The Club Cricket Committee (CCC) has announced Sterling Bank as the official sponsor of the 2025/2026 CCC Lagos League season. The announcement was made during a press conference in Lagos on Friday.
The partnership between Sterling Bank and the Cricket Club is being hailed as a major breakthrough for the development and commercial growth of the sport in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, CCC Chairman Endurance Ofem described the unveiling as a significant milestone in the long journey of Lagos cricket. He noted that the progress being celebrated was the result of decades of collective effort rather than recent administrative changes.
Ofem, who has served on the CCC Executive Committee for nearly 15 years, expressed gratitude to past and present leaders, particularly former chairman Charles Omoera, whom he credited with sustaining the league through difficult periods.
More Read
Representing Sterling Bank, the Head of Corporate Marketing, Mr. Donatus Okpako, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to investing in youth development and national sporting values. He noted that cricket has been part of Nigeria’s sporting culture since 1904 and praised the CCC’s longstanding role in nurturing over 22 teams and more than 500 registered players.
Okpako said the sponsorship was designed around a four-pillar development plan aimed at increasing cricket’s visibility, expanding grassroots participation, inspiring new heroes, and strengthening the sport’s structure through improved facilities and fan engagement.
“Sterling Bank is stepping onto the pitch not just as a sponsor, but as a catalyst for a sport with a deep history and an extraordinary future,” he said.
CCC executives also confirmed that plans are underway to establish a pathway for a women’s cricket league, leveraging the growing participation of female players in Lagos schools. They also noted that partnerships with the Lagos State Sports Council and the Ministry of Education remain central to ongoing efforts to improve field access, coaching support, and school-to-league development programs.
Former CCC Chairman Charles Omoera expressed optimism about the partnership, describing it as a significant move for cricket’s growth. He encouraged sports lovers to visit venues such as the TBS Oval and UNILAG Oval to watch what he described as “quality cricket.”
CCC Vice Chairman Deepak Mehta also welcomed the sponsorship, calling it the beginning of a new era for Nigerian cricket. He said he believed that, within the next decade, Nigeria could emerge as one of the world’s strongest cricketing nations, with Sterling Bank playing a major role in that rise.
The 2025/2026 CCC Lagos League season will officially begin on 22 November. Defending champions Rising Stars Cricket Club are expected to return amid strong competition.
The season will feature nine teams in the Premier Division and 14 teams in Division One, split into League A and League B. A total of 99 T20 matches have been scheduled, with an additional 50-over fixtures currently being reviewed.
Matches will be played at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), the UNILAG Cricket Oval, and CMS Grammar School Grounds. The season will run for five months, with games taking place on weekends.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
