Ochei Launches Grassroots-Focused Initiatives to Grow Tennis in Nigeria

Joel Ajayi

President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, has unveiled plans by the federation’s new board to boost interest in tennis among young Nigerians and drive nationwide participation in the sport.

Ochei made this known on Saturday during the Arise TV Global Sports programme, where he outlined the federation’s vision for transforming tennis in Nigeria through innovative reforms and long-term development strategies.

According to him, one of the key initiatives is the creation of a central registration platform for tennis players across the country. Under the system, every registered player will be assigned a unique identification number to help build a comprehensive national database and improve access to clubs and competitions.

“We want every registered tennis player to have a player’s number. This will help us build a comprehensive compendium and also make it easier for players to access tennis clubs and competitions nationwide,” he said.

Ochei also spoke on his longstanding commitment to sports development, recalling that while serving as a lawmaker in Delta State, he invested heavily in youth empowerment through sporting programmes, including sponsorship for wheelchair basketball athletes.

He noted that he personally funded athletes and teams to participate in international competitions in countries such as Algeria, South Africa, Germany and Brazil, helping Nigerian talents gain global exposure.

At the grassroots level, Ochei said he has continued to sustain youth engagement through his annual Village Unity Cup competition, a tournament designed to promote peace, unity and community development.

He further revealed that he established a stadium and sports development centre to discover, nurture and train young athletes to professional standards.

Looking ahead, Ochei announced that the federation is developing a 10-year Strategic Tennis Growth Plan covering 2026 to 2036. The programme will focus on talent discovery and player development in age categories of 4–8, 8–12, 12–16 and 16–18 years, with special attention on primary and secondary schools nationwide.

“Our target is to catch them young, build their interest early, and create a sustainable pipeline of champions who will represent Nigeria with pride,” Ochei added.