President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Dr. Ibrahim Abdul, has emerged as the pioneer President of the newly established Central Zone Federation of the Weightlifting Federation of Africa (WFA).
Dr. Abdul was elected during the inaugural meeting of the Central Zone Federation held on Sunday, following the decision of the WFA Executive Board to restructure the sport across the continent into five administrative zones aimed at accelerating development, enhancing governance, and strengthening weightlifting activities in Africa.
The newly created zones are North, West, East, Central, and South.Nigeria is part of the Central Zone, which comprises several countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the meeting, Cameroon’s Boukar Tikire was elected Vice President, while Ghana’s Jerry Shaib Ahmed emerged Secretary General.
Other members of the executive committee include Vincent Aka Akessé of Côte d’Ivoire, Maria Dolores of Equatorial Guinea, Anderson Tosh Bei of Liberia, as well as representatives from Burkina Faso, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Reacting to his election, Dr. Abdul expressed appreciation to member nations for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to provide purposeful leadership for the growth of the sport across the region.
“I am deeply honoured by this election, and I sincerely thank all member federations for the confidence they have placed in me. This is not only a recognition of my efforts but also a reflection of the growing influence and contributions of Nigeria to the development of weightlifting in Africa,” he said.
The NWF president described the creation of the zonal structure as a landmark step toward strengthening the sport across the continent.
“This new structure presents an opportunity to bring weightlifting closer to our athletes, coaches, and administrators. Our mission is to build a strong and vibrant Central Zone that will serve as a model for talent discovery, athlete development, and administrative excellence,” he added.
Dr. Abdul further stated that his administration would prioritise the organisation of more competitions, expansion of technical education programmes, and the creation of greater opportunities for young lifters within the zone.
