Sports
Adeniyi Lauds Rising Quality of 2025 CGC Volleyball Premier League, Pledges Deeper Collaboration with NVBF
Joel Ajayi
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dr. Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), has commended the high level of organisation, competitiveness, and sponsorship that characterised the 2025 CGC Volleyball Premier League, which concluded in grand style on Saturday, December 13, in Abuja.
Speaking with journalists after the final matches, Dr. Adeniyi expressed satisfaction with the steady growth of the league, describing its structure and execution as “top-notch” and the level of competition as “highly impressive.”
According to him, the improved quality of the domestic league is already translating into stronger performances by Nigerian teams on the continental stage.
“The quality of the league is clearly reflecting in the performances of our teams in Africa. Nigeria Customs and the Nigerian Navy have continued to do well in continental competitions because the league provides a solid foundation,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2026 edition, the Customs boss called for more off-season competitions to keep players match-fit and increase their exposure. He also disclosed plans for closer collaboration with the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) to organise additional tournaments, including beach volleyball events, as part of preparations for continental championships.
Dr. Adeniyi further stressed the need for Nigerian clubs to strengthen their squads through the recruitment of foreign players to boost competitiveness. He cited the Nigeria Customs Service Volleyball Club’s recruitment of players from Ghana and the Benin Republic, while revealing ongoing scouting efforts in Rwanda.
He also praised the Nigerian Navy Volleyball team and disclosed plans to engage the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) to further strengthen the team ahead of future continental engagements.
“I congratulate all the participating teams. In my view, they are all winners. I also commend the NVBF for its professionalism and dedication in organising a successful league,” he said.
Dr. Adeniyi revealed that the Nigeria Customs Service spent ₦48 million as subsidies to support teams during the just-concluded championship. He added that individual awards, each worth ₦100,000, were introduced, while teams placed from fourth to 12th received ₦500,000 each.
According to him, third-placed teams earned ₦2 million, runners-up received ₦3 million, while champions in both the men’s and women’s categories went home with ₦5 million each.
In his remarks, President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Musa Nimrod, described the 2025 Comptroller-General of Customs Volleyball Premier League as a major success, noting that it ended on a high note.
He expressed optimism about the future of volleyball in Nigeria and announced the return of the Super Cup in January 2026, signalling renewed growth and development for the sport.
In the women’s category, the COAS team finished third to claim ₦2 million, CNS placed second with ₦3 million, while NCS emerged champions, securing ₦5 million and completing a historic three-peat, having won the title in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
In the men’s category, NCOS claimed third place and ₦2 million for their first-ever podium finish, NCS finished second with ₦3 million, while CNS clinched the title and ₦5 million, also achieving back-to-back championship victories.
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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