Sports
Unicentral commends Dr. Aliyu for awarding FCT’s only full marathon slot to firm.
The Managing Director of Unicentral Resources Generation Limited Zsusanna Ogunmiloyo has commended the Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijani Aliyu for awarding the only slot for Full Marathon (42.195km) in the FCT to her firm, Unicentral.
A statement signed by Olukayode Thomas, Race Director, Abuja International Marathon, who is also the Head of Media and Publicity, said the management and staff of Unicentral are grateful to Dr. Aliyu who – after thoroughly examining their bids and presentations – finally okayed Unicentral’s bid and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to give Unicentral the sole right to organize the only full marathon in FCT for the next five years.
Ogunmiloyo, who is also the Managing Director of Abuja International Marathon, said Dr. Aliyu’s approval is in line with the best global practices and standards approved by the governing bodies of athletics and marathons and road races in the world.
The world’s biggest marathon destinations like New York, Tokyo, Dubai, London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Chicago, Boston, Dubai and – nearer home Lagos, Nairobi and Durban – all have only one full marathon.
Ogunmiloyo said, “the logistics involved in the organization of a full marathon is huge, especially partial closure and total closure of the entire route for the duration of the race. That is why most cities have one full marathon and other races are half-marathons, 15km, 10km, and 5km”.
Ogunmiloyo assures Dr. Aliyu, the Minister of FCT Hon. Mohammed Musa Bello, the permanent secretary Adesola Olusade, and the entire management and staff of FCTA, residents, and visitors to FCT that Unicentral will organize a world-class race.
‘’Our dreams for Abuja International Marathon are very high, but we know they are achievable, “she said. “That is why we have headhunted some of the best brains in marathons and road races in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world for this project. They have been working on the project for the last three years and the results are feasible.
“We are the first full marathon in Nigeria to have its route measured and calibrated by AIMS and World Athletics before its first edition. Because we have experts working on the project, we have a runners’ friendly routes for all our races. We are also the first to organize an all-inclusive race. We will have for the first time in Nigeria on December 17, 2022, a full international marathon, a 10km and a 5 km. This is a first in Nigeria. ‘’
Ogunmiloyo also announced that the elite field for Abuja International Marathon is capable of running sub 2 hours:10 minutes, which will be another first in Nigeria.
“We are working all day and all night to deliver in Nigeria a world class-race that will rival the Abbott World Marathon Majors. We are appealing to Corporate Nigeria and Nigerians in general – especially citizens and residents of FCT – to support this noble project that will not only sell Abuja to the world as a tourist destination and a place to work and invest but it will also take away Abuja’s blemish as the only iconic city in Africa without a world-class international marathon”.
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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