Port Harcourt, Nigeria – In a bid to revolutionise sports education and promote the empowerment of the girl child, one of Nigeria’s leading sports-for-change NGOs, Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, conducted a two-day netball seminar for P.E. teachers in Port Harcourt.
The training, held on February 26 and 27, 2025, at the Airforce Secondary School Airforce Base Rumuomasi, marks a significant milestone in “Project 2027” – an ambitious programme aimed at providing Nigerian school children and youths with safe spaces to learn and play netball.
Project 2027 underscores CSED Initiative’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian student has access to quality sports education. Netball, the only sport in the world designed specifically for girls and women, serves as a vital tool for enhancing general health, well-being, and academic engagement.
In a progressive move aligned with the Netball World’s goal of inclusivity, some Nigerian secondary schools, such as Tare Pet School Yenagoa and C.S.C.S. Itam, have even fielded boys’ netball teams alongside their female counterparts.
The seminar saw the participation of 35 P.E. teachers and coaches from a variety of secondary schools, including Nigeria Navy Secondary and Army Day Secondary School, representing both public and private institutions in Port Harcourt. Notably, two Cameroonian refugees from the Adagom 3 Camp in Ogoja local government area also attended, symbolising the inclusive spirit of the event.
Facilitators for the training included seasoned netball coaches Edema Fuludu, Funsho Ekundayo, and Onome Fuludu. They were supported by Deborah Bakari, a University of Benin student with four years of netball experience in Uhoghua, and volunteer Gold Dappa-Wogu. The training curriculum, developed by Ambassador Mary Waya—a Netball Africa certified instructor—provided a comprehensive overview of the sport.
The seminar commenced with a critical session on safeguarding in sports, led by coach Onome Fuludu, a qualified safeguarding practitioner and graduate of Guidance and Counselling. His presentation emphasised the importance of creating secure environments for students and athletes, supplemented by free online safeguarding training for all participants.
Subsequent sessions delved into the fundamentals of netball, covering:
- Netball rules and their practical applications
- Court marking and understanding various playing positions
- Essential skills such as warming up, passing, and throwing the ball
- Strategic restrictions on player movement
- A concluding practice game featuring teams designated as blue and purple
Participants were also gifted free T-shirts courtesy of Lord’s Taverners, a UK-based charity, and received netball starter packs—including nets, finger-held whistles, training bibs, and balls—for use in their respective schools.
Wing Commander Nasir Adamu, Commandant of the Airforce Secondary School and a key figure in facilitating the seminar expressed his admiration for the initiative. “I am very pleased to see an NGO with such passion for developmental and empowerment programmes targeted at the girl child,” he said.
He encouraged the participants to seize the opportunity to become reliable coaches as netball continues its revival in Nigeria, adding that he would personally visit the schools to monitor progress and ensure the effective use of the donated starter packs.
CSED National Coordinator, Edema Fuludu, also addressed the gathering, informing the new coaches that netball is set to feature as a National Sports Festival event in the near future.
“Your enthusiasm over these two days is commendable, and I urge you to continue with the same vigour as we build a stronger netball community,” he stated. With this training, the number of certified netball coaches under Project 2027 has risen to 411.
The seminar not only enhanced the technical skills of P.E. teachers in Port Harcourt but also bolstered the movement to revive and promote netball across Nigeria.
With initiatives like Project 2027, CSED Initiative continues to pave the way for inclusive, accessible, and empowering sports programmes that have the potential to transform lives and communities nationwide.
