Akpata unveils bold four pillar plan to transform Nigerian cricket

Nigeria Cricket Federation president Dr Uyi Akpata says the federation is implementing a long term plan built on grassroots development, better facilities, high performance and strong partnerships to transform Nigerian cricket.

He explained that after the current board was re elected in October 2025, more than 30 stakeholders, including 13 board members, met in Lagos for a two day strategy retreat to redefine what cricket should mean for Nigeria.

Akpata said the goal is to use cricket as a platform for impact by raising players’ aspirations, giving children exciting opportunities and offering sponsors a credible product to support.

On grassroots development, he recalled that when he assumed office, the NCF had only about seven development officers nationwide, but now employs around 45 field officers, one in each state, who are assessed every three months on progress in schools and communities.

The target, he said, is to reach 250,000 young players every year, a figure that once drew scepticism but is now being backed by concrete examples such as Kaduna sending girls to the PwC Under 17 Championship and top schools like St Gregory’s and Government College Ibadan adopting cricket.

Akpata noted that the second pillar, facilities, has moved from promises to real projects, with Nigeria now able to host international events in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and parts of Edo, while new venues are being developed in Kaduna and pursued in Enugu.

He highlighted the indoor high performance facility at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, equipped with training nets and cameras and capable of operating around the clock, adding that similar centres are planned for Abuja and all six geopolitical zones.

On high performance, Akpata said Nigeria’s men’s team is ranked 36th in the world and the women 26th, and that the federation is using those rankings as a baseline to build on rather than as a final achievement.

He described the departure of men’s head coach Steve Tikolo to Uganda as a succession test, noting that about 45 coaches from Australia, England, South Africa and Zimbabwe have applied to replace him and that only candidates with proven national or first class coaching experience and top level playing backgrounds will be considered.

Akpata stressed that the NCF will not chase quick wins by fast tracking diaspora players who have little connection to the domestic system, insisting instead on developing homegrown talents such as Lucky Piety, whom he described as technically the best female player in Africa outside South Africa.

He pointed out that age grade teams, including the Under 17 side that finished sixth at the World Cup in Malaysia, are built from players whose ages and backgrounds the NCF can verify because they came through its own pathway programmes.

Akpata said every participant at the recent NCF PwC Under 17 championship in Abuja was entered into a database so talent can be tracked, and revealed that players who tried to falsify their details were identified and disqualified.

He also announced plans for a Nigerian Super League, a new city based T20 competition launching in May with six teams, each allowed up to three foreign players, and matches scheduled at TBS and the University of Lagos over three weeks.

Akpata said the league is designed as part of the high performance system, giving local players regular competitive action against stronger opposition from countries such as Zimbabwe and Ghana and helping to raise standards.

On the commercial side, he said the NCF is moving beyond reliance on ICC grants and donations by building a stronger brand for sponsors, citing a recent African Invitational Tournament that generated about two million online views and attracted interest from potential partners.

He noted that cricket tournaments cost far less to stage than major football events, yet still offer wide reach, making them attractive for corporate backing.

Akpata praised new partnerships such as Sterling Bank’s sponsorship of the CCC League, describing it as the most active domestic cricket competition in West Africa and important for keeping players in competitive shape year round.

He emphasised that none of the four pillars can work without solid governance, explaining that the NCF operates through eight functional subcommittees covering finance, events, development, high performance and other areas, each with clear responsibilities and accountability.

Players’ representative Endurance Ofem and finance committee chair Femi John said the structure ensures that work is shared, with states and schools playing key roles in feeding talent into the system while the federation supports with field officers and tournament pathways.

Akpata concluded that the NCF is determined not to build a personality driven organisation, but a structured system that will keep Nigerian cricket growing long after the current leadership has left office.