The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) has given Nigeria a three-year target to meet the requirements needed to progress towards full membership of the world governing body for equestrian sport.
The target emerged from a four-day FEI visit to Nigeria to assess the country’s equestrian structures, facilities and plans for the sport.
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The delegation, led by FEI Group IX Chairperson Brigitte Matthias, visited key equestrian and sports locations in Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Lagos, including the Nigerian Olympic Committee, Fifth Chukker, Ahmadu Bello University, Lagos Polo Club, GidiUp Horse Riding Academy and the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Ms Matthias said the goals to be agreed with Nigeria were achievable within three years, paving the way for the country to meet the conditions required to become a full FEI member.
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“I would like to see that the goals that we’re going to put out on the table in the next couple of days, you achieve them,” she said.
“The goals are all reachable within the three years so that you achieve them and then that you can become a full member of the FEI.”
She also said Nigeria needed to demonstrate its commitment through regular competitions, noting that such events did not necessarily have to be at the highest level.
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“If I come and visit, yes, we would like to see those competitions. They can be grassroots; it doesn’t need to be high, but the will is there to enjoy the sport,” Ms Matthias said.
FEI identifies key priorities
Céline Starbanov, FEI Project Manager for Solidarity and Development, said Nigeria was still at an early stage and would need to strengthen several areas before progressing further.
“We are at the beginning, we are at an early stage of development, we are at the structuration phase, but we all have to start somewhere,” she said.
She said FEI Solidarity could support areas including athletes, coaches, national federation structures and horse welfare.
Ms Starbanov identified training for grooms, farriers and stable managers, as well as coaching education, as possible priorities.
“I think that’s one of the priorities, and then we could also start with coaching, educating coaches,” she said.
She added that Nigeria would need more venues, riders, horses, coaches and national-level competitions.
‘This is a new beginning’
President of the Nigeria Equestrian Federation (NEF), Anthony Obiorah, described the FEI visit as an important milestone, saying it had exposed areas where Nigeria needed to make corrections.
“We have learned a lot from this visit, and there’s been a lot of corrections,” he said.
Mr Obiorah said the federation was open to the recommendations and intended to use them to strengthen the sport.
“Of course, as a country we know we are beginning and then we don’t accept that we are doing everything correctly, so we’ve been open to corrections, and they’ve done a great deal in telling us the things we are not doing well and which we have accepted, and we have promised to do better,” he said.
“This is a new beginning. We want us to key in. We are very particular in putting Nigeria on the world equestrian map, and this begins now.”
He also said the federation wanted to broaden access to equestrian sport, which has often been viewed as an activity largely reserved for wealthy families.
The aim, he said, was to create a pathway through which children could enter the sport at grassroots level, receive training, compete nationally and eventually represent Nigeria internationally.
Building the people behind the sport
NEF Vice President, Technical and Sports Development, Vanessa Asuni, said the FEI visit had helped the federation understand the requirements more clearly.
“This visit is a profound visit because it’s giving us the guidance and showing us the right steps to take,” she said.
“We now understand the structure. We know that horse welfare is important. It always has been.”
Mrs Asuni said attention must also be given to the people who support riders and horses, including grooms, stable managers, coaches and other technical personnel.
“It’s the foundations that matter,” she said, adding that she was optimistic about the opportunities the process could create for Nigerian young people.
The federation has also identified infrastructure, funding, technical capacity and specialised services as areas requiring attention.
Lagos pushes wider access
The Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the state was interested in using equestrian sport as another avenue for youth development and participation.
He criticised the excessive focus on football in Nigerian sports and said young people should have opportunities to experience other sports.
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Fatodu said the Lagos State Government and Lagos State Sports Commission would seek to make equestrian sport part of the opportunities available to young people, including children between five and 15 years.
“No sport should be invisible in Lagos State. And no talent should be overlooked in Lagos State,” he said.
The FEI visit now gives the NEF clear targets to pursue, including competitions, technical capacity, horse welfare, trained personnel, and broader participation, as Nigeria works toward meeting the conditions for full FEI membership.
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