Joel Ajayi
A promising new phase has begun for Nigerian badminton after President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, unveiled a bold long-term strategy built around grassroots growth, coaches’ training, and umpire development.
Orbih announced the vision on Wednesday during the opening ceremony of the federation’s two-day retreat at ANOCA House in Abuja, where board members, technical experts, and stakeholders gathered to map out a fresh direction for the sport with the theme: “Repositioning Badminton For Sustainable Growth.”
He said the federation was determined to build a sustainable structure capable of delivering measurable results within the next two to three years.
“In the next two to three years, Nigerians will begin to see the result of what we are doing. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” Orbih said.
According to him, the retreat was organised to ensure the federation operates with a clear roadmap rather than short-term decisions.
Orbih stressed that the BFN would pursue intentional goals throughout its tenure instead of allowing another four-year cycle to pass without impact.
“We are not just going to vote, announce results and allow four years to pass by. We want to be deliberate about what we want to achieve,” he stated.
He identified grassroots expansion as the foundation of the federation’s new agenda, revealing plans to take badminton into schools and local communities across the country.
“Grassroots and schools are very important to us, and we are going there. We also want to develop our coaches and umpires because they are critical to the future of the game,” he added.
Orbih also pointed to the federation’s growing international recognition, recalling that a Nigerian umpire officiated at the World Junior Championships in India last year — a first for the country.
He said the next target was to secure more international opportunities for Nigerian technical officials and administrators within African and global badminton bodies.
“We want more Nigerians to lead African badminton institutions and contribute globally when opportunities come. That preparation must start now,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, said Nigerian sports was entering a new era driven by strategic planning, data, and performance-based targets.
Dikko explained that sports federations were now expected to submit clear development plans to the commission, replacing the old system of arbitrary expectations.
He disclosed that based on projections from federations, Nigeria is targeting between 18 and 22 gold medals at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Dikko also praised the leadership of the Badminton Federation, describing the sport as one of Nigeria’s medal prospects, while citing the success of para-badminton star Eniola Bolaji as evidence of what strategic investment can achieve.
