By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja

A new chapter has begun for African baseball and Softball, as Nigeria’s Uche Odozor took over as the WBSC Africa President.

In a stirring acceptance speech at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Africa Congress, the newly elected President Uche Odozor outlined an ambitious roadmap to transform the continent’s sporting landscape, pledging infrastructure development, youth empowerment, commercial growth, and unified competition.

“A Mandate for Transformation”
Visibly moved by his election, Odozor began his address with gratitude and humility.

“I am deeply humbled by the trust you have placed in me to lead our beloved sports into a new era,” he said.

He dedicated his victory to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, praising his “unwavering support for sports and youth development,” and thanked delegates for their unity. “Our sport teaches us that we are stronger when we play as a team,” he added, calling for collective action over individual ambition.

Odozor also acknowledged African pioneers who sustained baseball and softball during difficult years — from coaches in Kenya using soccer fields to Ghanaian volunteers maintaining the continent’s lone professional-grade diamond.

Declaring the end of “incremental progress,” Odozor introduced a four-pillar strategy designed to usher in what he called “an era of transformational growth.”

Odozor announced the “Field of Dreams Africa Initiative”, an ambitious program to construct at least one WBSC-standard baseball and softball complex in each of Africa’s 24 member nations within four years.

The initiative will be driven by public-private partnerships, equipment support programs, and a continental facility certification framework to guarantee quality.
Regional hubs in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana will serve as training and competition centers.

“We cannot expect major league talent to emerge from makeshift fields,” Odozor emphasized. “When you build proper fields, you change the entire trajectory of the sport.”

With Africa’s 650 million youth forming its “unmatched sporting frontier,” Odozor unveiled a continent-wide development pathway based on the FTEM model (Foundation, Talent, Elite, Mastery).

Foundation: Introducing Baseball5 as a mandatory school sport, leveraging its low-cost format.

Talent: Partnering with MLB academies and other global leagues to nurture gifted players.

Elite: Creating a continental talent identification program to ensure no African prospect goes unnoticed.

Mastery: Establishing an international placement program to connect African talent to global professional opportunities.

He also vowed to tackle visa challenges that have long hindered teams from competing abroad. “No African team should ever miss a championship again because of travel barriers,” he said.

Bringing his business acumen to the fore, Odozor promised to turn baseball and softball into viable industries rather than volunteer-driven hobbies.

His “Africa Baseball & Softball Commercialisation Blueprint” aims to attract major sponsors, monetize media rights, and create jobs through organized leagues.

Drawing inspiration from South Africa’s Varsity Cup rugby success, Odozor plans to launch inter-university baseball and softball competitions to build fan bases and revenue streams.

To replace fragmented tournaments with a single, exciting competitive ecosystem, Odozor announced several new continental events:

Pan-African Baseball5 Championship – capitalizing on the game’s accessibility and popularity.

“These competitions will create a continuous pathway from grassroots to elite level,” he said, describing the vision as a “bridge between passion and professionalism.”

Odozor closed his address with a rallying call for unity, transparency, and measurable progress. He pledged quarterly governance reports, equitable resource distribution, and regional consultations to ensure accountability.

“When we gather again four years from now, we will point to tangible progress — more players, better facilities, stronger leagues, and African teams competing on the world stage,” he declared.

“The sleeping giant is awakening. Together, we will make baseball and softball Africa’s next great sporting success story.”

Infrastructure Revolution Build facilities across 24 nations Field of Dreams Africa Initiative Youth Pathway System Develop talent from school to pro level FTEM Framework & MLB Partnerships Commercial Sustainability Turn sport into business Commercialisation Blueprint
Unified Competition Structure Create coherent continental tournaments Pan-African Championships & Youth Festival.