Sports

Nigeria Customs Service Pledges To Support NSC To Actualize Its Mandate

Published

4 months ago

January 28, 2025

The Gleamer

…Donates Buses to Commission

…As Nigeria Ready To Host African Women’s Volleyball Championship

Joel Ajayi

The sports loving Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has assured the National Sports Commission that the service will do everything possible best to assit commission in actualize its mandate for the overall development of sports in the country.
He gave this assurance on Monday in Abuja during a courtesy visit to the NSC at Moshood Abiola National Stadium saying that the glory day of sports is back to us in Nigeria.
According to him, we want to use the opportunity to put on record on number of things, first to congratulate Sports Commission Chairman Malam Shehu Dikkoof Customs, it’s a right step in the right direction and that is where for the long time we have tested and trusted person which is Shehu Dikko, sports is in save hand.
“We will do our best to assist commission to actualize its mandate. NCS is solidily behind you for the overall development of sports Nigeria ,”

He hinted that, Nigeria will host the rest of Africa in the 2025 African Women’s Volleyball Inter-Cub Competition in Abuja from 1st to 14th April, 2025.

The Comptroller General assured that the Nigeria Customs Service women’s team – the only Nigerian team at the championship aims at hosting to win.

“Sports is not alternative business to NCS because our officers must posses the attributes of a good athlete before he can succeed. After so much efforts, Nigeria has been given the opportunity to host the 2025 African Women’s Volleyball Inter-Cub Competition from 1st to 14th April, 2025. This will be orgainsed in conjunction with the Nigeria Volleyball Federation. Nigeria competed with Egypt, Tanzania and other before we were given the nod to host.

“With the preparations the women’s will have ahead of the competition, I want to assure that they will not disappoint Nigerians a we aim at hosting to win.

“We however, seek the support of the National Sports Commission in any way they can so as to make the dream of winning the tournament a reality.

On our part, we will donate buses to Commission to be distributed for some of the Sports Federations to convey the national teams.

In his remarked, the Chairman NSC, Shehu Dikko while reacting appreciate the contribution of Nigeria Customs to sports development and also assuring them of government support.

“We will make sure that the Customs team get all the necessary supports from the government. It’s one of the agenda of President Tinubu led government to see Nigeria hosting as many competitions as possible. This will help in developing the athletes and in maintaining infrastructure.

The championship which begins from April 1st and ends 14th will be sponsored by the Nigerian Customs Service whose women’s volleyball team qualified having won the Nigeria Volleyball League in 2024.

The African Women’s Volleyball Championship is the official competition for senior women’s national volleyball teams of Africa, organized by the African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB). The tournament is currently held biannually. The current champion is Kenya, which won its tenth title at the 2023 tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Sports

NLO’s Shola Ogunowo Earns Praise for Driving Grassroots Football and Exemplifying Integrity

Published

5 hours ago

June 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Nigerian football community has lauded Mr. Shola Ogunowo, Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), for his unwavering commitment to integrity and the development of grassroots football, earning him widespread respect and admiration across the sporting landscape.

In a statement released in Abuja and signed by Okechukwu Okebugwu, Mr. Ogunowo was praised as a transformative leader who has redefined the ethics and standards of football administration at the grassroots level. According to the release, Ogunowo has emerged as a “leading figure in the fight against match-fixing, bribery, and all forms of corruption” that have plagued the lower tiers of Nigerian football for decades.

Through consistent enforcement of transparency, fairness, and accountability, Mr. Ogunowo is steering the NLO toward becoming a credible platform where talent can be discovered and nurtured based on merit, rather than manipulation or favoritism.

“In an environment where shortcuts and compromises are all too common, Shola Ogunowo has remained a pillar of integrity,” Okebugwu stated. “He is restoring credibility to grassroots football by ensuring that fair play, discipline, and professionalism are non-negotiable.”

Since taking over as COO, Ogunowo has spearheaded a number of structural reforms aimed at instilling discipline and operational excellence among participating clubs. These include stricter licensing requirements, performance audits, and compliance monitoring to ensure clubs uphold the league’s code of conduct. His administration has also emphasized youth development, with a renewed focus on coaching education and player welfare.

The result is a reinvigorated Nationwide League One that is beginning to attract renewed attention from fans, corporate sponsors, and local communities. Observers say Ogunowo’s leadership is helping reshape perceptions of grassroots football—not just as a stepping stone to the elite leagues, but as a vital foundation for the future of Nigerian football.

“His leadership is not only impacting the pitch—it’s rebuilding trust, creating real value, and setting a good standard for sports administration in Nigeria,” Okebugwu concluded.

As the NLO season progresses, many stakeholders believe that with figures like Shola Ogunowo at the helm, the future of grassroots football in Nigeria is not only secure, but promising.

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