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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A leading sports-inclined non-governmental organisation, the Community Sports and Educational Development popularly called the CSED Initiative has reported that four of the 21 secondary school students who participated in its 12-week-long sporting coders pilot programme are currently studying in the university.

The Sporting Coders programme involved the netballers of Tare Pet Montessori Group of Schools in Yenagoa (Bayelsa State) combining netball training with learning how to code.

The pilot project which was designed and powered by the CSED Initiative was implemented by Funsho Ekundayo and Victoria Allison Ayebaifie (netball coaches) and Humphrey Okonkwo Nnaemeka (IT teacher) and was case-managed by Catherine Sasuode.

 The financial investment on IT infrastructure by the proprietor of the school, Victoria Ebimenere Mologe was the foundation for the success of the Sporting Coders pilot programme.

The Sporting Coders programme who are now undergraduate students include Victory Woyengipreye Gesiye studying Medicine at Afe Babalola University); Wisdom Alaere Nathan reading Political Science at Niger Delta University; Chloe Woyengidoubara Gesiye who is studying Pharmacy at Afe Babalola University and  Victory Peremoboerei Wenibowei reading  Micro biology at Rivers State University.

The Sporting Coders programme was specifically designed to give the girl child access to learn new skills, while at the same time enjoying taking part in sports in a safe and nurturing space. It was also designed to address the under-representation of girls in STEM courses.

The pilot project used the medium of netball a once almost extinct sport in Nigeria, as a platform for advocating for and empowering the girl-child.

It would be recalled that during the period of the Sporting Coders programme, the 21 students were on two separate occasions given ten thousand Naira educational vouchers, as well as free lunch during the 12 Saturdays that they attended the programme.

Furthermore, the CSED Initiative fulfilled its promise of giving fifty thousand naira each to any of the pioneering cohorts that gain admission into a tertiary institution.

At the moment, seven members of the netball team of Tare Pet School are currently in their final year and CSED Initiative is expected to deliver their promise to these students in future.

Speaking with our reporter, a trustee of CSED Initiative stated: “We will try to deliver our promise to the netballers. We do not have to beg, steal or borrow to do so. All we have to do is to reduce the quantity and quality of eba and soup we usually eat.

“The management of Tare Pet School, their parents, members of the Naija Netball Stakeholders and the sports for change activists in Nigeria are proud of these pioneering students. As they have proved that they are not just champions on the netball court, they are also academic and community ambassadors of the game of netball, which is currently taking baby steps in Nigeria.”

Regarding plans of taking the Sporting Coders training to other parts of Nigeria, the trustee of CSED Initiative stated: “It is a gradual process because it is cash intensive it involves a lot of factors (access to electricity, availability of IT teachers and access to computer desktops/laptops) that are outside our control.”

“However, we can disclose that through our partnership with the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation, the Sporting Coders programme is going to be held before the end of this year in St. Maria Goretti Girls Grammar School in Benin City.

The UNN Secondary School Nsukka is also in pole position for the Sporting Coders programme.

As part of our responsibility to take sporting and educational opportunities to at-risk and vulnerable communities, we are likely to take the Sporting Coders training to IDPs Uhogua (Benin City) and the Cameroonian refugees’ community and their host community in Ogoja (Cross River State).

But for netballers in the last two locations. we would need to reach a working agreement with the management of IDPs Uhogua, as well as with SEMA, the sports committees of the Cameroonian refugees, representatives of the host community and the UNHCR Ogoja.

As this is the only way we can ensure that everybody is carried along to achieve successful outcomes for the programme beneficiaries in future.”

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One of Nigeria’s leading sports for change NGO, CSED Community Sport and Educational Development Initiative, commonly called CSED, has held a two-day seminar on netball for Physical Education teachers in Port Harcourt.

The training was held in collaboration with the Air Force Secondary School Air Force Base Rumuomasi, Port-Harcourt, and was held at the school premises. 

This training is part of “Project 2027,” which is the CSED Initiative quest to provide Nigerian school children and youths access to learn and play the game of netball in a safe space.

Netball is the only sport in the world that is specifically designed for girls and women.

CSED Initiative sees the game of netball as an important tool that could be used to promote the general health and well-being of the girl child, as well as empower them to blend sport with their academic pursuit.

However, in line with Netball World’s goal of promoting the inclusivity of the game, two secondary schools in Nigeria, Tare Pet School Yenagoa and C.S.C.S. Itam currently have boys’ netball teams, alongside their female netball team.

Thirty-five participants from various secondary schools, including the Nigeria Navy secondary, the Army Day Secondary School, private and public secondary schools, in the city, as well as two Cameroonian refugees who represented the Cameroonian community that is based in Adagom 3, Camp in Ogoja local government area. The training was facilitated by coaches Edema Fuludu, Funsho Ekundayo and Onome Fuludu.

These coaches were supported by Deborah Bakari (a University of Benin Student) who has been playing netball in the past four years in Uhoghua (Benin City).

Some volunteers like Gold Dappa-Wogu also benefited from this free netball training that uses a training manual that was developed by Ambassador Mary Waya (a Netball Africa certified instructor).

The trained netball coaches were provided with free T-shirts that were donated by Lord’s Taverners (a UK based charity).

The newly trained coaches were first taught the importance of safeguarding and safety in the sports environment, which was covered by Coach Onome Fuludu, a graduate of Guidance and Counselling, who is also a qualified safeguarding practitioner.

His presentation focused on the importance of sporting and educational authorities ensuring that students and athletes are supported to take part in sports in a safe environment.

The new netball coaches were also provided with additional access to free online safeguarding training. 

This was followed by the basics of the game, netball rules, applications of the rules, how to mark a netball court, the different netball positions, as well as the roles that are attached to these positions.

Warming up, passing the ball, throwing the ball, the restriction of the movement of players in certain parts of the netball court, practicing how to throw the ball and how to score were also covered.

This was then followed by a practice game between the new coaches who were divided into team blue and team purple. 

The Commandant of the Airforce Secondary School, Port Harcourt, Wing Commander Nasir Adamu, who was instrumental in bringing CSED Initiative to Port Harcourt, stated that he was very pleased to see an NGO that has passion for carrying out developmental and empowerment programmes that are targeted at the girl child.

He urged the participants to take advantage of the training and become reliable coaches in a sport that is being revived in Nigeria.

He also stated that he will visit the schools to monitor progress and use of the freely donated netball starter packs (a pair of netball rims/nets, finger held whistles, two sets of netball training bibs, and netball balls) to the representatives of the participating schools.

CSED National Coordinator, Edema Fuludu used the opportunity to inform participants that the game will soon become a National Sports Festival event and urged them to be serious and as enthusiastic as they have exhibited during the two days of training event.

The new netball coaches take the number of trained netball coaches under “Project 2027” by CSED Initiative to 411.

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