Sports
Our Goal is a Volleyball Team That Makes CGC and Nigeria Proud – Customs Sports Secretary
Joel Ajayi
The Sports Secretary of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Samuel Onikeku, has expressed the Service’s renewed commitment to building a formidable male volleyball team capable of making the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), the Service, and the nation proud on both local and international stages.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the conclusion of a 10-day open screening exercise for over 51 aspiring players, Onikeku announced that 18 athletes have now been selected to form the new-look male volleyball team.
“Many people are not aware that our CGC is an active sportsman. He plays both volleyball and table tennis very well and has a genuine passion for sports,” Onikeku said.
“His deep understanding of volleyball — from coaching to strategy — means he takes a special interest in the team.
He gives us full support: financial, moral, and spiritual. That’s why we are determined to deliver results and make him proud.”
He noted that while the Nigeria Customs female volleyball team has reached the finals of the Club Championship on seven occasions, the male team has yet to break into the top ranks, having only reached the round of 16.
“This is the turning point,” Onikeku added. “We want to be among the top 18 teams in Africa and go beyond what we’ve done before. We are laying a solid foundation for the future, and this is only the beginning.”
He also disclosed that the CGC personally visited the screening exercise to observe the team’s progress and provided valuable insights that are already being implemented by the technical crew.
“Despite his demanding schedule, the CGC found time to come and see the players.
He was impressed and shared some observations that we’ve since incorporated into our preparations. His input goes beyond administration — he’s someone who truly understands sports and leads by example,” he said.
Also sharing his thoughts was the newly appointed team captain, Philip Ayobami, who described the screening period as rigorous but rewarding.
“These past 10 days have been all about dedication, hard work, and team bonding. We are fully prepared for the upcoming season,” Ayobami said.
He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the team and promised to give his all.
“Being named captain of the Nigeria Customs volleyball team — one of the top volleyball teams in Nigeria — is a great honor. I’m humbled and excited, and I’m ready to give 100% to this responsibility.”
Ayobami also sent a strong message to fans and supporters, vowing that the team is ready to restore the Customs team’s dominance in Nigerian volleyball.
“We are coming back stronger. From grass to glory, we’re determined to take back our rightful place and win the championship for the CGC and the entire Nigeria Customs Service,” he declared.
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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