Sports
“Development of Sports and Sports for Development” – Minister John Enoh States His Administration’s Two-Fold Focus
Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh has stated that his administration will pursue a two-fold focus, as part of the plans to reposition sports in the country.
Speaking to stakeholders in Lagos, Enoh said the two-fold focus rests on sports development and sports for development as a way of harnessing the potential of sports for Nigeria.
He explained that the first prong of sports development will take grassroots development as a special sub-focus where the country will focus on providing a platform for budding and raw talents to be unearthed for refinement.
Enoh said, “Grassroots development will focus on the extent to which as a ministry and a country, we are able to provide the infrastructure and amenities at the grassroots level, where our talents are located.”
“We have untapped talents in our local areas, individuals that do not have the opportunity to showcase themselves. We must provide pitches, and courts that will expose these talents in areas that are neglected.”
“We don’t want to just say it, but we want to take practical steps, that at the end of my tenure, we have measurable impacts of our work,”, he added.
Expatiating further he said grassroots development also entails establishing and running leagues across different sports at the youth level. School sports and underaged competitions are important to this plan.
Furthermore, he said, “We must also provide a transition plan for our discovered talents to move from the youth level to the elite level.”
Second Focus: Sports for Development
Senator John Enoh said sports should not be developed just for the sake of it, but the concern should also extend to ensuring sports contribute to the nation’s economic development.
“The National Bureau of Statistics has no place for sports as a contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). One of the things I will do is engage with the NBS to evaluate some of the factors that are considered in identifying a sector as a contributor to national GDP. And these things will be pursued.”
“The National Sports Industry Policy which I met focuses on treating sports as a business. This is one of the things we will pursue. We will pursue to see how we can tap sports contribution to national unity and national integration. No sector showcases our national colors (green and white) as much as sports do,” he added.
“In my experience of watching Tennis, a guy like Novak Djokovic has placed Serbia on the world map by his appearances at every grand slam. This is something we can emulate and do in our country.”
He charged the media to support his plans and play a key role in sports development. He called for fair reportage and a sense of patriotism to be placed above anything else
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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