The Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) has adopted an October-to-May league calendar beginning from next season as part of efforts to align its domestic competitions with the international volleyball calendar.

The President of the federation, Musa Nimrod, disclosed this on Saturday at the end of the first phase of the 2026 National Premier Volleyball League in Abuja.

According to him, the new calendar will enable foreign-based Nigerian players to honour their club commitments abroad while remaining available for national assignments.

“We have informed all clubs that our season will now start in October and end in May. That is the international standard and it will reduce scheduling challenges, especially for our foreign-based players,” he said.

Mr Nimrod said the League Management Committee had been directed to conclude the Super Cup and the first phase of the Premier League before the end of each year to ease fixture congestion.

He added that the decision also considered the 2027 general elections, which could affect sporting activities across the country.

“We must plan ahead because 2027 is an election year. If we fail to prepare early, it will affect our competitions,” he said.

Mr Nimrod also said preparations had commenced for the Zone 3 Beach Volleyball African Nations Cup qualifiers scheduled for July 3 to July 7 in Badagry, Lagos State.

He said the national teams would camp in Kaduna before moving to Badagry to train on natural sand ahead of the competition.

According to him, Badagry was selected because of its accessibility for participating West African countries and its favourable environment for beach volleyball.

“We are expecting eight countries in Badagry, and the top three teams will qualify for the African Championship in Morocco later this year.

“Badagry has the facilities, accommodation and the environment needed for a successful tournament. It is also easily accessible for countries within the West African sub-region,” he said.

Mr Nimrod said the federation had also relocated its Abuja beach volleyball activities from Jabi Lake Park to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, where an artificial sand court meeting international standards had been installed.

On Nigeria’s preparations for the African Senior Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, scheduled for July 13 to July 23, Nimrod said the men’s national team would begin camping immediately.

“The Premier League has kept the players in good shape. They will enter camp next week while we are hosting the Zone 3 championship in Badagry,” he said.

He, however, expressed concern over the financial implications of participating in several international competitions within the same period.

According to him, while the senior men’s team will compete in Abidjan, the country’s Under-18 and Under-19 teams will also participate in the African age-grade championships in Egypt.

“It is not easy financially. If we had more resources, we would also send the women’s senior team to Abidjan.

“Airfares are very expensive now, but we remain optimistic because Nigeria has always performed well in age-grade competitions.

“We are also expecting our international coach to join us soon,” he said.

Also speaking, the Second Vice President of the NVBF, Adamu Tanimu, described the first phase of the 2026 Premier League as a success.

Mr Tanimu commended the conduct of players, officials and organisers, adding that the competition attracted impressive global online viewership.

“Our website recorded an average of about 5,000 visitors daily from nearly 200 countries throughout the competition. That shows the growing international interest in Nigerian volleyball,” he said.

He said the federation had achieved its objective of improving the standard of the domestic league and identifying quality players for national assignments.

“Our league is becoming comparable with those in Europe, Asia and North Africa, and we are proud of the progress we have made,” he said.

Mr Tanimu also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for his continuous support for volleyball development in Nigeria.

“As far as volleyball is concerned, the Comptroller-General of Customs has remained one of our biggest supporters, and we appreciate his commitment to the growth of the sport,” he said.

He also welcomed the surprise visit of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to the league venue, describing it as another boost for volleyball development in the country.

“The Inspector-General of Police is passionate about sports, and his presence is a great encouragement for volleyball in Nigeria,” he said. 

(NAN)