By Akanimo Kufre
Following the International Cricket Council, (ICC) Global Award presented to Nigeria after a Successful Female Cricket development in Zamfara State, former Nigeria Cricket Federation NCF President Prof. Adam Yahaya has felicitated with the current NCF President, Mr. Uyi Akpata and Board members.
“I extend my major congratulations to NCF President and Tajudeen Afolabi for this particular achievement in Zamfara State.” The immediate past NCF President, Prof. Adams Yahaya told our reporter. Cricket development in the North Western state of Zamfara had drawn the attention of ICC and earned Nigeria another award- Best Cricket Initiative of the Year 2022.
According to a statement issued by ICC and made available by the Public Relations Office of Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), Mr. Musa Bodie, Nigeria won the award having surmounted rigorous religious and cultural obstacles to sustain cricket activities for over 15,000 participants.
Our reporter’s race to unravel the root of the exciting story brought Mr. Tajudeen Afolabi to the fore as one of the lead actors for the award. He was jubilant and felt fulfilled by the ICC news.
“I was happy to hear about the ICC Award to Nigeria. I started the cricket introduction about 3 years ago, my brother was a cricketer in Sokoto and was trained in India. So when he came into Zamfara he asked me to take over and I did.” Tajudeen Afolabi said.
“It was a big sacrifice and passion for me. I will have to get letters from NCF, get to Commissioner of Education, Chairman State Education Board and then permission to go to schools.
I will buy sweets, chewing gum, biscuits and enough water so the kids will have fun. Later more people accepted me because I didn’t ask them for money. I use to visit four schools in a day and my son will assist me sometimes”
For Mr. Afolabi, scaling the social and religious huddle was a huge task but his passion to spread the cricket gospel and discover new talents kept him going.
“It was like a miracle. I speak Hausa fluently and my name is similar to Muslim name. So they accepted and trusted me with these qualities. Without trust you can’t access the schools especially the girls. I will motivate the schools also with NCF cricket starter kits when I am given more children to play.”
Some of the discovered talents played in the recently concluded National U17 Championship. This single act of NCF was reported as “transforming lives for the better in the region.”
The recent award has increased the count of ICC Global awards to three for Nigeria under Mr. Uyi Akpata as President of the Cricket federation. Naija Kids Initiative gave Nigeria the Best Grassroots Development Program for Africa in 2019. In 2021, ICC Best Social Impact Award was decorated on Nigeria’s introduction of Cricket game for Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp in Edo State.