Developing Table Tennis in Nigeria: A Grassroots Focus

Efforts to promote table tennis in Nigeria are shifting towards incorporating the sport into public school inter-house sports competitions, aimed at nurturing young talents and promoting grassroots development. This initiative, led by Dr Shaibu Mohammed, Chairman of the Kogi State Table Tennis Association, aims to bridge the infrastructure gap in the North Central region. Dr Mohammed's vision includes collaborating with local governments and educational institutions to introduce table tennis in public schools and investing in accelerated infrastructural development in the region.

Key Takeaways:

• Dr Shaibu Mohammed, Chairman of the Kogi State Table Tennis Association, is urging public schools to incorporate table tennis into inter-house sports competitions for grassroots development.
• Mohammed plans to collaborate with local governments and educational institutions to introduce table tennis in public schools, aiming to draw attention to the sport at the grassroots level and nurture young talents.
• The lack of infrastructure in the North Central region is cited as a major contributing factor to the dominance of the southern region in Nigerian Table Tennis.
• The yearly Shaibu D. Mohammed Table Tennis tournament in the North Central States has yielded positive results, with five team members currently part of the national team.
• Dr Mohammed intends to prioritize the welfare of coaches, providing training opportunities and allocating 40% of funding to coaches and administrators.
• The Nigerian Table Tennis Federation will be soliciting media support to collaborate with the federation and give visibility to players to enhance their selection to the national team.
• The intervention is aimed at addressing the infrastructure gap in the North Central region and promoting grassroots development in table tennis.

Statistics:

• Five team members from the North Central region are currently part of the national table tennis team.
• The Shaibu D. Mohammed Table Tennis tournament in the North Central States has yielded positive results, with five team members selected for the national team.
• 40% of funding allocated to the North Central region will be for coaches' and administrators' welfare.

Sources:

• Voice of Nigeria: "Kogi Table Tennis Boss Urges Public Schools to Incorporate Sport" (29 July 2025)