The Secretary General of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), Gulnora Saidova, participated in a summit meeting with the President of the African Fencing Confederation, Mbagnick Ndiaye, the President of the Nigerian Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, and representatives of UNICEF Nigeria. The goal: build a strategic and collaborative partnership focused on using fencing as a powerful tool for youth empowerment, education, peacebuilding and sustainable development.
The proposed partnership includes four key elements of collaboration, including: pilot fencing programs in priority regions, as well as the deployment of FIE-certified coaches and equipment donations. The FIE is committed to developing fencing worldwide, both as a sport and as a platform for social and cultural development., Saidova recalls. We are extremely happy and excited about the possibilities we discussed with UNICEF Nigeria, and we deeply appreciate the prospect of this collaborative initiative and what it can bring to Nigeria, all African nations and the world. We believe in the power of sport to improve the lives of people everywhere. »
The Nigerian Fencing Federation (NFF) will now review existing development initiatives to ensure they align with UNICEF's programmatic objectives. The FIE, NFF, and UNICEF Nigeria will collaborate on a scalable framework for national implementation. A working group will be created to develop a detailed proposal and roadmap.
