Sports

Speaker Calls on Lawmakers to Invest Constituency Funds in Sports Development

Published

1 year ago

July 23, 2025

…As House Committee on Sports Distributes Sporting Kits 360 constituency

Joel Ajayi

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has urged lawmakers to prioritize sports development by channeling their constituency allowances into grassroots sports initiatives, rather than projects that are often abandoned.

He made this call on Wednesday in Abuja during the official flag-off and distribution of sporting materials to members of the House Committee on Sports.

The initiative, a collaborative effort between the House Committee on Sports and the National Sports Commission, aims to promote grassroots participation and talent discovery across Nigeria’s 360 constituencies.

The materials distributed included football boots, jerseys, and training kits, intended to support youth development in primary and secondary schools as well as community-level sports.
Hon. Abbas stressed the importance of grassroots investment, describing it as the bedrock of national sports success.

“It is unacceptable that a country of over 230 million people continues to return from international competitions without medals, while smaller nations outperform us.”

“The only way to restore Nigeria’s sporting glory is to go back to the basics—back to grassroots and developmental sports.”

He encouraged lawmakers to rethink how constituency funds are spent: “Instead of building skills acquisition centres that may later be abandoned, let us invest in sports infrastructure and programmes at the community level. Sports has the power to engage our youth positively and unlock their potential.”

The Speaker also commended the House Committee on Sports, led by Hon. Kabir Amadu (Mai Palace), for what he described as outstanding performance in a short period.

“This is the first time I am seeing a Sports Committee truly living up to expectations. In just six months, they have set an example that other committees should emulate,” Abbas remarked. “I am elated to see such capable and committed members working for the good of the country.”

He concluded by pledging greater support from the House of Representatives for the continued growth and development of sports in Nigeria.

In his remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Hon. Kabir Amadu, emphasized that the kit distribution across all constituencies is a deliberate step toward strengthening grassroots sports.

“Every constituency will benefit. Members will take these materials back home to promote youth engagement and sporting talent at the grassroots level,” he said.

“We cannot continue to sit and complain about the decline in grassroots sports without taking action. As a House, we’ve chosen to lead by example and initiate meaningful programmes others can build on.”

Hon. Amadu also revealed plans to construct mini-stadiums across the country, which will complement the distribution of kits and further boost grassroots development.

“Our next project involves constructing mini-stadiums nationwide. This, combined with the kits, will create sustainable opportunities for community sports,” he concluded.

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Sports

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

Published

5 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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