NSC, NOC Laud BFN Retreat On Badminton Development Strategy

The National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) have praised the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) for organising a two-day strategic retreat aimed at repositioning the sport for sustainable growth and international success.

The retreat, held in Abuja from May 13 to 14, brought together major stakeholders in the sports sector, including NOC President Habu Gumel, NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, and BFN President Francis Orbih.

Discussions focused on grassroots development, elite athlete pathways, technical advancement, gender inclusion, sports business opportunities and athlete welfare.

Speaking during the retreat, Dikko said the initiative aligned with the NSC’s Renewed Hope Initiative Framework, which encourages sports federations to establish sustainable and measurable development plans.

According to him, modern sports administration must extend beyond medal pursuits to include economic growth, youth empowerment and institutional development.

“You cannot isolate grassroots development from elite performance, technical growth or sports business. Everything must grow together if sports is to become a major contributor to the economy,” Dikko stated.

Gumel also commended the federation’s leadership for the steady progress recorded in Nigerian badminton over the years.

He stressed the importance of continuity, strategic planning and strong institutional structures in sustaining development across sports federations.

“Badminton is doing very well both locally and internationally, and the federation has continued to position the sport positively,” Gumel said.

Earlier, Orbih explained that the retreat was organised to align stakeholders behind a unified vision for badminton development over the next four years and beyond.

He noted that the federation intends to focus on player development, technical education, financial sustainability and increased female participation.

“Our objective is to create a system that consistently produces podium performances while also developing coaches, umpires, administrators and technical officials,” Orbih stated.

BFN Technical Director, Tunde Kazeem, added that the federation plans to strengthen grassroots badminton through age-grade competitions, school programmes and nationwide talent identification initiatives.

He disclosed that the federation was also expanding efforts to improve female participation and develop player databases, coaching structures and officiating standards nationwide.

The retreat is expected to produce a comprehensive development framework that will guide the federation’s programmes, competition calendar and international performance targets.