Cricket is best run sport in Nigeria, Akpata tells corporate Nigeria

Nigerian cricket, among the first sports introduced into the country by the colonialists, as come a long way since the turn of the century. From disappearing from the World Cricket League to appearing in its first U-20 World Cup, Nigerian cricket has in recent years witnessed phenomenal growth and everybody associated with the sport agrees that something is going right in the administrative architecture of the gentleman’s game.

During the week, Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) President, Uyi Akpata, told a group of businessmen that his sport is so successful because it is the best-run sport in the country.

Speaking while pitching cricket to the private sector at an event in Lagos tagged ‘Cricket meet Corporates’ on Victoria Island, Lagos, Akpata said: “I’d like to say the Nigeria Cricket Federation structure is the best I have seen around, and it is modeled from my experience in the private sector.”

The meeting was meant for accountability to stakeholders, and to pitch the future of the game to new and potential sponsors. Akpata, a career accountant, told cricket stakeholders that the three international awards won by the Federation, and a recent visit by the International Cricket Council’s (IOC) Development Manager, William Glenwright, to understudy Nigeria’s growth plan was no fluke.

“We have some of the most dedicated workforce in sports development and some of the state posts a whooping 25, 000 kids’ in-take into the game yearly. We currently do 250, 000 and we have raised the stake to 500, 000 for the coming season.”

The PwC National Under-17 Championship has been one of the key events that has driven the grassroots effort of late; as most of the field officers see the platform as a place to showcase their regional