Sports

NFF Inaugurates Committee to Reconcile the Players Union’s

Published

4 years ago

December 12, 2022

In its desire to ensure the absolute peace that will further progress the Nigeria football Federation to greater height, the president of the Federation Alhaji Ibrahim Gusua has inaugurated the 5 man-committee of Nigerian football legend to reconcile all the group of player Union in the country.

President while inaugurating the committee on Monday in Abuja he said the five-man panel to finally and fully restore peace to the rank of Nigeria’s retired and active football players.

Gusau told the panellists that their mandate, which would last for two months, is to discuss with the two players’ bodies currently operating and settle the differences, while also advising the NFF on how to forge a formidable union that will be acceptable to all retired and active players.

“I have confidence in this team to put to rest the discord and bickering that we have witnessed among players’ bodies over the past years. There has been an unhealthy proliferation and this is not in the interest of peace and development of the game. We want to put a permanent end to the bitterness and divisive tendencies, so that we can move forward.

“Last week, I sat down with leaders of the two groups and we deliberated on how to achieve reconciliation and peace. What is really important is recognition, celebration and inclusiveness. We don’t want to alienate anyone. Players are the key actors in the game and we have no reason not to carry them along.”

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu is the chairman of the committee, with Mr. Emmanuel Okala, MON, Dr. Felix Owolabi Akinloye, MON and Mr. Garba Lawal as members, and Mr. Abdulrafiu Yusuf as secretary.

Okala, who was part of the gold-winning Green Eagles squad at the 1973 All-Africa Games that Nigeria hosted, was part of the silver-winning Green Eagles at the 1978 All-Africa Games and was in the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team, was present at the inauguration at the NFF Secretariat, alongside Dr. Owolabi Akinloye, who was part of the 1978 All-Africa Games silver-winning squad and the 1980 AFCON winners, and Abdulrafiu Yusuf, assistant director in the NFF Technical Department.

NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, lauded the membership of the panel, and expressed confidence that they would be able to resolve the logjam in the terrain of the players’ unions. He thanked them for their noble contributions to Nigeria in the past and said he has no doubt they will still contribute more by enabling peace in the Nigeria game soonest.

“Morocco has done exceedingly well for Africa at the ongoing FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar. Nigeria is capable of doing likewise and even better if we have a peaceful atmosphere in which all stakeholders work towards a common, noble goal,” Sanusi said.

Responding on behalf of the committee, His Excellency, Comrade Philip Shaibu said the panel will work with boundless energy and sincerity of purpose to ensure seamless reconciliation of the unions, and come up with an acceptable solution. He reiterated that the principal interest of the committee is to see Nigeria Football attain higher heights, and that recognition and appreciation of the game’s actors cannot be discounted.

Also present at the occasion were NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme; Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. E. C. Kadiri; Director of Technical, Mr. Augustine Eguavoen and; Director of Communications, Mr. Ademola Olajire.

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Sports

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

Published

7 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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