NSC Inaugurates Nigeria Netball Federation Board, Granting Sport Official Recognition

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has officially inaugurated the board of the Nigeria Netball Federation (NNF), finally providing the sport with its long-overdue structural foundation and legitimacy in Nigeria.

Inaugurating the board on Tuesday in Abuja, the Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, stated that netball has the potential to offer Nigerian children a pathway to achieve their dreams and win medals for Nigeria on the global stage.

The Chairman, who described the Netball board as the most corporately aligned sports federation in Nigeria, urged the new board to develop the sport from the grassroots upwards.

“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 on the global stage in the not-too-distant future.”

“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, described the NNF board’s inauguration as historic, reiterating netball’s potential to become one of Nigeria’s guaranteed podium sports.

“These are exciting times for Nigerian sports, and all of this is 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.”

“I must also emphasise that aside from the top quality of people on the board, my biggest excitement is the level of inclusivity that we are seeing on the board. A large number of those on the board are women, and it is very gratifying to see.”

The President of the newly inaugurated Nigeria Netball Federation (NNF), Dr Esther Oluwatoyin Aluko, expressed gratitude to the leadership of the NSC for restoring the hopes of a sport whose prospects had been lost for decades.

She revealed that the board has strategically put mechanisms in place to ensure Nigeria builds a strong domestic netball framework that will enable Nigeria to participate in 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, by 2029, we would have delivered a fully commissioned National Netball Complex and four internationally compliant courts capable of hosting world and continental competitions on Nigerian soil.”