All is now set for the national finals of the 7th National Under-17 Cricket Championship as zonal eliminations organised by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) have been successfully concluded across the country.
The regional qualifiers, held in the six geopolitical zones, produced state champions who will converge on Lagos for the national championship, which will feature both boys’ and girls’ categories.
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In the South-West zonal elimination held in Abeokuta, Lagos State emerged champions in the male category, while Ekiti State topped the female category.
The South-East qualifiers in Owerri saw Imo State clinch first place in the male division, with Ebonyi State dominating the female event.
Other zonal competitions were staged in the North-Central, North-West, North-East and South-South regions, with teams battling for national tickets between February 26 and March 1, 2026.
State representatives from these zones are expected to be confirmed shortly ahead of the national finals.
The National U-17 Championship remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s cricket development structure, serving as a major talent discovery platform.
According to the NCF, about 70 per cent of current senior national team players and the entire national U-19 squads previously featured in the competition.
Designed to strengthen grassroots cricket and promote gender inclusion, the tournament is widely regarded as the biggest age-grade cricket competition in Nigeria and the wider North-West African region.
With the zonal phase now wrapped up, attention shifts to Lagos, where the next generation of Nigerian cricket talents will compete for national honours and a pathway to higher levels of the game.
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