Nigeria was declared the regional winner of the Cricket Initiative of the Year 2023 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) Africa on Wednesday. The PwC Under 17 Cricket Championship was also determined to be the focal point of Nigeria’s national developmental initiative.
The Nigeria Cricket Federation is one of the regional winners of the ICC Development Initiative of the Year award, which acknowledges the exceptional development initiative carried out throughout the year. The Under-17 Cricket Championship of the Nigeria Cricket Federation offers boys and girls nationwide competitive playing opportunities. This is according to the ICC Statement on the project.
Uyi Akpata, President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, stated that the timing of the award could not have been more ideal.
“The power of collaboration is celebrated with this award. We took a chance and received support for our developing activities from PwC and numerous partners. “It is encouraging that the endeavor is producing outcomes on a worldwide scale,” stated Akpata.
Nigeria has also won two regional awards in recent years: 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year for its massive girl-child enrollment initiative in Zamfara State and “Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year” for its cricket development activities at the IDP camp in Edo State.
The Nigerian women’s team has been steadily improving; in just four years, they went from being ranked 39th in the world to 26th, and their efforts culminated in a bronze medal performance at the recent 2023 All African Games in Ghana.
The fact that the ICC has been keeping an eye on our team of dedicated cricket development officials and the Federation Board, and has given them special recognition, is heartening. This will only motivate us to keep moving forward,” he added.
The latest breakthrough, according to Sam Abu, Country Senior Partner at PwC Nigeria, the tournament’s sponsors, validates the promise that the company identified and the conviction that cricket can energise, empower, and prepare Nigerian adolescents for global influence.
We are honored to have received international recognition for our collaborative effort with the Nigeria Cricket Federation, particularly as it validates the game’s capacity to improve the lives of our young people, Abu stated.
Additionally, two associate nations, Namibia and Sierra Leone, were recognized regional winners by the International Cricket Council for the year under review.