Nigeria’s national netball team has intensified preparations for the 2027 Netball World Cup African Qualifier, with the players currently training in London under head coach Alison Akinrinsola.
The Nigeria Netball Federation is working to prepare a competitive squad capable of securing one of the available qualification places when the African qualifiers take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 19 to 26, 2026.
The tournament will be held at the Kasarani Indoor Arena, with Nigeria among 10 African countries expected to compete for two available World Cup qualification places.
President of the Nigeria Netball Federation, Dr Oluwatoyin Aluko, said the federation was putting measures in place to ensure the team is properly prepared for the continental competition.
The Nigerian players have already gained valuable international exposure after featuring in friendly matches against Jamaica, Pakistan and Scotland before the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month.
Those matches gave the squad the opportunity to test itself against stronger opposition and experience different styles of play ahead of the Nairobi qualifier.
The current training camp in London is focused on improving combinations within the squad while working on the physical, technical and mental aspects of the players’ preparation.
Aluko also stressed the importance of improving the technical foundation of netball in Nigeria.
‘We are putting in a lot of effort to equip the coaches and umpires,’ Aluko said.
As part of the federation’s development programme, coaching and umpiring clinics have already been held in the South-South and South-East zones. The South-West clinic is scheduled for the final week of August, while the Northern Zone programme will take place in the first week of September.
The programme is aimed at improving coaching standards, strengthening officiating and creating a better development pathway for players across the country.
Nigeria will face a strong field in Nairobi, including South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania.
South Africa and Uganda have already secured qualification for the 2027 Netball World Cup through the World Netball ranking-based route, leaving the remaining African teams to fight for the available places in Nairobi.
The 2027 Netball World Cup will be held in Sydney, Australia, from August 25 to September 5, 2027.