work means, and our children are ready, our young adults are ready, and they’re preparing themselves for the next industrial revolution”.
She however salutes the Federal Government and the team of the National Sports Commission, NSC, led by Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and the Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade, for their visionary, modern and innovative leadership.
” We have to thank the leadership of the National Sports Commission, the Federal Government, and what they have done for our industry today, accepting and driving the adoption of video games and competitive video games at the national level.
” We do not take this for granted. We’re very grateful to the leadership of the National Sports Commission, especially to the Director-General of Sports, who has continuously championed our cause and continuously been our biggest salesman. We will do you proud at the Esports Olympics, we will do you proud at the Esports World Cup, we will do you proud at all the different championships”.
The President of the eSports Federation of Nigeria Messiah Makori said the entire eSports family is very proud of this historic feat to be part of the Sports Festival and said he has no doubt that this will mark the beginning of bigger achievements for the Country’s sports.
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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