July 29, 2026 - Benin City, Edo State - Want to find the pulse of Nigerian cricket? Stop searching. It beats loudest here in Edo State. Stephen Mangongo, Nigeria’s High-Performance Director, didn’t just tour Benin City in January 2025 - he delivered a verdict still reverberating across the nation’s cricketing landscape. “Edo’s grassroots system is the template for Nigerian cricket,” Mangongo said after inspecting state facilities. That wasn’t a casual remark. It was a rallying cry. Two years on, the numbers - and the players - are proving him right.
Mangongo’s Verdict: “Edo Is the Blueprint for Nigerian Cricket”
Back to that January 2025 assessment. Mangongo, once Zimbabwe’s national coach, walked the Benin City Cricket Oval, watched school kids smash boundaries on repurposed fields, and spoke with local coaches who breathe the game. What he saw wasn’t happenstance. It was a system. “The talent pipeline here is organic,” Mangongo said at the time. “It’s not a one-off. Edo has built a culture where cricket is part of school life.” That culture now produces national stars at a dizzying pace.
At the 2025 NCF U-19 Trials in Abuja (March 15 - 17), 7 out of 15 selected players came from Edo State - a whopping 40% representation. No other state came close. That’s not coincidence; it’s a blueprint. Mangongo’s praise focused not just on facilities, but on the sustainability of a program that spots talent in primary school and nurtures it to the national stage. He called Edo “the gold standard” for grassroots development. The national team reaps the rewards.
Enabulele’s Grassroots Revolution - 4,000 Kits, 30 Schools, One Vision
Behind the scenes, the architect of this revolution is Ehi Enabulele, Chairman of the Edo State Cricket Association. Since 2023, Enabulele has led the “Cricket in Schools” initiative under the NCF’s “Cricket for All” program. The numbers are staggering: over 4,000 cricket kits - bats, balls, pads - distributed to more than 30 schools in Benin City and surrounding areas. That’s not charity; it’s infrastructure for a sport.
But kits alone don’t forge champions. Enabulele’s vision demanded proper venues. In April 2025, the Edo State Government allocated ₦500 million (approx. $350,000 USD) to renovate the Benin City Cricket Oval. Completed by June 2025, the upgrade included new turf pitches, floodlights, and improved seating - transforming it into a genuine international-standard ground. Young cricketers now have a place to dream big. “We’re giving kids the tools and the stage,” Enabulele said in a recent interview. “The next Virat Kohli might be practising in a Benin City schoolyard right now.”
The results are tangible. Edo’s U-15 and U-19 teams dominate national tournaments. The state’s cricket ecosystem is buzzing. No surprise that the NCF’s Uyi Akpata publicly commended Enabulele in February 2025, calling the grassroots drive “a model for every state in Nigeria.”
Learn more about the NCF’s Cricket for All program - an external link to the official Nigeria Cricket Federation site.
What’s Next? Edo State Cricket Week 2025 and Beyond
Momentum isn’t slowing. Note the date: August 10 - 17, 2026 (the 2025 edition was so successful, the state runs a second annual event). The 2026 Edo State Cricket Week in Benin City will feature a U-15 tournament showcasing the next wave of talent, plus a coaching clinic led by Stephen Mangongo himself. It’s a direct pipeline from grassroots to national spotlight.
For context, the 2025 edition (held on the same dates) drew scouts from Lagos, Abuja, and even Ghana. Mangongo’s clinic was packed. Expect even bigger crowds this year.
The impact reaches beyond Edo. Other states now study the Edo template. The NCF has begun talks about replicating the “Cricket in Schools” model in Gombe, Kaduna, and Oyo. Enabulele’s playbook is becoming Nigeria’s blueprint. “We didn’t invent anything new,” he says. “We just made sure every kid had a chance to hold a bat.”
Check out our deep dive on Edo’s U-19 pipeline success - an internal link to our previous coverage.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters for Nigerian Cricket
Nigeria’s cricket rise is no accident. With the U-19 team pushing for World Cup qualification and the senior side improving in regional tournaments, the foundation laid in states like Edo is critical. Mangongo’s endorsement of Enabulele’s work isn’t just a pat on the back - it’s a strategic signal. The High-Performance Director knows the future of Nigerian cricket depends on sustained grassroots investment. And Edo proves it works.
As we hit the halfway point of 2026, the question isn’t whether Edo will produce more stars. It’s how fast the rest of the country can catch up.
