Nigeria Netball Federation inauguration marks new era for the sport

This comes after the Sports Commission officially inaugurated the pioneer board of the Nigeria Netball Federation, marking a major step towards the revival and development of netball in Nigeria.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Dikko says he wants the federation to make a meaningful impact at grassroots and school sport level.

“I believe that netball is a sport with great potential to give young people a pathway to pursue their dreams and eventually win medals for our nation. This federation is tasked with growing the sport in Nigeria from the bottom up. We want to see the impact in schools, at grassroots level, and all the way up to our national teams. We want Nigeria to become competitive not only domestically, but also internationally. We want to win medals,” said Dikko.

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The inauguration ceremony was held in Abuja on Tuesday and brought together key stakeholders in the sports sector, with officials emphasising the importance of structured governance in unlocking the sport’s potential.

“We believe this new era will bring good governance and structure to the running of the sport in the country,” added Dikko.

The leadership of the Commission has urged members of the newly elected board to deliver on their mandate by prioritising grassroots development while positioning Nigeria as a competitive force on the global stage. Nigeria Netball Federation president Dr Oluwatoyin Aluko added that the impact of the federation should begin at school level.

“I was emotional because I have been part of netball since primary school. I played the sport many years ago, and netball eventually faded because there was no federation. We are now looking forward to making an impact from schools right up to the national set up,” said Dr Aluko.