The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) participated in the inaugural SAIS With the theme “Unleashing Africa’s Potential: Investing in Sports Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future,” SAIS 2025 brought together policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to explore transformative strategies that unlock significant opportunities across Africa’s sports ecosystem..
Led by NRFF COO; Tunde Delu , General Manager; Azeez Ladipo and Wold Rugby Educator (Coaching); Wuraola Hussain, the NRFF delegation joined other invited participants from across Africa at this significant event.
The event, held on February 17 and 18, 2025, was the first-ever investment summit in Africa dedicated to sports and saw the signing of a landmark agreement between Sport Nigeria Ltd and the Abia State government.
A major highlight of the summit was the breakout session titled “National Sports Federations as “Business Drivers” of their Sport- Alignment of interes to facilitate collaborations and partnerships between the private sector and Federations”.
This session brought together key industry experts to discuss strategies for leveraging sports to drive social and economic growth within communities.
The panel featured:
– Ms Vanessa Obi (B&I) Moderator
– Olanrewaju Ogunjobi, Technical Assistant to the National Sports Commission Chairman
– Adeyinka Samuel – President, Nigeria Fencing Federation
– Azeez Ladipo – General Manager, Nigeria Rugby Football Federation President,
The event had the distinguished presence of His Royal Highness, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, who served as the Royal Father of the Day, further elevating the significance of the summit.
The Presidency’s National Sports Commission partnered with Sport Nigeria Ltd. to host the groundbreaking event, underscoring the government’s commitment to using sports as a tool for economic transformation.
Through their participation in this conference, the NRFF and other Stakeholders are committed to strengthening their capabilities, forming effective partnerships, and contributing to the overall growth and success of sports across the continent.
The agreement signed with the Abia State government is expected to usher in a new era of sports equipment manufacturing development, youth empowerment, and economic opportunities in the state.
