57 years after their mother was in charge of the netball team of RMC School Uhiele (Ekpoma), the trustees of Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation recently organised a two-day basic netball training programme for Physical and Education teachers in Esanland.

The training held on 13 and 14 May 2025 was organised in collaboration with Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative at the premises of Ujoelen Grammar School Ekpoma.

The netball training is part of the “Project 2027” sport for change events that hopes to bring netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school children.

Physical and Education teachers from different parts of the five local government areas that make up Esanland attended the event. They were joined by two UNIBEN students who are residents of the IDPs Camp Uhogua. As well as a teacher from Holy Trinity Grammar School, Sabongida Ora (Owan-West local government area). In total, 26 teachers were certified by coaches Edema Fuludu and Edward Fuludu, who are Netball Africa certified coaches. The two trainers made use of the training manual that was developed by Mary Waya (instructor and World Netball Ambassador) in teaching the new coaches the theoretical and practical aspects of the game.

The new coaches were taught the seven positions in netball, the roles that are attached to these seven positions, the restriction of players to certain parts of the netball court and why the netball court is divided into three equal parts. Participants were also drilled on light stretches, warm-ups before starting a game and warm-down at the end of a game. They were further taught how to mark the netball court. More importantly, they were taught the practical aspect of netball, which was displayed in a live game between two sets of coaches.

The safeguarding of students and athletes was an aspect of the training which the new coaches found to be very interesting and interactive. As they were taught that they have a duty of care to ensure that the classroom and the playground should be a safe space that should be devoid of any form of abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, and financial).

At the end of the training, participants were issued with certificates of attendance and provided with netball starter packs. The free netball starter packs consist of two netball rims, two netball balls, a pack of finger-held whistle, and two sets of netball training bibs. The equipment will be used by the teachers to introduce netball to their students in their various schools. As a mark of respect of the nutritional tradition of Esanland, the training organisers ensured that the menu on the last training day was “pounded yam and ogbono soup.” During an interview with our reporter, he President of Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation stated that they will explore other possibilities of using sports and education to build the human capacity of the people of Esanland.

Free netball training events have been held in Edo south and central senatorial districts. Edo north is currently the only part of Edo state that is yet to hold a netball training event. It is hoped that prominent daughters, sons and residents of Edo north will collaborate with the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation and CSED Initiative to hold netball training in one of the major towns (Auchi, Afuze, Igarra, or Iyamho). As the game of netball is a useful tool that can be used in empowering the girl-child in Edo state.

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By Amaechi Agbo

At least four of the twenty-one secondary school students who participated in the 12 week long Sporting Coders pilot programme are now currently studying in the university.
Organisers of the competition, the Community Sports and Educational Development Initiative (CSED) disclosed this in a press statement on Sunday adding that 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 designed and powered by CSED Initiative, was implemented by Funsho Ekundayo and Victoria Allison Ayebaifie (netball coaches) and Humphrey Okonkwo Nnaemeka (IT teacher) and was managed by Catherine Sasuode. The financial investment on IT infrastructure by the proprietor of the school, Mrs Victoria Ebimenere Mologe was the foundation for the success of the Sporting Coders pilot programme.

The names of the beneficiaries of the Sporting Coders programme who are now undergraduate students are: Victory Woyengipreye Gesiye. (Medicine at Afe Babalola university) 2024/2025; Wisdom Alaere Nathan. (Political science at Niger delta university) 2024/2025; Chloe Woyengidoubara Gesiye. (Pharmacy at Afe Babalola University) 2024/2025 and Victory Peremoboerei Wenibowei. (Micro biology at River State University) 2025.

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 recall that during the period of the Sporting Coders programme the 21 students were on two separate occasions given ten thousand Naira educational voucher, as well as free lunch during the twelve Saturdays that they attended the programme. Furthermore, CSED Initiative has fulfilled their promise of giving fifty thousand naira each to any of the pioneering cohort 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 future plans of taking the Sporting Coders training to other parts of Nigeria, the trustee of CSED Initiative stated: “It is 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 authoritatively that through our partnership with the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation the Sporting Coders programme is going to hold before the end of this year in St. Maria Goretti Girls Grammar School in Benin City. 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 sport committees of the Cameroonian refugees, representative of the host community and the UNHCR Ogoja. As this is the only way we can ensure that everybody is carried along in order to achieve successful outcomes for the programme beneficiaries in future.”

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