Nigeria netball steps up technical work before Intermediate Games

The Nigeria Netball Federation has intensified its coaching and umpiring programme ahead of the Intermediate Games, with President Dr Oluwatoyin Aluko placing technical development at the centre of the sport’s revival. The federation is running zonal clinics to improve the preparation of coaches and the quality of officiating across the country.

Clinics have already been completed in the South-South and South-East zones. The next phase will be held in the South-West from August 24 to 30, 2026, at the Alake Sports Complex in Abeokuta, before the programme moves to the Northern Zone from August 31 to September 5.

The South-West event is being organised by Southwest Netball Stakeholders with the National Sports Commission’s Southwest Zonal Office. It will combine coaching and umpiring courses with an Under-20 women’s competition, allowing technical officials to develop while young players compete for exposure and recognition.

The coaching sessions will focus on improving participants’ knowledge and their ability to develop athletes. The umpiring course will address the laws of netball, decision-making confidence and the competence required to manage matches. The Under-20 competition is also intended to help identify and develop talent from teams across the zone.

The Northern Zone clinic will take place at the Indoor Sports Hall at MKO Abiola Stadium, Package B, Abuja, starting daily at 9am. Registration is set at ₦25,000 for the northern programme, while the South-West course costs ₦20,000 and includes training materials and certification.

Aluko’s position is that a sustainable improvement in Nigerian netball requires more than developing players. The federation wants athletes coming through its programmes to have access to properly prepared coaches and officials who can apply the rules consistently. Taking the clinics from zone to zone is also designed to widen access to technical training instead of concentrating it in one location. The South-West and Northern activities will therefore extend a campaign already under way in the southern regions as Nigeria prepares for the Intermediate Games.