Sports
Attempt to withdraw Nigeria from IBA: Omo-Agege says Minimah owes FG, Nigerians some explanations
Following attempt to withdraw the Nigerian Boxing Federation, (NBF) from the International Boxing Association, (IBA), by the former president, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah (rtd.), the Interim President of the Nigerian Boxing Federation, Azania Omo-Agege has stated that retired General owes the Federal Government, and the good people of Nigeria an explanation for his action.
Omo-Agege who stepped in as the interim Boxing Federation President after the suspension of Minimah by IBA, and also following the expiration of his tenure as the NBF president expressed disgust at the unilateral power exhibited by the former president in taking such action.
He stressed that the planned attempt to withdraw Nigeria did not reflect the general will of the NBF board and it’s congress.
“It is totally absurd that an individual could attempt to withdraw a nation from a body that they have belonged to the past forty years, and on his own affiliate the Federation to a new Boxing body without the approval of the board and the congress. Such hefty decision can only be taking after it has gone through all the processes, and finally ratified by the Ministry of Sports, the parent body of sports in Nigeria.
“I would appreciate if he will be bold enough to explain to Nigerians if indeed he followed due processes before embarking on the journey to withdraw Nigeria from IBA and affiliate the Federation with a supposedly new Boxing body.
“Does it make any sense that you withdraw Nigeria from an international boxing body that has more than 200 boxing Federations to a relatively new body that has only about 22 boxing Federations. More so, all our referees and coaches are all IBA members. IBA is in charge of the All Africa Games, and the other international boxing championship.
“You may want to recall that before our election the then Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare explicitly stated that the six (6) National Sports Federations that have their Constitutions ratified by their International sports bodies and the Nigeria Olympic Committee should conduct their elections based on their respective Constitutions.
“So, since our election was conducted with an IBA approved constitution, I can only advise Lt General Minimah retired, and his supporters to go set up their own boxing Federation affiliated to the new international boxing Federation. As for me as the interim president, and the other patriots in the Federation, NBF is fully affiliated to IBA,” he stated.
Omo-Agege who also doubles as the interim president of the Africa Boxing Confederation, (AFBC) maintained that the Africa secretariat has not received any formal communication regarding such a significant decision, noting that It is customary for member federations to inform the AFBC of any strategic decisions or affiliations, especially one of this magnitude.
He revealed that he had written to the Nigeria Minister of Sports, Senator John Owan Enoh to use his position as the number one sports administrator to investigate and help provide accurate information on the matter.
He also also called on the House, and Senate Committee on sports to summon Minimah and the Federation Secretary to come explain how they came about the decision to attempt to pull Nigeria out of IBA.
You may also want to recall that it was on account of the purported attempt to withdraw NBF that informed IBA to suspend the former Nigeria boxing president. According to the IBA, Lt. General Minimah action fell foul of their rules which include, a breaches of Article 5.2 of the IBA Membership Policy, Article 11.1(h) of the IBA Constitution, Article 15 (Violation of Constitution and Regulations), Article 20 (Disparagement of IBA’s Reputation and Interests), Article 41 (Participation in other international boxing associations or organizations), and Article 46 (Abuse of Position) of the IBA Disciplinary and Ethics Code.
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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