Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Victor Ochei, has announced plans to establish a central registration platform for tennis players across the country. The project, he said, is one of the major steps toward reforming Nigeria’s underdeveloped tennis structure.

Speaking through his media adviser, Austin Edemodu, Ochei said that the proposed system will assign every registered tennis player a unique identification number, creating what he described as a comprehensive national database that would ease player access to clubs, tournaments and development opportunities nationwide.

“We want every registered tennis player to have a player’s number. This will help us build a comprehensive compendium and also make it easier for players to access tennis clubs and competitions nationwide,” Ochei said.

Ochei also announced that the federation is developing a 10-year Strategic Tennis Growth Plan covering 2026 to 2036.

He said that the programme will target age categories of 4–8, 8–12, 12–16 and 16–18 years, with strong emphasis on primary and secondary schools across the country.

“Our target is to catch them young, build their interest early, and create a sustainable pipeline of champions who will represent Nigeria with pride,” he added.

Ochei highlighted his personal history in sports development, recalling that while serving as a lawmaker in Delta State, he sponsored youth empowerment programmes through sports and supported wheelchair basketball athletes.