Abuja: The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has assured all participating teams of a conducive environment at the African Women’s Volleyball Club Championship in Abuja. Adeniyi made this statement during the technical meeting held on Wednesday in the city.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Adeniyi, in his welcome address, recognized the challenges faced by all participants and officials from across Africa, who had endured long flights to arrive in Abuja. He expressed Nigeria’s pleasure in hosting the greatest assembly of volleyball in Africa and emphasized the country’s commitment to making the participants’ stay enjoyable by highlighting the warm and friendly nature of Nigerians.
Adeniyi further elaborated on the complexity of volleyball, pointing out that while only 12 players and a few officials are visible on the court, a long value chain of umpires, referees, scorers, statisticians, and others work behind the scenes. He underscored the importance of teamwork and collaboration, noting that this is Nigeria’s first time hosting such an event and that these elements are crucial to the tournament’s success. The competition aims to showcase the best of African volleyball talent, with teams competing for the top prize.
Adeniyi also expressed his gratitude for the cooperation and support received from the federation, control committee, and Musa Nimrod, President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation.
On his part, Musa Nimrod welcomed all participating clubs to Nigeria and expressed gratitude for choosing Nigeria as their host country, marking a first-time privilege for the nation. Nimrod assured the participants that Abuja is a peaceful and secure city with excellent healthcare services available. He encouraged the teams to enjoy their stay in Abuja, emphasizing the spirit of unity and camaraderie among the participating teams, and wished them the best of luck during their stay.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event, which began on Tuesday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, is expected to conclude on April 14. Out of the 24 expected participating teams, only 16 teams were present at the technical meeting. These teams include the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mayo Kani Evolution (MKE) of Cameroon, Armee Patriotique Rwandaise Volleyball Club (APR) of Rwanda, Club Femini De Carthage (CFC) of Tunisia, Zamalek Sporting Club (ZMK) of Egypt, Kenya Prisons Volleyball Club (PRI) of Kenya, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Spiking Stars Volleyball (SSV) of Botswana, Al Ahly Sporting Club (AHL) of Egypt, Kenya Commercial Bank Volleyball Club (KCB) of Kenya, Volleyball Club La LOI (VLL) of Democratic Republic of Congo, Sococim (SOC) of Senegal, Litto Team Volleyball (LTV) of Cameroon, Kenya Pipeline Company Volleyball Club (KPC) of Kenya, Police Volleyball Club (PVC) of Rwanda, and Club Ominisports Descartes of Cote d’Ivoire.