Nigerian Cricket Federation::...

NIGERIA CRICKET FEDERATION PRESIDENT’S REMARKS | (2009-11-03 )

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

The year 2009 has indeed turned out to be a watershed in the history of Nigerian cricket.

Pursuant to the Nigerian senior team’s participation at the World Cricket League (Division 7) in Guernsey last May, Nigeria for the first time ever, is now ranked 39th in the world and 6th in Africa in the One-Day-International (ODI) version of the game.

I believe this is the reward in the past four years of creating pathway structures for cricket in the country.

Such pathway structures include the following items which were integral to the 6-point vision of the last Board of the NCF:

(i)    Re-establishing a sponsored National Secondary Schools tournament

(ii)    Re-establishing a sponsored National Cricket Clubs tournament

(iii)    Establishing qualitative local sponsorships to at least equate ICC funding

(iv)    Improving the standard of play of Nigerian teams at all levels.

(v)    Renewal of the NCF Secretariat into a modern office that will support the thrust of the Federation.

(vi)    Construction of at least a turf wicket before the end of 2009.

Let me commend the last Board of the NCF for ensuring that at least five out of the six points were met during its tenor to a large extent.

We now have the National Secondary Schools tournament sponsored by DUFIL Prima Plc makers of Indomie Noodles which made its debut last season. We have annually featured the National Cricket Club championships; indeed the 4th edition of that tournament held in Kaduna in July, 2009. In 2008, the NCF raised almost N30 Million in terms of local sponsorships for the both the National Secondary Schools tournament and the North-West African Cricket Championships (NWACC). Our Africa ranking of 6th and global ranking of 39th can attest to the improvement in standard of our senior national team. Finally, some measure of renewal was carried out at the secretariat compared to what we inherited in 2006.

The outstanding issue on that 6-point agenda is the construction of at least one turf wicket before the end of 2009.

We now have a new Board that was inaugurated last July and is constituted as follows:

(i)    Mr. Kwesi Sagoe             -    President (International Bodies)
(ii)    Dr. Yahaya Ukwenya        -    1st Vice - President (North-West Zone)
(iii)    Mr. Soki Dakoru            -    2nd Vice - President (South-South Zone)
(iv)    Hon. Bappa Misau            -    Member (Government Nominee)
(v)    Ms. Bimbo Olusola-Sowoolu    -    Member (NAWIS)
(vi)    Mr. Okon Ukpong            -    Member (South-West Zone)
(vii)    Alhaji Saidu El-Buba        -    Member (North-East Zone)
(viii)    Col. A.O. Okoh            -    Member (Armed Forces)
(ix)    Alhaji Alfa Mohammed        -    Member (North-Central)
(x)    Dr. A.O. Okunbor            -    Member (NAPHER-SD)

There is a lot of work still to be done in moving cricket to a new pedestal both in Nigeria and internationally:-

(i)    It is time to professionalize the administration of the NCF office by the appointment of a full time General Manager/Chief Operating Officer who will report to the Board and be in charge of day-to-day administration. Other African Associate members who have done this successfully include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Botswana.

    The General Manager/COO will be complemented by a National Development Manager (NDM) and an Accounts Officer. Whilst obviously the NDM will focus on development and will set up a zonal development structure that will have Development Officers in each of the six geo-political zones reporting to him; the Accounts Officer will be responsible for preparing monthly and quarterly reports to both the Board and the ICC – Africa to ensure that we meet reporting timelines effectively and efficiently.

(i)    We also need to rebrand the NCF into Cricket Nigeria in line with not only global contemporary practice but also to give the body a private sector orientation in carrying out its marketing activities.

We must integrate girls/women’s’ cricket into our programmes on an immediate basis. We already have about 4 states with some women’s’ cricket structure and the necessary first step is to have an annual National Women’s’ tournament as soon as possible.

The journey towards construction of the turf wicket must be completed as we expect the Kenyan curator before the end of the year to start work at the MKO Abiola Cricket Oval in Abeokuta.

Finally, we must ensure that TBS remain the home of cricket in Nigeria.

2009/2010 Event/Tournaments

-    U - 15 NWA Girls tournament in Gambia (tentatively December, 2009)

-    U - 18 NWA Boys’ tournament in Ghana (April 2010)

-    U – 15 NWA Boys’ tournament in Nigeria (December 2010)

-    NWACC 2010 (tentatively April 2010)

-    NCF Umpires Levels 1/2 courses (November/December 2009)

-    Introductory Coaching Courses in Rivers and Delta State (Nov./Dec. 2009)

-    National Secondary Schools championship (Dec. 2009 – April. 2010

-    5th National Cricket Club championship (May/June 2010)

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is therefore in hope for brighter days for Nigerian cricket that I hereby declare the 2009/2010 season open. Let us play hard but let us play fair.

KWESI SAGOE
President, Nigeria Cricket Federation.