Sports
Excitement as National Women’s Championship final, Criiio Festival, take center stage in Abuja
Joel Ajayi
Abuja the nation’s capital city came alive on Tuesday as National Women’s Cricket Championship commenced in Abuja, featuring eight participating states from across the six geopolitical zones. Edo, Gombe, Ekiti, Lagos, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and Kogi.
To this end, the first ever Criiio Festival with aim of promoting the cricket among the women will also take center stage this Saturday.
As matter of fact, the International Cricket Council (ICC) thumbed NCF in making the country the fastest-growing cricket nation in the world.
Just few weeks ago, the NCF announced the maiden edition of eveng that could be described as largest-ever Super Cricket Festival, that is meant to bring together between 600 to 1,000 female secondary school students at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, this October as way of creating more awareness for tge Game.
Now the stage is set for tge event that will bring together over 1,000 school girls in Abuja for a fun-filled event, held alongside the National Women’s Championship.
The two important event is put in place by the Nigeria Cricket Federation for awareness and investment as well as competition among the players.
While speaking the aprrss Confeence on Monday in Abuja, President of Federation Uyi Akpata who was represented by Secretary General of the Federation, Sanni Mohammed, revealed that the event is the culmination of the zonal elimination that had gone on at different cricket clusters across the nation.
“This is the national finals for the women’s focused developmental initiatives that had gone on from the first quarter of the year. It is just interesting that it is coming at this period that we had just qualified for the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup in Malaysia.
About 140 players from zonal finals in Lagos, Ekiti, Kogi, Kaduna, Gombe, Edo, Akwa Ibom, and Anambra states will join top cricket officials across the nation for the Women’s Championship.
“We are also using this event to hone the game’s administrative skills, including umpiring, scoring, and growing our coaching and live broadcasting capacities..”
Speaking on Criiio Festival, Uyi Akpata expressed: “We are launching a super female involvement in cricket through a modified format. This will be part of the Women’s Cricket Festival, where we will gather between 600 to 1,000 school girls in Abuja for a fun-filled event, held alongside the National Women’s Championship.
“We are also bringing together some of the best female cricketers in the country, with ICC women representatives in attendance. This template will be replicated across other regions of Nigeria.
“The ICC has identified two countries in Africa; Nigeria and Rwanda to lead this initiative, based on our achievements in promoting women’s cricket. We have won global and continental awards in this area, and the fruits of our investment are already beginning to show”.
He stated that, the rate of growth and the success being achieved through developmental efforts have also raised the potential for the game of cricket by providing part-time jobs, and career paths for the youths.
On her own, the Brand Ambassador for Women’s Cricket in Nigeria, Adaora Sydney-Jack highlighted that the Criiio Festival would showcase the essence of the sport, making it an opportunity for the private sector to recognize the value of investing in women’s cricket.
One of the world-class broadcaster, Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, expressed her commitment to using her experience in community journalism to raise awareness for the game. She said:”When I look at women’s cricket in Nigeria, I see a bright future. If we take lessons from countries like India, South Africa, and Australia, we can see how they have succeeded through strategic partnerships.
“As a brand ambassador, I will focus on building strategic partnerships and community development, where cricket can play a significant role. I plan to leverage my platform in community journalism to drive this awareness
Talking about the expectations of the game, the Captains of the participating states who spoke explained the progress of Cricket in their various state and their desire to do more all boasted that they are going to win the tournament.
Captains from some of the participating teams shared their expectations ahead of the tournament, expressing their hopes for strong performances and competitive play.
However, the five-day tournament at the Criiio Festival is anticipated to create a festive atmosphere while fostering public-private partnerships in support of women’s cricket.
News
Ringo Sport Club, National Parks Service Team Up to Promote Eco-Tourism, Combat Climate Change
By Joel Ajayi
The Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria and the National Park Service (NPS) have begun moves to strengthen collaboration on eco-tourism promotion, environmental protection and climate change mitigation ahead of the maiden Nigerian Para-Military Ringo Sport Tournament (NIPAMRIST) 2026.
The National President of Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria and Chairman of the National Inter-Agency Organising Committee (NIAOC) of NIPAMRIST, Malam Ahmed Mohammed Sule, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Musa Goni, at the Service’s headquarters in Abuja.
The visit was part of ongoing stakeholder engagements to secure the participation of personnel from para-military agencies and explore areas of cooperation ahead of the three-day tournament scheduled for November 19 to 21, 2026, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Sule said the tournament was designed to bring together officers and personnel of Nigeria’s para-military agencies to compete for honours while promoting inter-agency cooperation, national unity, physical fitness and general well-being.
He explained that the engagement with the National Park Service was aimed at strengthening preparations for the inaugural competition and building a lasting partnership that would extend beyond sports.
According to him, the National Park Service is a strategic partner in advancing the tournament’s objectives, particularly through the integration of sports and tourism to showcase Nigeria’s natural attractions and encourage environmental awareness.
Sule disclosed that the Service had registered for the tournament and that some of its personnel had benefited from the intensive Ringo sport training programme organised by the club.
He urged the Conservator-General to mobilise more personnel for the competition, stressing that adequate preparation and mass participation would contribute to the success of the tournament.
The Ringo Sport Club president added that NIPAMRIST offered an opportunity to use sports as a platform for promoting Nigeria’s eco-tourism potential, improving the fitness of security and para-military personnel, and encouraging stronger institutional partnerships.
He called for sustained collaboration between the club and the National Park Service to leverage the tournament’s visibility in promoting the country’s protected areas and supporting tourism development.
Responding, Goni expressed appreciation for the visit and reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to the success of NIPAMRIST 2026.
He pledged that the National Park Service would encourage active participation by its personnel, describing the tournament as an avenue to improve physical fitness, discipline, teamwork and esprit de corps among staff.
The Conservator-General also welcomed the proposal for deeper cooperation on eco-tourism, noting that the Service had continued to pursue partnerships that support biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and tourism development across Nigeria’s protected areas.
Goni linked the growing effects of climate change to environmental degradation and the neglect of environmental protection principles, noting that damage to ecosystems and the depletion of natural protective cover could contribute to displacement, migration and conflicts.
He said the relationship between sports and eco-tourism presented an opportunity to raise public awareness about Nigeria’s national parks while encouraging healthy lifestyles among service personnel and the wider population.
Goni assured the organising committee of the Service’s readiness to explore practical areas of cooperation before, during and after the tournament.
He also clarified that Nigeria has 17 national parks, with about 13 currently in active operation, correcting what he described as the misconception in some quarters that the country has only seven parks.
The visit ended with both parties agreeing to establish a working framework for the Service’s participation in the tournament and sustain discussions on eco-tourism promotion and other areas of mutual interest.
The organising committee expressed optimism that the partnership would strengthen NIPAMRIST 2026 and support its broader objectives of sports development, institutional cooperation and tourism promotion.
NIPAMRIST is the maiden inter-agency Ringo sport tournament organised by Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria for officers and personnel of Nigerian para-military establishments.
The 2026 edition is expected to feature 120 players and officials from eight agencies, including the National Park Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among others.
The tournament is scheduled to run from November 19 to 21 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
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