Udale Re-Elected Players’ Rep. On HFN Board, Pledges Better Welfare

Published

4 years ago

September 21, 2021

A Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Haruna Udale on Monday won the athletes’ representative election into the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Udale won the election with 27 votes from the 31 registered voters who participated in the election.

It was held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Udale later told NAN that he was ready to give quality representation on the board in this his second time of being elected.

“I want to thank God Almighty for giving me this victory and also I want to thank the players for believing in me and re-electing me,” he said.

Udale then noted that the Samuel Ocheho-led board of the federation had done a good job.
“We have done a great job with Sam Ocheho, now the former president of the Federation.

“As for me, I will concentrate on area of sports career development for handball players.

“We will work together with the stakeholders and the federation to see how we can help to develop the career of players,” he said.

NAN reports that in the election for the players’ representative, Dauda Talle who stood against Ocheho had only two votes.

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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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