Beach Volleyball Will Become "The Future of Volleyball in Nigeria"

Nigeria's search for the next generation of volleyball stars may increasingly be taking place on sand. That is the message emerging from the Nigeria Beach Volleyball Commission, which is calling on coaches and state volleyball associations to identify young athletes who could form the country's future national teams.

In a recent message to volleyball stakeholders, Bolcit Barshep-Amakiri, North Central Zonal Representative and Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Beach Volleyball Commission, described beach volleyball as "the future of volleyball in Nigeria" and urged coaches to pay particular attention to male and female players under the age of 18 who are six feet or taller.

The timing matters. Many of the players currently competing in the youth categories will become overage by next year, meaning the search for their replacements cannot wait until they are gone.

The Nigerian women’s Beach Volleyball team posing for a photo with the Nigeria flag after qualifying for the Olympic Games.

Finding The Next Generation of Players Before They Are Needed

Coaches are being encouraged to look beyond the players they already know and search schools, clubs and state competitions for young athletes with the physical and technical potential to take up beach volleyball. Height is only a starting point. The real work lies in teaching these players how to move on sand, control the ball, read the game and handle the demands of playing with only one teammate beside them.

Joy Lawrence and Ifechukwu Odoh have emerged as two of Nigeria's brightest young beach volleyball prospects. The pair won the African U18 title in Senegal without losing a match and have gone on to gain exposure on the international pathway, including appearances around major World Championship competitions in Doha and Beijing.

Nigeria U18 Beach volleyball players, Ifechukwu Odoh and Joy Lawrence in action at the 2026 African U18 Beach Volleyball Cup in Senegal.

Their story matters because it gives the current recruitment drive some context. Nigeria is not looking for young players simply to fill future selection camps. There is now a pathway through which a player can be discovered, trained, compete at the continental level and eventually find a place on the international stage.

Fourteen newly discovered girls from different states and zones recently came together in Kaduna for a week-long beach volleyball orientation and skills development camp sponsored by the Musa/Rifkatu Foundation, established by NVBF President Engr. Musa Nimrod in honour of his late parents.

The fourteen girls from different states and zones sitting together during the beach volleyball orientation and skills development camp sponsored by the Musa/Rifkatu Foundation.

Nigeria Beach Volleyball Commission Chairman DCP Stephen Hasso (Rtd.) visited the camp alongside Nimrod, while three national coaches from Abuja, Kaduna and Adamawa worked with the girls. The foundation plans to continue the camp during school breaks and long holidays, while the commission has pledged material and financial support for the players.

The players have been found. Now they are being given a pathway to develop. And beach volleyball is offering Nigeria a practical route to international development. Nigeria has already been taking advantage of that pathway through continental competitions, youth development programmes and a growing beach volleyball calendar. Come next year, we will host the 2027 Africa Beach Volleyball Championship in Lagos, bringing top beach volleyball nations to Nigeria.

For the Beach Volleyball Commission, the bigger task is making sure there is a strong group of players ready to take over when the current generation moves on. Joy and Ifechukwu have shown what is possible. The 14 girls in Kaduna could be the beginning of another generation. And there are likely more players waiting to be found.