Nigeria Cricket Federation wins ICC x Rexona Criiio Cricket Festival of the Year Global Award
NCF recognised for grassroots development
The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) has been awarded the ICC x Rexona Criiio Cricket Festival of the Year Award, an international honour that acknowledges significant innovation and impact in grassroots cricket development. This recognition highlights the federation’s efforts in using cricket as a tool for inclusion, empowerment, and social change.
The award specifically celebrates the NCF’s transformative Criiio Cricket Festival held in Zamfara State. This initiative was designed to bring cricket to a region where access to sports and education for girls has historically faced limitations. The festival’s theme, “Breaking Barriers,” aimed to combine sport, culture, and strong community engagement to challenge existing barriers and promote greater participation, particularly for women’s cricket in Northwest Nigeria.
The NCF’s commitment to expanding cricket’s reach to every community, regardless of geographical or circumstantial challenges, was underscored by this award. The federation focuses on creating opportunities for young people, especially girls, to learn, grow, and thrive through sports. This global recognition further solidifies Nigeria’s reputation as a leading development nation in cricket, continuously pioneering programmes that leverage the sport to advance education, gender inclusion, and community development.
Impact and appreciation
Mr. Uyi Akpata, President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, described the award as a victory for all stakeholders who believe in the transformative power of cricket. He emphasised that the Criiio Festival in Zamfara demonstrated the potential when communities, partners, and dedicated volunteers collaborate with a shared vision. Akpata dedicated the recognition to every young girl whose life has been positively impacted by cricket, reaffirming the federation’s commitment to overcoming more barriers and creating additional opportunities across Nigeria.
The NCF extended its gratitude to various entities and individuals for their contributions to the initiative’s success. These include the International Cricket Council (ICC), Rexona, community leaders, schools, volunteers, coaches, development officers, state associations, and all participants. Their dedication played a crucial role in making the initiative a resounding success.
ICC Chairman, Mr. Jay Shah, commended this year’s award recipients, noting that the awards were established to celebrate the extraordinary work of Associate Members globally. Shah highlighted how cricket can inspire participation, create opportunities, strengthen communities, and deliver performances that capture global attention. He congratulated all the winners of the ICC Development Awards 2025, acknowledging them as inspirations to the global cricket community and showcasing the sport’s strength, reach, and potential across all regions.
Broader ICC Development Awards context
The Nigeria Cricket Federation‘s award was part of the broader ICC Development Awards 2025, where several cricket bodies were recognised for their efforts in growing the game. The Emirates Cricket Board, for instance, emerged as a significant winner, securing three global honours. Other cricket bodies from Türkiye, Italy, Japan, and Brazil also received awards during the ceremony.
The International Cricket Council announced the global winners during its Annual Conference, following their selection from regional awardees announced earlier in June. These awards acknowledge programmes, initiatives, and performances by ICC Associate Members across seven distinct categories. The Emirates Cricket Board, for example, received the Marriott Bonvoy ICC Development Initiative of the Year award for its Girls U15 Academy League, which the ICC noted as a pioneering initiative in the region for creating competitive opportunities for young girls.
Furthermore, the Emirates Cricket Board shared the ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year award with Türkiye Cricket for the second consecutive year. In the UAE, this award recognised the Interschool Criiio Gulf Cup and the Emirates Cricket Board’s Get into Cricket – Girls Only programme, both launched after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. These initiatives were instrumental in expanding girls’ cricket across schools and communities in various emirates. Türkiye Cricket was honoured for organising the largest ICC Women’s Cricket Week celebration in Europe in 2025, involving over 3,000 girls from 20 provinces in softball festivals, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup watch parties, and coaching webinars for female coaches.
The Emirates Cricket Board completed its trio of awards by winning the ICC Associate Member Women’s Team Performance of the Year honour. This was in recognition of the UAE women’s team drawing a 2-2 ODI series against Zimbabwe in their first 50-over series after gaining ODI status, and subsequently winning the following T20I series 2-0, marking their first series victory over a higher-ranked Full Member nation away from home. The NCF’s global recognition serves as further motivation to expand access to the game and inspire the next generation of cricketers across Nigeria.
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Source: thisdaylive.com
