The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) has celebrated the emergence of young cricket talents following the conclusion of the seventh edition of the NCF/PwC National Under-17 Cricket Championship in Abuja.
The championship, held from March 10 to March 15, 2026, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, brought together teams from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and showcased some of the country’s most promising young cricketers.
Read Also: South-East Wins Boys’, Girls’ Titles as National U-17 Cricket Championship Ends in Abuja
At the end of the tournament, Echem Chukwuemeka emerged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the boys’ category, while Okpe Chizome claimed the MVP award in the girls’ division after outstanding performances throughout the competition.
Both players were among several standout performers recognised at the closing ceremony attended by cricket stakeholders, partners, and dignitaries who gathered to celebrate the next generation of Nigerian cricket stars.
Boys’ Standout Performers
Most Promising Player: Useni Mustapha
Best Behaved Player: Princewill Chigozie
Best Fielder: Ejiifor Chikezie
Best Bowler: Peter Isari
Best Batter: Balogun Daniel
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Echem Chukwuemeka
Girls’ Standout Performers
Most Promising Player: Jemima Usman
Best Behaved Player: Ude Sunshine
Best Fielder: Oni Oluwadamilola
Best Bowler: Azeez Kehinde
Best Batter: Ezeali Godsgift
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Okpe Chizome
The tournament ended with the South-East region dominating both divisions, winning the boys’ and girls’ titles. In the boys’ category, the South-West finished second while the South-South came third.
In the girls’ division, the South-South placed second and the South-West finished third.
The National U-17 Championship remains one of the NCF’s flagship grassroots development programmes aimed at identifying and nurturing young cricket talents across Nigeria while strengthening the future of the sport in the country.
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