NSC inaugurates Nigeria Netball Federation board
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has officially inaugurated the board of the Nigeria Netball Federation (NNF), giving the sport its long-overdue structural foundation and legitimacy in Nigeria. Inaugurating the board
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has officially inaugurated the board of the Nigeria Netball Federation (NNF), giving the sport its long-overdue structural foundation and legitimacy in Nigeria.
Inaugurating the board in Abuja, Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, said netball has the potential to give Nigerian youth a pathway to live their dreams and win medals for the country on the global stage.
The chairman, who described the NNF board as the most corporately structured sports federation in Nigeria, urged the new board to grow the sport from the bottom up.
"The potential of this sport is huge and I have no doubt that with the calibre of personalities I am seeing on this board, Nigeria has what it takes to be very competitive at the global stage in no time.
"I am even happier to see that this board has set a new benchmark in terms of governance structure, coming up with a clear constitution and a five-year strategic plan, and it is highly commendable."
The Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, who described the inauguration of the NNF board as historic, said netball has the potential to become one of Nigeria's medal-contending sports.
"These are exciting times for Nigerian sports and all of these are made possible because of the backing Mr President is giving to the sports sector, which is why today netball is finally a federation in Nigeria.
"We have a large number of quality netball players abroad who have shown keen interest in representing the country and today, we are on the right path by establishing a federation that can compete strongly with any other federation in the country.
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"I must also emphasise that aside from the top quality of people on the board, my biggest excitement is the level of inclusivity we are seeing. A large number of those on the board are women and it is very gratifying to see."
President of the newly inaugurated NNF, Dr Esther Oluwatoyin Aluko, expressed gratitude to the leadership of the NSC for restoring the hopes of a sport that had been adrift for decades.
She revealed that the board has strategically put machinery in place to ensure Nigeria builds a strong domestic netball framework that will take the country to the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
"The NNF's governing structure is built around 14 specialised commissions, with every commission assigned a specific pillar of the plan, a named quarterly KPI obligation and direct accountability to the board.
"With this structure, by 2029 we would have delivered a fully commissioned national netball complex and four internationally certified courts capable of hosting world and continental competitions on Nigerian soil."
