The Nigeria Wheelchair Rugby Association has been granted full membership of the World Wheelchair Rugby Federation, following its compliance with all statutory requirements of the international body.
This development was conveyed in a letter signed by Alison Bridge, Head of Administration of the WWR, to the Nigerian wheelchair Association on December 4, 2024.
According to the letter, the provisional approval was made on July 9, 2024 and would be confirmed at the forthcoming General Assembly of the World Wheelchair Rugby Federation.
In a statement by the Secretary of the Nigeria Wheelchair Rugby, Fred Edoreh, the approval follows about two years of efforts by Mr Suleiman Isah, President Nigeria Wheelchair Rugby, also the Secretary General of the Nigeria Paralympic Committee, and members of the board to establish Wheelchair Rugby in Nigeria and meet membership requirements of the international body, in the bid to expand opportunities for Para sports in Nigeria.
“Finally and happily, Nigeria has been granted full membership of the World Wheelchair Rugby Federation. It has been a long journey, and we must commend the President of Nigeria Wheelchair Rugby, Suleiman Isah, for pursuing the process to realisation.
“As Secretary General of the Nigeria Paralympic Committee, his vision has been to expand opportunities for Para sports in Nigeria and elevate the visibility of Nigeria para athletes in international sports.
“As former President of the Nigeria Amputee Football Federation, he worked to take the Nigeria Amputee Football team to the Amputee Football World Cup in 2018 in Mexico, for the first time ever, after they team had missed attending three previous editions due to lack of funds and faced the threat of international sanctions.
“He followed up by taking the team to the Africa Amputee Football Nations Cup in Angola in 2019, at which the country finished second, and also to the Tanzania 2021 edition.
“Having repositioned Amputee Football, he has focused on Wheelchair Rugby, in the bid to provide as many international sports opportunities for persons living with disabilities in Nigeria, and it is welcoming that he has pursued the approval of full international membership of Nigeria Wheelchair Rugby to a logical conclusion. The sky is now the limit for as many para sports people in Nigeria.”