Cricket has never truly broken into Nigeria’s mainstream sports. From its colonial-era introduction in the late 19th century to the present day, it has remained a fringe sport, far less visible and popular than football, basketball, tennis, or athletics. In truth, this isn’t exclusive to Nigeria.  Across much of the globe, cricket takes a backseat to more universally followed sports, with its core market mainly within a handful of nations led by India, Australia, and England. It’s also one of the oldest sports not featured in the Olympics, having only appeared at the 1900 Games in Paris.

Given cricket’s limited global limitations and Nigeria’s tendency to lag in nurturing even thriving initiatives, the sport was always at a structural disadvantage. So, despite its early introduction by the British in the 19th century, it wasn’t until 1957 that a unified body, the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), was formed. It took another 45 years before the body would join the International Cricket Council (ICC) as an Associate Member in 2002.

This slow administrative evolution didn’t help the sport’s growth. It particularly limited the emergence of talent across the country. While secondary school competitions had long been the foundation for talent development in other sports, cricket didn’t fully harness the potential in that model, and as a result, experienced stunted growth. This was especially true on the female front which had limited participation in the earlier years.

Such was the rhythm of Nigerian cricket’s growth and development. However, the narrative began to shift in the past decade and took a major leap around 2021, following the emergence of Uyi Akpata as NCF President. Having served as the federation’s immediate Vice President, Akpata was elected unopposed at the National Sports Federation elections. In a bid to revive the sport in the country and elevate it to one of Nigeria’s top three sports, the savvy administrator rolled out several ambitious plans. These included grassroots expansion, facility development, and a structured approach aimed at boosting the national team’s competitiveness—efforts designed to improve rankings and attract sponsors.

At the grassroots level, the Uyi Akpata-led administration set a target of introducing 250,000 kids to cricket annually through its accelerated growth programme. This initiative, built on inter-school tournaments, national U-17 competitions, and regional leagues, has created opportunities for both male and female players. From this pipeline came talents like Piety Lucky who stunned the cricket community at just 14. Lucky made headlines during the National U-17 Cricket Tournament in Benin in February 2021 for becoming the first Nigerian female to score a T20 century. That performance launched her into national recognition, earning her invitations to senior teams where she continues to flourish.

Similarly, the NCF’s grassroots initiative has played a key role in reviving once-dormant competitions like the Howzat Cricket Cup. The intra-school tournament, which dates back to 1927, returned for its 24th edition in 2024 after a four-year hiatus. More impressively, this youth-centred approach is already delivering results for the country in international competitions. Early on in 2025, Nigeria made its debut (and West Africa’s) at the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia. Far from what was expected to be a modest campaign, the girls sunned the global stage with a dramatic two-run victory over New Zealand and a six-run win against Ireland. The team’s top-six finish earned them a direct slot in the 2027 edition, skipping the African qualifiers altogether.

In line with the goal to make cricket a top-three sport in the country, there has also been steady improvement in infrastructure. Nigeria’s premier cricket facility, the 2,000-capacity Tafawa Balewa Square Oval in Lagos, has undergone a significant revamp. The Unilag Cricket Pitch, another key venue in the Centre of Excellence, is also playing a central role, as both facilities are currently hosting the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifiers, the first of it kind for Nigeria. Additionally, there are two turf pitches in Benin City, two more in Abuja, and one in Kaduna. Most recently, the NCF commissioned a new cricket oval at the Community Secondary Commercial School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Ultimately, has never been a more exciting time for Nigerian cricket. If there were any doubts about the sport’s growth within the country’s sports industry, they were dispelled at the 5th edition of the Sportsville Special Recognition Awards on April 5. Dr. Akpata, the NCF President, was named Sports Administrator of the Year for his contribution to elevating Nigerian cricket to its current level.