Sports
NSC Leadership Driving Nigeria’s Sporting Renaissance Under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Mandate
Joel Ajayi
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to repositioning Nigerian sports, crediting the renewed energy and direction in the sector to the visionary leadership of Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade.
Since the assuming office, the duo turned the tide, ensuring accountability, transparency, and world-class standards that align seamlessly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
Their leadership prowess has been at the heart of the Commission’s transformation, setting a new benchmark in sports administration.
Mallam Dikko and Hon. Olopade has provided the operational edge that has translated vision into reality.
The podium board initiative bolstered under this administration has paid off tremendously. By ensuring cost-effectiveness and timeliness in athletes’ preparation, the NSC has been able to deliver on its promises. For the first time in years, all athletes have received their training grants promptly, creating a culture of trust and commitment between the Commission and its sportsmen and women.
In a statement on Saturday, Hon. Olopade explained that the bidding process for the 2028 National Sports Festival has already begun, marking a clear departure from past practices where the process was delayed, leading to procedural errors. This bold move reflects a new era of transparency and merit, where hosting rights are earned through competitive processes rather than arbitrary decisions.
The new leadership has opened a new vista for all sports to thrive. 44 sports National team have participated in international competitions, with only two being unsuccessful.
The institutionalization of the Invited Junior Athletes(IJA) initiative is another major reform. Through this programme, the best performers from the last National Youth Games have seamlessly graduated to represent Nigeria at major international competitions such as the Confederation of African Athletics Championships and the inaugural School Sports Games that took place in Algeria.
This continuity has created a structured pathway for talent development and ensured that Nigeria’s brightest prospects are nurtured to their full potential.
The NSC under the leadership of Mallam Dikko and Hon. Olopade has also unlocked unprecedented private sector support. Over ₦10 billion have already been raised from corporate partners to support programs and competitions, easing the burden on government while providing the resources athletes need to excel locally and internationally.
In less than nine months, Nigeria has hosted no fewer than five international events, including the West African Traditional Wrestling Championship in Abuja, the CAA Africa U18/U20 Athletics Championships, an international training programme for gymnastics coaches, the Africa Cadet Taekwondo and Karate Championships, and the Para Table Tennis Championship in Lagos. Preparations are also underway to host the West Africa Para International Tournament in Abeokuta.
Reflecting on these achievements, Hon. Olopade stated: “What we are witnessing today is a new dawn for Nigerian sports. “There is deliberate planning, focused execution, and tangible outcomes. We want to build a system that will outlive individuals and place Nigeria permanently on the global sporting map.”
Together, Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade has shown that with clarity of vision, transparency in governance, and commitment to excellence, Nigerian sports can achieve greatness.
Their leadership embodies President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call for Renewed Hope, ensuring that athletes are empowered with the tools, resources, and opportunities to shine on the world stage.
The NSC DG reassured that the Commission will continue to deepen reforms, strengthen federations, and provide support to athletes, coaches, and administrators as the country marches confidently towards a new era of sporting glory.
Sports
Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney
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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