NSF President dreams of Team Nigeria ruling Africa

Posted : 23 October 2024

Members of Scrabble Team Nigeria have touched down in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, aboard Ethiopian Airlines ahead of the 15th edition of the African Scrabble Championship (ASC), which starts on Thursday.

The contingent, led by the President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Toke Aka, includes the current African Scrabble champion and World number 6, Enoch Nwali; West African champion Oluwatimilehin Doko; World number 9; Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) President Cup holder Godwin Victor; and African Games Side Event winner John Aiyedun.

The most successful and the continent's first lady in the word game, Tuoyo Mayuku, along with Abdulmumin Jimoh and Tage Okiemuta, who were part of Team Nigeria at the 13th African Games, are in this young but very talented and experienced team, donning the royal white and energetic green colors of Nigeria in Kigali.

Despite the fact that the team lacks financial and moral support from the Federal Government of Nigeria, the President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Engineer Toke Aka, believes they will surely write and engrave their name in gold in the "Land of a Thousand Hills"—Rwanda.

“We want to sincerely thank all the well-meaning individuals in the global and Nigerian Scrabble family who rallied around us financially to ensure that this all-conquering team defends its diadem in Kigali and makes Nigeria proud in a few days,” Aka said.

Although the team in Kigali is relatively young and new to the African Scrabble Championship, the NSF boss strongly believes that no country on the continent can dare Nigeria.

“It's true that we are missing the likes of Wellington Jighere, Dennis Ikekeregor, Nsikak Etim, Eta Karo, Olatunde Oduwole, and Prince Omosefe, but we are still loaded with tested, trusted dynamites and wolves who are ready to explode positively and maintain our dominance in Africa.”

The captain of Team Nigeria for the championship, Enoch Nwali, is supremely confident in the strength of the 'Scrabble Eagles and Army' he is leading into the continental battle in Kigali.

“We are determined to make history in Rwanda. We are young, talented, and experienced enough to rule Africa again and again.

“Yes, we are missing Olatunde Oduwole, Jighere, Karo, and Ikekeregor, but the group selected by the NSF will engrave Nigeria's name in gold, both on and off the Scrabble board while in Rwanda,” the singles event defending champion stated.

“Nigerians should continue to support us and keep us in their prayers at all times. It's a huge task and responsibility ahead of us, but we are ready and equal to the task,” the captain added.

Enoch Nwali's optimism is shared and echoed by the finest, most fearsome, most successful, and most decorated Scrabble player in Africa, World number 165, Tuoyo Mayuku. She is the highest-ranked female player at the championship.

“Female Scrabble players in Nigeria are the best on the continent, and now we have more Masters players than any other country in Africa. We will show them how we rule Africa in Accra, Ghana, during the African Games this year,” the Delta State Scrabble heavyweight said.

“My main goal is to help Team Nigeria win the individual categories, male and female, including the team crown at the end of the championship, and our camping in Lagos has helped us a lot. The spirit and morale are sky-high in the group that is going to Kigali,” the African Scrabble Championship women's title holder stressed.

A Scrabble stakeholder, Osikhena Ojior, who is part of the extended Nigerian delegation to Kigali, is also confident of the team's victory. “My appeal is that corporate bodies in Nigeria should identify and support the sport of Scrabble. Scrabble is not just a sport or game; it's a catalyst for economic stimulation, technological advancement, and nation-building.”

There are currently 14 Nigerians in the top 50 of the Scrabble World rating, 5 in the top 25, and 4 in the top 20, while the current African King, Enoch Nwali, is ranked 6th. His schoolmate at the University of Lagos, Oluwatimilehin Doko, is ranked 9th in the global rating of the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA).

The head coach of Team Nigeria, Anthony Ikolo, is equally confident of a good outing in Kigali. “This team will win; I can assure Nigerians. They tick all the right boxes in the Scrabble analysis—young and ready to conquer.”

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Sports, not only failed to fund the trip to Kigali but also refused to provide attire for the team, and no federal presence was seen or felt during their departure from Lagos.

We gathered that the players contributed money to purchase dresses and T-shirts that they will wear during the competition.

It's noteworthy to mention that this is the first time in the history of Scrabble in Africa that Rwanda, which is not part of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), is hosting the flagship championship after a 30-year hiatus.

They were awarded the hosting rights after PANASA shockingly withdrew the hosting rights from the Sierra Leone Scrabble Association (SSA), despite the assurance and financial backing of the Government and people of Sierra Leone.

NSF President dreams of Team Nigeria ruling Africa

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