Netball
Netball gospel according to CSED is preached in Taraba State
The attempt to make netball popular in Nigerian has seen the crusaders, Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) taking the sport to Jalingo in Taraba State.
At the weekend, the indoor sports hall of the Jolly Nyame Stadium Jalingo in taraba State was a beehive of activity, as the “PROJECT 2027” netball train made an imposing stop.
The event which was jointly organized with theTaraba Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Taraba State Ministry of Education, was powered by CSED.
The CSED Initiative is a leading sport for change NGO in Nigeria.
“PROJECT 2027” is a grassroots netball development programme that aims at promoting the right of Nigerian girls to play the game of netball in Nigeria.
Netball could have died “unnaturally in Nigeria,” if not for the small efforts of CSED Initiative and the Naija Netball Stakeholders who have strongly resisted the non-challant attitude of the NOC and some top civil servants in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports in developing netball in Nigeria.
“PROJECT 2027” ultimate goal is to bring the game of netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school girls before the end of 2027, by training 1,200 Physical Education teachers in schools all over Nigeria.
These trained teachers will be expected to impart the knowledge gained from attending the free netball training into their students.
The two-day basic netball training for P.E. Teachers in Taraba State led to the certification of 34 (thirty-four) new netball coaches. The training was conducted by two Netball Africa certified instructors, Dr Grace Ataha and Godwin Edema Fuludu.
The two instructors made use of the training pack that was developed by the current World Netball Ambassador, Mary Waya, who is the former coach of Tanzania and Malawi national netball teams.
They stressed the importance of the P.E. teachers ensuring they promote the safety and welfare of their students by ensuring that they implement the safeguarding advice that they have received during the netball training.
Furthermore, the teachers will be provided with access to develop themselves by doing online safeguarding training and other online sports for change training that would be made available to them in future.
As part of the netball training curriculum, the new coaches were trained in the theory and practical aspects of netball, which is the only sport in the world that is specifically designed for girls and women.
The attendees at this free training course were intrigued by the unique rules of the game of netball.
These rules require players to stay in specific parts of the netball court that is divided into three parts. The position of a player in this team sport (netball) determines the area of the court that they can operate in.
Netball has seven different positions and the players have to pass and move the ball from one end of the court to the other end, and they can only score a point when their goal scorer (GS) successfully shoots the ball into their opponent rim that has an internal diameter of 38cm or 380mm.
The two netball rims are placed on vertical poles that is 10 feet tall (for adult players). However, the poles could be adjusted to 9 feet for U-12 players and 8 feet for U-9 players.
Netball is played in four intervals of 15 minutes each. The Netball World Cup will be held from 28th July to 6th August 2023 in Cape Town (South Africa).
During his welcome address to the participants at the opening ceremony of the training event, the Director of Sports, George Shitta urged the participants to carefully listen to the teachings of the instructors, who have held similar basic netball training events in five other states (Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Bayelsa) in Nigeria.
He thanked CSED for coming to Taraba State again, just after less than a month of holding a grassroots badminton training event in Taraba State. Given the important role sports play in unifying Nigerians, Shitta urged private organizations and individuals to complement government efforts by investing more in grassroots sports development with a view of engaging the youths in pro-social activities that would be beneficial to them and the society in future.
He stated that the sport council will consolidate on the gains of the training through proper monitoring in order to ensure the effective utilization of the free starter packs (netball balls, finger-held whistles, rims/nets and two sets of netball training bibs) that were distributed to the P.E. teachers of the schools and staff of the Sport Council.
A member of staff of the Taraba State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Abba Joseph Giwa who is a nurse, spoke to the participants about sport injuries and how athletes could avoid and manage these types of injuries in future.
Giwa was also on standby to provide basic first aid treatment to the participants that sustained any minor sprain during the fun filled practical aspect of the training.
Some of the participants commended the event organizers and assured that the knowledge gained will be instilled into their students.
One of the P.E. teachers, Aleng Sam travelled by road from the Mambilla Plateau area to Jalingo, a journey of more than seven hours in order to attend this netball training.
The Mambilla Plateau is the highest plateau in Nigeria, and has an average elevation of 1,600 metres above sea level.
The Bayelsa State Netball Association, with financial backing from the Bayelsa State Government, has organised a two-day basic netball seminar for secondary school Physical Education teachers in Ogbia Local Government Area.
The capacity-building programme, packaged by the Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, was hosted at the sports gym of the Federal University Otuoke.
A total of 26 teachers were trained as new netball coaches, receiving both theoretical and practical lessons in the sport.
Led by Netball Africa-certified coaches Edema Fuludu and Onome Edema, and supported by coaches Catherine Sasuode, Ruth Opuene and Opusam Ekinisam Ete, participants were taught court marking, warm-up routines, game positions and responsibilities, as well as safeguarding in sports.
The training ended with a practice match involving the newly trained coaches.
Despite heavy rain on the second day, the coaches remained committed to completing their practical sessions.
Each participant also received free netball starter packs — balls, rims, whistles, training bibs — along with anti-drug abuse brochures.
Speaking at the close of the seminar, Fuludu urged the coaches to transfer their knowledge to students in their respective schools, adding that inspection teams from the Association would monitor progress and that inter-school competitions would be staged before the end of the academic year.
Some of the coaches described netball as an exciting sport that builds agility and is enjoyable to both play and watch.
Coordinator of the Bayelsa Netball Association, Catherine Sasuode, thanked Governor Douye Diri for supporting the initiative and called for sustained funding to expand grassroots netball development across the state.
Last year, Bayelsa made headlines when 21 female secondary school students completed the “Sporting Coders” programme, which combined netball training with coding skills.
The state government said its support for this latest initiative is aimed at empowering the girl-child through sports and education while promoting inclusivity, as boys are also beginning to take up the game.
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Over 40 schoolgirls in Jalingo have benefited from a 10-day empowerment programme that combined sports training with vital life-skills education, thanks to a collaboration between the Taraba State Sports Council, MAS Foundation, and the Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative.
The initiative, which focused on introducing girls to netball, also exposed them to health education, personal hygiene, and drug abuse awareness.
Nurse Ediseh Danladi Issa led discussions on hygiene, after which sanitary pads were distributed, while free pamphlets on the dangers of drug abuse were shared among participants.
Held at the Jolly Nyami Stadium, the training engaged primary and secondary school students drawn from GDSS Nyamusala, Howai GDSS Jalingo, and Magami GDSS Jalingo.
Coaches Freeman Njeta Godwin and Falin Dauda, supported by three other trainers, taught the basics of netball under the auspices of the Taraba State Netball Association.
On the final day, MAS Foundation representative, Mrs. Lydia Shitta, presented certificates of attendance and urged the girls to pursue academic excellence alongside sporting development.
To further boost netball’s growth, CSED Initiative donated 10 rims and 20 balls to five new schools joining the state’s netball programme.
The Taraba Sports Council reaffirmed its readiness to partner with NGOs and corporate organisations in creating more opportunities that will keep young people positively engaged through sports and life-skill initiatives.
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In a bid to enhance the educational and sporting development of students at Saint Maria Goretti Girls Grammar School (SMGGGS) in Benin City, the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation has secured approval from the Edo State Government, through the Ministry of Education, to construct an outdoor netball court within the school premises.
The approval that was conveyed via an official correspondence from the Edo State Ministry of Education, reflects the government’s recognition of the Ibhawoh Foundation as a reputable and impactful NGO.
The Ministry commended the Foundation’s proven commitment to educational advancement and community empowerment, especially among young people.
Founded by the Catholic Church in 1959, SMGGGS is located in the Upper Sakponba area of Benin City. The school has a rich legacy of academic and sporting excellence, particularly in hockey.
This legacy informed the state government’s recent to upgrade the school’s hockey field to an astroturf pitch, which was utilized during the 2021 National Sports Festival hosted in Benin City.
Commenting on the initiative, Gerard Ibhawoh, Chair of the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation, explained that the decision to build a netball court is driven by the Foundation’s commitment to youth development through sport and community engagement.
He noted that this effort will complement the ongoing contributions of the school’s alumni association.
In recent years, the SMGGGS Old Girls Association has spearheaded a few transformative projects, including the establishment of a Cisco Academy and an NCC IT Centre, the donation of 40 sewing machines and vocational equipment, and the refurbishment of a staff residential building.
“Saint Maria Goretti Girls Grammar School holds a special place in our family’s history,” Mr. Ibhawoh stated. “Our mother taught at the school for over two decades, and two of my sisters are proud alumnae. In honour of our mother’s legacy, we are committed to delivering a netball facility of a high standard in a timely and efficient manner.”
The choice of building a netball court is deeply personal and symbolic. Netball was a favourite sport of the Foundation’s matriarch, who was one of Nigeria’s earliest netball coaches and led her school’s netball team in Ekpoma as far back as 1968. Netball remains a sport uniquely designed to engage and empower the girl-child, making it an ideal tool for promoting gender equity and holistic development. Our Foundation envisions this intervention as a catalyst for revitalizing sports engagement in the Upper Sakponba area, a community teeming with energetic and talented youth.”
The Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation was established in 2014 in memory of the late Francis Ehidiamen Ibhawoh by his family and close associates. The Foundation honours the enduring legacy of both Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh—dedicated educators and public servants—by supporting initiatives in education, youth empowerment, and community development.
Since its formal establishment in 2015, the Foundation has made notable contributions in the areas of sports and healthcare, often in partnership with the Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative. Its flagship initiative, the annual Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Essay Competition for Undergraduates, addresses pressing societal issues and encourages solution-driven thinking among Nigerian youths.
To date, the Foundation has directly impacted over 300 students through scholarships and grants, enabling them to pursue higher education and achieve their academic goals. Additionally, it has supported 182 individuals through mentorship programs, skills training, international exchange programs, and professional development opportunities. Notably, in collaboration with Empowerment Square (Canada), the Foundation awards an annual $1,000 Mentorship Fellowship Grant to support the aspirations of young professionals and students while promoting international collaboration and innovation.
Through its sustained focus on education, empowerment, and sustainable development, the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation continues to leave a meaningful and lasting impact on communities across Nigeria and beyond.
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