Sports

FG Charges NOC To Upscale Preparation Ahead Of 2024 Olympic Games

Published

3 years ago

October 24, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Government has called on the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to upscale its preparations ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Paris, France

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh gave the charge on Tuesday in his office at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja when the Executive Members of the Nigeria Olympic Committee led by its President Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel visited him.

Senator Owan Enoh stated that early preparations for the Games will not only provide the athletes ample opportunities in their various sporting fields but will also enable the country to record podium finishes at the international competitions

The Minister stated further that the desire of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration is to ensure the development of sports not only as a mere recreation but as a business with a view to providing job opportunities for our teeming youth, alleviating poverty in the society as well as to enhance peace and unity in the country.

This, he added, was demonstrated through the creation of a Ministry of Sports Development and in his appointment as the Minister to drive this important policy thrust of government.

He explained that sports remained the most unifying factor in Nigeria and that the government was determined to develop the sector so as to strengthen the unity of this country for the betterment of all.

Senator Owan Enoh assured that under his watch, the Ministry of Sports Development will not only recognize key stakeholders in the industry but be ready to partner and collaborate with them for the development of the industry.

He informed that the renewed Hope Agenda of the Government also provides an opportunity for inclusiveness in sports by both males and females as well as for private sector participation. That was why he added that the National Sports Industry Policy (NSIP) approved by the immediate past administration was recently endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration in its renewed Hope Agenda

He advised the executive members of NOC to look into the document to see the areas that it can explore towards attracting private sector partnerships to help in the development of athletes so as to prepare them to compete favorably with their counterparts globally.

He said that the time has now come for all stakeholders in the industry to join hands with the Federal Government to ensure the development of sports in the country, especially in the area of infrastructure upgrades, Grassroots Sports Development, training of our athletes, Scholarships as well as in the area of capacity building of the officials as government cannot do it alone.

In addition, the Minister reminded the Committee to ensure clean participation of the nation’s athletes during the competition, stating that the government will not condense any cases of doping during the competitions.

Speaking earlier, the President of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Engr Habu Ahmed Gumel said that their visit was to congratulate the Honourable Minister on his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and subsequent confirmation as the Captain of Nigerian Sports as well as to brief him on the activities of the Committee.

Engr Gumel who commended the Honourable Minister on the proactive and progressive steps he had taken within the first month in office, which he said, are clear pointers that his tenure is poised to chart a new course for Nigerian Sports assured that the Nigeria Olympic Committee, as co-partner with the Ministry of Sports Development is committed to the delivery of values to the stakeholders, especially in the area of capacity building to support National Federation Administrative and Technical Structures with a view to ensuring that the country joins the Committee of Sporting Nations.

He stated that the committee’s core objective is providing international and local training scholarships for Nigerian elite and upcoming athletes as well as support grants to team sports. This we do in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), so as to assist our athletes in preparation for qualification tournaments and participation in the Olympic Games, Commonwealth and African Games. By so doing, the NOC is able to augment what the Government is doing to prepare our athletes for these Games’ he said.

The NOC President who enumerated other areas of the body’s contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh that the Committee will not only do everything humanly possible to ensure that the country qualify for participation clean in the forthcoming Olympic Games but also will bring in their wealth of experience to bear in ensuring that Nigeria records podium finishes at the international competitions.

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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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