Sports

DG NYSC Urges Corps Members On Peaceful Co-Existence

Published

3 years ago

November 29, 2023

….As Abia Swears-in 1,698 PCMs
The Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General YD Ahmed has advised Corps Members to live in peace with one another, make new friends and use the opportunities of the service year to foster national unity and integration.

He gave the advise in his address to the 2023 Batch ‘C’ Stream Two Corps Members during his visit to Abia State Orientation Camp in Umuna, Bende Local Government Area of the State.

General Ahmed said the Scheme was established to foster national unity and integration, hence the need for all serving and prospective Corps Members to key into the NYSC project for national development.

Speaking further, the Director General warned the Corps Members against night travelling and also travelling without obtaining permission from the Scheme. He warned that unauthorized travelling attracts sanctions in line with NYSC byelaws.

The Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti in his address at the Swearing-in Ceremony urged the Corps Members to utilize the abundant opportunities around them to develop themselves and also use them to contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the State.

The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sir Nwobilor Ananaba promised his continuous support for the NYSC in Abia State.

He advised the Corps Members to abide by the tenets of their Oath of Allegiance and conduct themselves as good ambassadors of their families, institutions and NYSC during and after their service year.

In her address, the NYSC Abia State Coordinator, Mrs Dick-Iruenabere Ufoma urged the Corps Members to participate fully in all Orientation Camp activities, as they would serve as veritable tools in the dissemination of information and aid the implementation of the laudable policies of the State Government.

“The NYSC Management will give you the necessary support to make the desired impact. The Scheme also aims at inculcating discipline in our youths and instilling in them the spirit of patriotism and loyal service to the nation.

You must obey all camp officials and no form of insubordination, truancy, including drug abuse and secret cult activities will be tolerated in camp and throughout the service year”, she said.

During the ceremony, the Abia State Chief Judge, Justice Lilian Abai represented by Justice Anya Benson administered the Oath of Allegiance on the 1,698 Prospective Corps Members made up of 891 males and 807 females.

General Ahmed, who was among the dignitaries that witnessed the Swearing-in Ceremony was accompanied by the Director, Special Duties, Alhaji Musa Abubakar and Director Press and Public Relations, Mr Eddy Megwa.

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Sports

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

Published

15 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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