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We’ll raise one million baseball players in the four years – Fingesi
Since the rhythm of sports has centered around soccer, basketball and few not-too-popular others worldwide, the game of polo appeared to be in the background…until now. Features editor, last week discovered the passion and energy driving the game of polo in Nigeria. In this exclusive interview with the President, Nigerian Baseball & Softball Association, Mr. Charles Fingesi reveals the hidden treasure, skill, profitability and global impact among other secrets embedded in this all inclusive game.
Mr. Charles Soala Gbenedior Fingesi is the new President of Nigerian Baseball & Softball Association. Before taking the driving seat of this body, he had been one time president of Port Harcourt Polo Club (PHPC) for three years (2007-2009). In the years between, the Okrika, Rivers state born engineer, technocrat and ‘part time’ politician has been pushing the course of a game acclaimed to be for the rich and accomplished cadre.
He threw some light first into the game of polo which was thought to be unAfrican and not too popular, particularly in Nigeria.
“That was way in the past; things have really changed. Africans are seriously into polo now and the biggest polo country in the Continent is South Africa. Nigeria ranks second in that order.”
What was the focus of his presidency in the polo game and how did he fare?
“I must first point out that polo is an expensive habit; you must first and foremost buy the horses, then you must maintain them; thereafter you will be riding and you start to enjoy them. If you maintain them you enjoy them better, but if you don’t, then you won’t have any excuse…which is why I am not enjoying mine so much.
“Now, when I was president of PHPC, all we did was to take the game to everybody, so to say. We got so many persons around this part of the country to understand what horse riding is all about and got them into the game because that’s what polo game is all about.
“Like we just finished playing a game of polo now; even though I am the president of the Port Harcourt Baseball Association, but I can’t get away from playing polo; the passion is just there and will never go away.”
Born in Okrika town in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, Fingesi currently owns about ten horses and has been active in the last nine months playing polo around the world. He told The Daily Times how he got into the passion in the first place.
“My father was a member of the Port Harcourt Polo Club when I was a kid; we used to visit the club and would watch daddy play and afterwards, we hop on horseback when he would let us. We just ride and….that’s how it started. After a while, the passion went beyond just horse riding and we decided to do polo. I started playing polo about 17 years ago.”
Besides the passion, Fingesi opened up on the elitist and profitability part of the game. Is polo really as profitable as soccer?
“O yes; with polo, you get to meet all the right persons in the world. Polo is the biggest social thing in the world; it attracts very exclusive people. It is an opportunity you can use if you are smart to know good people and when you know good people you do good things too. That is the positive side.”
How does he see the future of polo in Nigeria?
“In Nigeria, Polo had a slight problem, and that problem polo players decided to overcome by allowing two associations to coexist. There is the association called Nigerian Polo Association (NPA) and there’s another called the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF).
“The rich people in Nigeria who are into the game of polo, own the horses; they own the facilities for polo and they own the clubs; even the grounds and the good horses are owned by members of the NPA.
“But the smaller group players that don’t own horses, that actually were taking care of the owners of horses, decided to create their own association called the NPF, thinking that the Nigerian Sports Commission (NSC) would fund them, but the NSC refused to fund them because polo is an expensive sport in the first place. Then secondly, polo is considered around the world to be for the rich so, why fund the rich when there are other sports associations to fund in the country?
“So that was an error the NPF made, buy now, they are about to come together and play polo as one body. In the next few months or so, polo would be one again in Nigeria, and polo is big time sport here, I tell you.”
Can the same be said of polo in Africa?
“In Africa, the biggest country that plays polo in the Continent is the South Africa where they have a breed of horses that outlive any other horse in Africa in terms of polo. In Nigeria, we play Argentine horses which are imported from Argentina, or we play what we call the Sudanese horses which are also imported from Sudan in North Africa.
“But in South Africa, they play what we call the thoroughbred, and these thoroughbred horses are very good for polo. South Africa is the only country that has a lot of money in polo more than Nigeria, but Nigeria is growing in the game. In Northern Nigeria, polo is big; in Southwest Lagos, polo is big, very big in fact, and polo is developing in the South-East and South-South.”
For a layman, it has always been wondered where skill comes into the game you play on horseback: is it in the horses or on the players?
“The horse represents 70 percent of the game; if you have a horse that acts like a donkey, then you cannot really play polo. If you have a horse that is fast, that can turn left and right and stop when you want it, then that kind of horse can play polo.
“The player or rider, 30 percent of the rest of the work is his, because you must know how to ride well, and you must have the skill of picking up small ball into a big post which may sound very easy, but picking a small ball into a big post when you’re on horseback and running at neck breaking speed, sometimes it is difficult.”
Base Ball, a game of intelligence
Currently the president of the Nigerian Baseball and Softball Association; Fingesi explains the sameness of the games.
“Baseball and Softball can be likened to a man or woman, or the masculine and the feminine because baseball is for the men and softball is for the women.
”I became the president in November 2014; before me was Gen Ishola Williams who was president for the baseball association for some 16 or 17 years. She just decided to retire and I became the next president.”
What do you aim to achieve during your tenure?
“There are thousands of girls in Nigeria that play softball; also there are even more thousands of young men in Nigeria that play baseball; the sports is expanding. It has not made a lot of inroad into Northern Nigeria like it has in Southern Nigeria and that is where my tenure is working at, to make sure that there is baseball in every part of Nigeria because there are hidden talents everywhere in this country.
“Now, besides expanding the sports and creating awareness, baseball and softball around the world is known to be a game for intelligent people; ‘intelligent sports’, it is called. It is a game where you use your brain power to outdo the other team you are playing against and outside that, you require some physical strength too to be able to run, throw ball and to be able to catch ball while you’re running. It requires a lot of intelligence and coordination to play baseball.”
How does that relate with the younger ones?
“Oh, children like it. When you start grooming children from the age where they throw balls while running and you’re scoring them points, they get interested and it doesn’t take too much time to get into the game. Then it helps them in their development: children develop more properly playing baseball or softball.”
What is your dream for the game?
“I can tell you that baseball and softball is one of the most lucrative sports in the world, but hardly in Africa has the game reached where we envisage it to reach because of its funding. It is difficult to fund baseball like it is difficult to fund polo because you require a very large space for baseball just as you require a large space for polo. Now when you say large space, it requires money and I will tell you why:
“Baseball cannot be played in your compound, just as you cannot ride horses inside your compound. Large spaces in the property market does not come cheap, that is why we are out encouraging state and local governments. Our proposal and package is, provide us with the space and we will come teach your people the game of baseball and softball. Happily we are beginning to get responses around the country where even local government areas are contributing land.”
The good thing about land for baseball or softball is that you can do so many other things on it, Fingesi further said. “You can play football, basketball, cricket, etc on it and you can ride your horses. All you need is just an open space; what you do is just mark the field for your bases and you run around from one base to the other.
“Having said that, what we intend to do in Nigeria is to make sure that up to a million children play baseball in the next four years, that is our target.”
Now for the profitability of the game: how do we make good money?
“Baseball is the most lucrative of all sports in the world; players earn more money than footballers and basketballers, etc. Those who have the talent have limitless opportunities.”
Where does the money come from?
“The money comes from sponsorship of baseball; it is one of the games that is most funded in the world. In Asia, the Asian giants all play baseball, China, Japan and Korea all play baseball; they all have baseball parks all around their countries.
“In Nigeria, we have only two baseball parks and that’s not good for the country. We have one in the National stadium in Abuja and another in Ilorin, Kwara State. We are looking at having six baseball parks in the next one year around country; what we are trying to do now is find those who will fund it.
“The minute we succeed, the interest of baseball will keep increasing and by the grace of God we will achieve our ultimate goal of getting a million children to play baseball in the next four years.”
Cost of a baseball park
“It’s one of the cheapest things to fund. Let’s assume that you give us a large piece of bush; what it takes to cut down and remove the trees and shrubs in the bush is what it costs to set up a baseball ground. It becomes a park when you build sitting areas around the ground, but what it costs to flatten the ground after you remove all obstacles besides cutting and removing the trees is all it costs.”
The sport is growing so fast and Fingesi is optimistic that the next generation of Nigerians will rule the world with baseball and softball.
Now, a little of Fingesi’s political personae seeing the volatile state of the polity in Rivers State, is Fingesi involved in politics, by any chance?
“Yes, I would call myself a politician, but I really don’t do active politics because I also work for a multinational company; I however support politics truly.”
He said of his party and the state.
“Rivers state is a PDP state. The ex governor, Amaechi tried to turn the state into an APC state when he crossed to the opposition but they didn’t succeed.
“And this APC thing, we are taking a second look at it – and by that, I mean that for as long as the former governor doesn’t have influence in Rivers state politics again, a lot of people might decide to embrace APC; but because the former governor is still dominating the polity in Rivers state, everybody here remains PDP.”
Why is there so much bloodshed in the state polity? Why should someone die on account of someone else’s political ambition?
“I like that question because it is a touchy one. I will put it this way:
“Rivers is a rich state in terms of revenue it generates and in terms of the subventions that come to the state from the Federal Government.
“And ‘Nigerians’ being what they are, they want to dominate the big funds that come to Rivers state. Now, those who dominate it become influential so, instead of playing the right politics and win election fairly, they’ve gone beyond that to carry the gun to forcefully win elections.
“This started in 1999; the election that brought Peter Odili to power was violent and thereafter till today, it has never been without violence: it just gets worse every time there’s an election, like what we are witnessing now.”
Source: Daily Times
Why Babangida’s Hilltop Home Became Nigeria’s Political “Mecca”.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s birthday visit to Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) in Minna (where he hailed the octogenarian as a patriotic leader committed to national unity) was more than a courtesy call. It was a reminder of a peculiar constant in Nigerian politics: the steady pilgrimage of power-seekers, bridge-builders and crisis-managers to the Hilltop mansion. Jonathan’s own words captured it bluntly: IBB’s residence “is like a Mecca of sorts” because of the former military president’s enduring relevance and perceived nation-first posture.
Babangida turned 84 on 17 August 2025. That alone invites reflection on a career that has shaped Nigeria’s political architecture for four decades; admired by some for audacious statecraft, condemned by others for controversies that still shadow the republic. Born on 17 August 1941 in Minna, he ruled as military president from 1985 to 1993, presiding over transformative and turbulent chapters: the relocation of the national capital to Abuja in 1991; the creation of political institutions for a long, complex transition; economic liberalisation that cut both ways; and the fateful annulment of the 12 June 1993 election. Each of these choices helps explain why the Hilltop remains a magnet for Nigerians who need counsel, cover or calibration.
A house built on influence; why the visits never stop.
Let’s start with the obvious: access. Nigeria’s political class prizes proximity to the men and women who can open doors, soften opposition, broker peace and read the hidden currents. In that calculus, IBB’s network is unmatched. He cultivated a reputation for “political engineering,” the reason the press christened him “Maradona” (for deft dribbling through complexity) and “Evil Genius” (for the strategic cunning his critics decried). Whether one embraces or rejects those labels, they reflect a reality: Babangida is still the place where many politicians go to test ideas, seek endorsements or secure introductions. Even the mainstream press has described him as a consultant of sorts to desperate or ambitious politicians, an uncomfortable description that nevertheless underlines his gravitational pull.
Though it isn’t only political tact that draws visitors; it’s statecraft with lasting fingerprints. Moving the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja in December 1991 was not a cosmetic relocation, it re-centred the federation and signaled a symbolic neutrality in a country fractured by regional suspicion. Abuja’s founding logic (GEOGRAPHIC CENTRALITY and ETHNIC NEUTRALITY) continues to stabilise the national imagination. This is part of the reason many leaders, across party lines, still defer to IBB: he didn’t just rule; he rearranged the map of power.
Then there’s the regional dimension. Under his watch, Nigeria led the creation and deployment of ECOMOG in 1990 to staunch Liberia’s bloody civil war, a bold move that announced Abuja as a regional security anchor. The intervention was imperfect, contested and costly, but it helped define West Africa’s collective security posture and Nigeria’s leadership brand. When neighboring states now face crises, the memory of that precedent still echoes in diplomatic corridors and Babangida’s counsel retains currency among those who remember how decisions were made.
Jonathan’s praise and the unity argument.
Jonathan’s tribute (stressing Babangida’s non-sectional outlook and commitment to unity) goes to the heart of the Hilltop mystique. For a multi-ethnic federation straining under distrust, figures who can speak across divides are prized. Jonathan’s point wasn’t nostalgia; it was a live assessment of a man many still call when Nigeria’s seams fray. That’s why the parade to Minna continues: the anxious, the ambitious and the statesmanlike alike seek an elder who can convene rivals and cool temperatures.
The unresolved shadow: June 12 and the ethics of influence.
No honest appraisal can skip the hardest chapter: the annulment of the 12 June 1993 election (judged widely as free and fair) was a rupture that delegitimised the transition and scarred Nigeria’s democratic journey. Political scientist Larry Diamond has repeatedly identified June 12 as a prime example of how authoritarian reversals corrode democratic legitimacy and public trust. His larger warning (“few developments are more destructive to the legitimacy of new democracies than blatant and pervasive political corruption”) captures the moral crater that followed the annulment and the years of drift that ensued. Those wounds are part of the Babangida legacy too and they complicate the reverence that a steady stream of visitors displays.
Max Siollun, a leading historian of Nigeria’s military era, has observed (provocatively) that the military’s “greatest contribution” to democracy may have been to rule “long and badly enough” that Nigerians lost appetite for soldiers in power. It’s a stinging line, yet it helps explain the paradox of IBB’s status: the same system he personified taught Nigeria costly lessons that hardened its democratic reflexes. Today’s generation visits the Hilltop not to revive militarism but to harvest hard-won insights about managing a fragile federation.
What sustains the pilgrimage.
1) Institutional memory: Nigeria’s politics often suffers amnesia. Babangida offers a living archive of security crises navigated, regional diplomacy attempted, volatile markets tempered and power-sharing experiments designed. Whether one applauds or condemns specific choices, the muscle memory of governing a complex federation is rare and urgently sought.
2) Convening power: In a season of polarisation, the ability to sit warring factions in the same room is not small capital. Babangida’s imprimatur remains a safe invitation card few refuse it, fewer ignore it. That convening power explains why movements, parties and would-be presidents keep filing up the long driveway. Recent delegations have explicitly cast their courtesy calls in the language of unity, loyalty and patriotism ahead of pivotal elections.
3) Signals to the base: Visiting Minna telegraphs seriousness to party structures and funders. It says: “I have sought counsel where history meets experience.” In Nigeria’s coded political theatre, that signal still matters. Outlets have reported for years that many aspirants treat the Hilltop as an obligatory stop an unflattering reality, perhaps, but a revealing one.
4) The man and the myth: The mansion itself, with its opulence and aura, has become a set piece in Nigeria’s story of power, admired by some, resented by others, but always discussed. The myth feeds the pilgrimage; the pilgrimage feeds the myth.
The balance sheet at 84.
To treat Babangida solely as a sage is to forget the costs of his era; to treat him only as a villain is to ignore the architecture that still holds parts of Nigeria together. Abuja’s relocation stands as a stabilising bet that paid off. ECOMOG, for all its flaws, seeded a habit of regional responsibility. Conversely, June 12 remains a national cautionary tale about elite manipulation, civilian marginalisation and the brittleness of transitions managed from above. These are not contradictory truths; they are the double helix of Babangida’s place in Nigerian memory.
Jonathan’s homage tried to distill the better angel of IBB’s record: MENTORSHIP, BRIDGE-BUILDING and a POSTURE that (at least in his telling) RESISTS SECTIONAL ISM. “That is why today, his house is like a Mecca of sorts,” he said, praying that the GENERAL continues to “mentor the younger ones.” Whether one agrees with the full sentiment, it accurately describes the lived politics of Nigeria today: Minna remains a checkpoint on the road to relevance.
The scholar’s verdict and a citizen’s challenge.
If Diamond warns about legitimacy and Siollun warns about the perils of soldier-politics, what should Nigerians demand from the Hilltop effect? Three things.
First, use influence to open space, not close it. Counsel should tilt toward rules, institutions and credible elections not kingmaking for its own sake. The lesson of 1993 is that subverting a valid vote haunts a nation for decades.
Second, mentor for unity, but insist on accountability. Unity cannot be a euphemism for silence. A truly patriotic elder statesman sets a high bar for conduct and condemns the shortcuts that tempt new actors in old ways. Diamond’s admonition on corruption is not an abstraction; it’s a roadmap for rebuilding trust.
Third, convert nostalgia into institutional memory. If Babangida’s house is a classroom, then Nigeria should capture, publish and debate its lessons in the open: on peace operations (what worked, what failed), on capital relocation (how to plan at scale), and on transitions (how not to repeat 1993). Only then does the pilgrimage serve the republic rather than personalities.
At 84, Ibrahim Babangida remains a paradox that Nigeria cannot ignore: a man whose legacy straddles NATION-BUILDING and NATION-BRUISING, whose doors remain open to those seeking power and those seeking peace. Jonathan’s visit (and his striking “Mecca” metaphor) reveals a simple, stubborn fact: in a country still searching for steady hands, the Hilltop’s shadow is long. The task before Nigeria is to ensure that the shadow points toward a brighter constitutional daybreak, where influence is finally subordinated to institutions and where mentorship hardens into norms that no single mansion can monopolise. That is the only pilgrimage worth making.
Ajadi Celebrates Juju Legend Femolancaster’s 50th Birthday in the UK
Nigerian Juju music legend, Otunba Femi Fadipe, popularly known as FemoLancaster, is being celebrated today in London as he clocks 50 years of age.
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a frontline politician and businessman, led tributes to the Ilesa-born maestro, describing him as a timeless cultural icon whose artistry has enriched both Nigeria and the world.
“FemoLancaster is not just a musician, he is a legend,” Ambassador Ajadi said in his birthday message. “For decades, his classical Juju sound has remained a reminder of the beauty of Yoruba heritage. Today, as he turns 50, I celebrate a cultural ambassador whose music bridges generations and continents.”
While FemoLancaster is highly dominant in Oyo State and across the South-West, his craft has also taken him beyond Nigeria’s borders.
FemoLancaster’s illustrious career has seen him thrill audiences across Nigeria and beyond, with performances in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, and other parts of the world. His dedication to Juju music has projected Yoruba traditional sounds to international stages, keeping alive the legacy of icons like King Sunny Ade and Chief Ebenezer Obey while infusing fresh energy for younger audiences
He further stressed the significance of honoring artistes who have remained faithful to indigenous music while taking it global. “In an era where modern sounds often overshadow tradition, FemoLancaster stands as a beacon of continuity and resilience. He has carried Yoruba Juju music into the global space with dignity, passion, and excellence,” he added.
The golden jubilee celebration in London has drawn fans, friends, and colleagues, who all describe FemoLancaster as a gifted artist whose contributions over decades have earned him a revered place in the pantheon of Nigerian music legends.
“As FemoLancaster marks this milestone,” Ajadi concluded, “I wish him many more years of good health, wisdom, and global recognition. May his music continue to echo across generations and continents.”
celebrity radar - gossips
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
By Aderounmu Kazeem Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria — The gospel music scene is aglow today as the “Duchess of Gospel Music,” Esther Igbekele, marks another milestone in her life, celebrating her birthday on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Known for her powerful voice, inspirational lyrics, and unwavering dedication to spreading the gospel through music, Esther Igbekele has become one of Nigeria’s most respected and beloved gospel artistes. Over the years, she has graced countless stages, released hit albums, and inspired audiences across the world with her uplifting songs.
Today’s celebration is expected to be a joyful blend of music, prayers, and heartfelt tributes from family, friends, fans, and fellow artistes. Sources close to the singer revealed that plans are in place for a special praise gathering in Lagos, where she will be joined by notable figures in the gospel industry, church leaders, and admirers from home and abroad.
Speaking ahead of the day, Igbekele expressed deep gratitude to God for His mercy and the opportunity to use her gift to touch lives. “Every birthday is a reminder of God’s faithfulness in my journey. I am thankful for life, for my fans, and for the privilege to keep ministering through music,” she said.
From her early beginnings in the Yoruba gospel music scene to her rise as a celebrated recording artiste with a unique fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds, Esther Igbekele’s career has been marked by consistency, excellence, and a strong message of hope.
As she adds another year today, her fans have flooded social media with messages of love, appreciation, and prayers — a testament to the profound impact she continues to make in the gospel music ministry.
For many, this birthday is not just a celebration of Esther Igbekele’s life, but also of the divine inspiration she brings to the Nigerian gospel music landscape.
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