By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has praised Nigeria and four other African cricket nations for their growing progress, attributing improved performances across the continent to investments in development programmes and high-performance structures.
ICC Africa Regional Manager, Justine Ligyalingi, named Nigeria, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda among the countries making encouraging strides in the sport.
Ligyalingi spoke on Monday after inspecting cricket facilities in Abuja ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C, which begins on Tuesday.
He expressed satisfaction with the improvements made by the Nigeria Cricket Federation since an earlier ICC inspection about four months ago, saying the progress had strengthened confidence in Abuja’s capacity to host the six-nation competition.
“We must say that there has been a lot of work that has gone into the facilities, and we believe that the Nigerian federation has done a good job,” he said.
The ICC official, however, stressed the need for continued investment to sustain cricket’s development and improve the quality of facilities in Nigeria.
The Abuja tournament represents the final sub-regional qualifying competition in Africa for the next stage of the Men’s T20 World Cup qualification pathway.
Six countries will compete for the remaining two places at the six-team Africa finals, following the conclusion of the first two qualifying groups.
For Nigeria, the competition offers an opportunity to translate its infrastructure improvements into sporting success while demonstrating its capacity to host major international cricket events.
Ligyalingi’s assessment also underscores the growing importance of sustained investment in grassroots development, player preparation and high-performance systems as African nations seek to strengthen their competitiveness on the international stage.
