Nigeria's Abdul emerges pioneer President of Africa Weightlifting Central Zone Federation

Posted : 09 June 2026

Nigeria's standing in African weightlifting received another significant boost as the President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Ibrahim Abdul, was elected as the inaugural President of the newly established Weightlifting Federation of Africa (WFA) Central Zone Federation.

Abdul's emergence followed elections conducted during the maiden meeting of the Central Zone Federation, marking a major milestone in the restructuring efforts initiated by the WFA to strengthen the administration and development of weightlifting across Africa.

The continental body recently approved a new five-zone structure comprising the North, West, East, Central, and South Zones, a move designed to decentralize operations, improve governance, and accelerate the growth of the sport throughout the continent.

Nigeria is among the countries grouped in the Central Zone alongside Cameroon, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The election also produced Cameroon's Boukar Tikire as Vice President and Ghana's Jerry Shaib Ahmed as Secretary General.

Other executive committee members 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.

Abdul's election is widely seen as recognition of Nigeria's increasing contribution to the development of weightlifting on the African continent and the confidence reposed in the country's leadership credentials within the sport.

Expressing appreciation after his election, Abdul described the appointment as both a personal honor and a testament to Nigeria's growing impact on African weightlifting.

"This is a great privilege and I thank all member federations for their trust and support. It reflects not only my efforts but also Nigeria's commitment to advancing weightlifting across Africa," he said.

The newly elected president noted that the zonal structure would provide a stronger platform for grassroots development, talent identification, and administrative efficiency.

According to him, the Central Zone Federation will prioritize regular competitions, improved technical training for coaches and officials, as well as expanded opportunities for emerging lifters to compete and excel at international levels.

"Our objective is to create a vibrant and competitive zone that nurtures talent and contributes significantly to Africa's success globally. Working together, member nations can unlock enormous potential within the region," Abdul added.

The host nation for the maiden Central Zone Weightlifting Championships is expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, WFA President Khaled Mehalhel, Secretary General Manareddin Eshelli, and members of the WFA Executive Board congratulated the newly elected officials, expressing optimism that the zonal leadership would drive the next phase of growth and development for weightlifting across Africa.

This historic appointment underscores Ibrahim Abdul's proven administrative capacity to guide the Central Zone Federation toward structural transformation. With full backing from the continental body and regional partners, his leadership positions the newly formed zone to unlock widespread athletic and institutional development. The upcoming announcement of the championship host will signal the formal commencement of this promising era for African weightlifting.

Nigeria's Abdul emerges pioneer President of Africa Weightlifting Central Zone Federation

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