Other Sports
Front line NGO in Edo, CSED donates netball equipment to government
Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) has donated netball equipment to the Edo State Government through the Edo State Sports Commission.
The Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Mrs Sabina Chikere recieved the equipment on behalf of the government.
Also present at the event was the Director of facilities Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Victor Edokpayi and some members of the Sports Commission.
This donation was made in preparation for the NGO’s formal launching of “Project 2027” in Edo State.
The goal of PROJEC 2027” is to bring netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school girls before the end of 2027. This the NGO believe will be achieved through the training of 1200 P.E. teachers who will then impart the knowledge gained into their students. The trained P.E. Teachers will be provided with free netball starter pack (netball balls, rims/nets, finger-held whistles and training bibs).
Presenting the netball equipment on behalf of CSED Trustees, the National Coordinator of CSED, former Super Eagles’ player, Edema Fuludu said that the founder of CSED Initiative, Cornelius Ehimiaghe is keen to make Edo State the hub of netball development in Nigeria.
“Netball is a girl-child/women exclusive sport and it can be used to empower the girl child, promote their health, improve their level of literacy and the general well-being of our youths.
“Especially the girls. Netball is played by more than twenty million people all over the world, Netball is a usual feature in the Commonwealth Games and the organizers of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane (Australia) is currently exploring with the IOC; the possibility of including netball as one of the events of the 2032 Olympic Games.”
CSED Initiative is of the view that we cannot talk about gender balancing in the sport ecosystem in Nigeria, when netball has been neglected and is almost unheard of in the sporting calendar at both the grassroots and national level. “In the 1960s and 70s, netball was played in girls’ secondary school and Teachers Training Colleges all over Nigeria.
At that point in time, female football was a novelty event, while netball was vying for superiority with athletics and handball. Among female students in Nigeria, netball was more widely played than basketball in Nigeria in the 1960s and 70s.”
It is interesting to note that since March 2015, when a representative of CSED Initiative held a formal meeting with staff of the International Netball Federation (INF) in their headquarters in Manchester, CSED Initiative effort at reviving the game of netball in Nigeria has been deliberately blocked by some sports administrators in Abuja who will not do anything to promote the game, but will want to use netball to maintain their post-retirement relevance in the sport ecosystem in Nigeria.
In spite of these hindrance, CSED Initiative has not relented in their effort to promote the right of Nigerian girls to play netball. “Before the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, we trained 24 Netball Africa coaches, we built a netball court at IDPs Camp Uhogua (Edo State) and “PROJECT 2027” is going to be the biggest grassroots sport mobilization programme in the Nigeria sport ecosystem.
In this regard, we will be collaborating with all progress conscious individuals, NGOs, Foundations, corporate organizations, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth and Sport, NYSC, Sports Commissions, local government authorities, sports Department of tertiary institutions and the media to promote the right of the Nigerian girl to play netball.
Some of the netball equipment that was donated to the Edo State Government include: sixty (60) netball rims/net, sixty (60) complete sets of green and purple training bibs, one hundred and twenty (120) netball balls and one hundred and twenty (120) finger-held whistles.
The donated equipment will be used in the training of 30 P.E. Teachers. Within the next one year, CSED Initiative intends to train 100 P.E. Teachers in Edo State.
This basic training programmes will be held in the three senatorial areas of Edo State and the two days training manual which Mary Waya (current INF Ambassador and coaches’ trainer) has specifically developed for “PROJECT 2027” will be used in the training of the P.E. Teachers.
The safeguarding of athletes and students will also be imbedded in the training of netball P.E. Teachers.
In her reaction, Mrs Sabina Chikere said she on behalf of the Sports Commission’s chairman, Yusuf Ali who was unavoidably absent received the donated items with joy and promised to follow government’s cardinal initiative of making Edo State Nigeria’s leading sports destination.
She stated that the Edo State government will be happy to partner with CSED to promote the development of grassroots netball and promised to support the implementation of “PROJECT 2027” in Edo State.
The stage is set for the 3rd National Para Games, Nigeria’s largest and most prestigious para sports event, scheduled to hold from March 26 to April 3, 2026, in Abuja.
For nine days, the nation’s capital will host more than 3,000 athletes representing all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, competing across 15 different sports in what promises to be a vibrant celebration of resilience, excellence and inclusion. Organisers say champions will emerge, records will tumble, and new chapters will be written in Nigeria’s para sports history.
The Games are being organised by the National Sports Commission, which describes the event as a critical platform for talent discovery, national unity and the advancement of para sports development across the country.
Since its inception, the National Para Games has evolved into a cornerstone of Nigeria’s sporting calendar, spotlighting the remarkable abilities of athletes living with disabilities while reinforcing the country’s commitment to inclusive participation in sports.
Officials say the 2026 edition will surpass previous outings in scale, organisation and competitive intensity. With participation confirmed from every state of the federation and the FCT, the Games are expected to reveal the depth of talent spread nationwide and provide a pathway for standout performers to progress to continental and global competitions.
In a significant boost to preparations, the National Youth Service Corps has partnered with the Commission by releasing its Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, to serve as the official Games Village. The facility will accommodate athletes and officials throughout the competition, offering a secure and community-focused environment designed to foster camaraderie and peak performance.
The collaboration reflects a broader inter-agency commitment to empowering young Nigerians and promoting social integration through sport. It also underscores growing national recognition of para athletes as integral contributors to Nigeria’s sporting success.
With anticipation building and logistics nearing completion, Abuja is poised to welcome thousands of competitors and supporters for what promises to be a defining celebration of courage, competition and collective pride.
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By Keresifon Essien
Akwa Ibom State will parade a strong contingent of about 280 athletes and 44 officials at the 2026 Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), scheduled to hold in Benin City, Edo State, from February 20 to 28.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the Curator of Keresy Sports Museum (KSM), Keresifon Essien, noting that Team Akwa Ibom will compete in 16 sporting events at the regional multi-sports fiesta.
According to Bassey, the sports in which the state will feature include football, basketball, volleyball, handball, table tennis, badminton, lawn tennis, boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, swimming and chess.
To ensure optimal preparation, the state government has constituted a five-man State Liaison Committee to oversee arrangements for the festival. The committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey.
Other members of the committee are Coach Catherine Ewa Ekuta, Head of Technical; Guinness World Record holder George Essien; Edidiong Stephen, a member; and Mfon Bassey, who serves as Secretary.
Bassey explained that the committee has been mandated to fine-tune all preparations for the festival, beginning with the state trials scheduled for this weekend, and to ensure that the contingent arrives in Benin City fully prepared and ready to project Akwa Ibom State positively at the Niger Delta Sports Festival.
He expressed confidence that with proper planning and early preparations, Team Akwa Ibom will make a strong impression when the festival proper begins.
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Team Nigeria on Monday afternoon departed the country for Cairo, Egypt, where they will compete in the 2025 World Karate Championship scheduled for November 27–30.
The nation will be represented by five outstanding athletes who have demonstrated exceptional discipline, consistency, and competitive grit in their buildup to the global event. The team is made up of:
- Loveth Ngozi Okoro – Kumite -50kg
- Godfirst Orie Ukoha-Sampson – Kumite -55kg
- Constance Tamunodiepreye Abode – Kumite -61kg
- Ujunwa Caroline Nwankwo – Kumite +68kg
- Oluwaseun Olorunbe – Male Kata
The athletes, who have undergone intense preparations, will be led by coach Efezino Akpotu, while Olusegun Abode serves as the leader of delegation.
Four members of the squad—Ngozi, Godfirst, Constance, and Ujunwa—are already well-known names on the domestic circuit. They are regular contenders at the Zainab Saleh International Female Open Karate Championship, an annual tournament founded by Hajiya Zainab Saleh, a Board Member of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN). The championship has been widely recognised for empowering and developing female karatekas across the country.
Ahead of the team’s participation, the Board of the KFN expressed confidence in the athletes’ ability to deliver strong performances on the world stage.
However, it also appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) for urgent financial support to offset debts incurred in ensuring Nigeria’s participation in the championship.
According to the federation, the World Karate Championship falls under the mandate of the NSC, and timely intervention is necessary to stabilise the federation’s operations after securing the team’s trip to Cairo.
Team Nigeria will now focus on making a strong impact as they join the world’s best karatekas in Egypt later this week.
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