Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) president Dr Ibrahim Abdul has secured another milestone in his leadership career, winning election as the inaugural president of the newly established Central Zone of the Weightlifting Federation of Africa (WFA).
How the Central Zone was formed
- Dr Abdul was selected during the first meeting of the Central Zone Federation held on Sunday.
- The election followed a decision by the WFA Executive Board to reorganise weightlifting administration across Africa into five regional zones, with the aim of strengthening development and improving governance.
- The new zonal arrangement includes federations for the North, West, East, Central and South regions.
Central Zone line-up
Nigeria will compete under the Central Zone alongside Cameroon, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cameroon’s Boukar Tikire was chosen as Vice President, while Jerry Shaib Ahmed from Ghana took up the role of Secretary General.
Dr Abdul’s response
Speaking after his election, Dr Abdul thanked member federations for the trust they placed in him, describing the vote as both recognition of his work and evidence of Nigeria’s expanding influence in African weightlifting.
“I am deeply honoured by this election and sincerely thank all member federations for the confidence they have placed in me,” Dr Ibrahim said. “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 added that the creation of the zonal structure offers a strong platform to speed up progress throughout the region.
“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.”
Dr Abdul said his leadership team intends to prioritise expanding competitions, raising the standard of technical education, and opening doors for younger lifters.
“We will work closely with all member nations to organise regular championships, improve coaching and officiating standards, and establish pathways for our athletes to compete successfully at continental and global levels.”
Congratulatory messages from WFA
WFA president Engr. Khaled Mehalhel and members of the Executive Board congratulated the newly elected officials, backing them to drive further development of the sport across Africa.
