President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engineer Habu Gumel, has described Nigeria’s qualification for the beach volleyball event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as a landmark moment for the country, following the historic achievement of Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa.
Mbah and Bawa secured Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic qualification in beach volleyball after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the women’s final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, on August 22. The Nigerian pair won 21-17, 21-10 to claim the continental title and the sole African qualification quota available from the championship.
Gumel congratulated the two athletes for their determination and commitment, saying their achievement has written a new chapter in Nigerian sporting history.
“This is a remarkable achievement and a proud moment for Nigeria,” Gumel said.
“Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa have written their names in the history of Nigerian sports, and we are extremely proud of their determination, commitment and hard work.”
The qualification ends a 16-year wait for Nigeria to return to the Olympic beach volleyball stage and marks the country’s first-ever qualification for an Olympic volleyball competition.
For Mbah and Bawa, the breakthrough came after years of coming close to securing Nigeria’s Olympic ticket. Their success in Alexandria finally delivered the qualification that had eluded the country at previous Olympic cycles.
The Nigerian pair entered the championship as the fourth seed and had already won bronze at the previous edition but produced their best performance when the Olympic ticket was on the line.
Gumel also praised the Nigeria Volleyball Federation and its president, Engineer Musa Nimrod, for their contribution to the development of beach volleyball and the team’s progress.
The NOC president said the qualification should now serve as motivation for other Nigerian athletes and teams preparing for Los Angeles 2028.
“This qualification is a testament to the support of our sports-loving President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Gumel said. “We are proud that this historic qualification is happening during his administration.”
The National Sports Commission has also moved quickly to support the team, announcing that the women’s beach volleyball pair will be integrated into its Elite and Podium Board training grant programme ahead of the 2028 Games.
With Nigeria now assured of a place in the Olympic beach volleyball competition, attention has shifted towards preparing Mbah and Bawa for the much bigger challenge in Los Angeles.
Nigeria Volleyball Federation president Musa Nimrod has stressed that the Olympic ticket is only the beginning, with the players needing sustained international exposure and participation in World Tour events to improve their ranking and secure favourable seeding.
“They have to do about five World Tours,” Nimrod said. “If they don’t get that ranking very well, they will fall into a very terrible group.”
Gumel’s message is therefore both celebratory and forward-looking: Nigeria has made history, but the real work towards Los Angeles 2028 has only just begun.
For Mbah and Bawa, the dream that once seemed out of reach is now reality. Nigeria is going to the Olympics for beach volleyball for the first time, and the country will be hoping its historic qualification can be followed by an even bigger performance in Los Angeles.
