Nigeria presents new Cricket strategy to ICC

By Akanimo Kufre

The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) convened a two-day strategy meeting in Lagos to redefine and reposition cricket in Nigeria.

The NCF’s focus on the 7th and 8th of November was a policy review strategy for the overall growth and development of the sport in Nigeria.

Two resource persons from South Africa, Prof. Jacques Faul, Chief Executive Officer of Titans Cricket Club, South Africa and ICC, and Cricket South Africa Brand Marketing and Commercial Consultant Mr. Eddy Fwamba delivered the strategy seminar.

The participants for the seminar were strategically selected, comprising NCF Board Members, Senior Management Staff, and stakeholders from various regions across the country. The two-day interactive session afforded the NCF the opportunity to realign its vision with the new set goals and objectives.

The President of the Federation, Dr. Uyi Akpata, opened proceedings on day one with ‘our journey so far’ as a Federation, highlighting the gains in grassroots development, high performance, administration, and strategic partnerships. The President also shed light on the challenges faced in achieving some of the set targets of the NCF, while reiterating the essence of the ‘Strategic Meeting.’

The Regional Development Manager, ICC Africa, Mr. Justine Lyngialigi, spoke on the need for the NCF’s renewed strategy to align with the ICC. He further presented the scorecard to show the current reality in areas where they had done well and areas they could improve to maximize the opportunities offered by the ICC.

Prof. Jacques Faul engaged the participants on the topic ‘Resetting for the Future.’ New ideas and strategies were broken down carefully to present a clearer picture of ‘Where we are as a Federation,’ ‘Where we need to be,’ and ‘How do we get there in the near future.’ This led to a breakout session into groups by the participants, with a focus on ‘High Performance and Development,’ wrapping up day one proceedings with each group making presentations.

Day two resumed with a focus on commercials. Eddy Fwamba delivered a lucid presentation on ‘Enhancing our brand as a Federation,’ ‘Targeting partners to fund the game,’ and ‘Increasing our fan base as a sport.’ Eddy wrapped up with ideas and strategies for sustainable finance.

\\The sports branding guru told our reporter that ‘the NCF Board is looking for the right thing for Nigeria – building the cricket brand and fan base,’ while Jacques explained what success should look like for the Nigeria Cricket Federation.

The NCF President, Uyi Akpata, announced the appointment of Committee Heads under the Board of the Nigeria Cricket Federation that will drive the new policy and strategies for the next four years.