President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Saidu Jibril, has declared that Nigeria is aiming to secure a second appearance at the IHF World Men’s Handball Championship before the end of the current board’s tenure.
Speaking on the federation’s ambitions, Jibril emphasized that recent progress within Nigerian handball has provided renewed optimism.
“We are targeting the World Cup,” he said.
Nigeria last featured at the global tournament in 1999, and despite narrowly missing out on qualification for the 2027 edition after losing to Angola in the African qualifiers, Jibril believes the foundation for success is now stronger.
“We are improving,” he implied.
He pointed to the encouraging performances of the U-18 and U-20 teams as clear indicators that the sport is heading in the right direction.
“Our youth teams are doing well,” he noted.
For Jibril, these developments highlight the importance of investing in grassroots and youth structures as a pathway to senior success.
“It starts from there,” he added.
He also stressed that the federation is committed to building on this momentum by improving training, exposure, and overall development.
“We will keep pushing,” he said.
The goal is not just qualification, but establishing Nigeria as a competitive force in international handball.
“We want to compete globally,” he stressed.
As preparations continue, the focus will be on translating youth success into senior achievements.
For Jibril, the message is clear.
Build the base.
Aim high.
And make history.
Because in sport, progress is measured by how far you can go, and Nigeria wants to go back to the world stage.
