The woman driving netball beyond the sky — Victoria Okocha

...And making Nigeria a name the world must respect

By Maxwell Kumoye 

 

In the rising glow of Nigeria’s fast-growing netball movement stands one woman whose dream burns brighter than ever, Victoria Awele Okocha, UK-trained coach, founder of the Roaring Tigers Netball Club and the visionary determined to push the sport “beyond the sky” and make Nigeria a global netball force.

For Okocha, netball isn’t just a game. It is a mission, one she has carried from the competitive courts of England to the developing grassroots of Lagos. 

A Level 1 England Netball Coach and certified Walking Netball Coach, she has spent over two decades shaping players, building communities, and designing programmes that empower women and inspire young girls across borders.

Now back home, she is fired up with one ambition: to build a netball family in Nigeria that will grow, thrive, and eventually conquer the world stage.

A DREAM ROOTED IN EXPERIENCE, DRIVEN BY PASSION

Okocha’s credentials read like those of a woman forged by excellence. From her years in the Metropolitan, National and Premier Leagues, to representing Surrey and Kent County, to becoming the first woman in Southbank University history to be selected for the Southeast Regional BUSA League, her journey has been built on grit, dominance and historic milestones.

She has coached junior squads, community teams, elderly women through Walking Netball, and multicultural groups through inclusive outreach initiatives. Everywhere she has been, her impact has been unmistakable: structure, discipline, joy, and relentless belief.

KEY SKILLS

• Netball Fundamentals Coaching

• Walking Netball Programme Delivery

• Player Development and Mentorship

• Group Motivation and Team Building

• Community Sports Engagement

• Inclusive Fitness and Wellbeing Promotion

• Programme Planning and Session Design

NOW, HER HEART BEATS FOR NIGERIA

Armed with global experience and relentless fire, Okocha is launching a sweeping netball development project across Lagos, one she hopes will spread nationwide. Her plan?

✓ Build multiple community netball clubs.

✓ Introduce Walking Netball to empower women of all ages and athletes recovering from injuries.

✓ Create participation pathways from grassroots to elite.

✓ Form competitive teams that can represent Nigeria internationally.

✓ And ultimately, lead Nigeria toward 2026 Commonwealth Games and the Netball World Cup.

✓ This isn’t just ambition — it is a blueprint.

“I WANT TO MAKE THE NETBALL FAMILY PROUD.”

Those close to her say her biggest motivation is simple: people. 

• The girls who show up to their first training session are unsure of themselves.

• The women rediscover confidence through Walking Netball.

• The community's healing through sport.

• The country is eager for new chapter.

Okocha wants to give them a sport they can call home and in the future they can claim with pride.

PUSHING NETBALL BEYOND THE SKY

Nigeria has long waited for a breakout moment in netball, and Okocha believes the time is now. Her philosophy is bold:

“We are not here to catch up. We are here to lead.”

"The objective is to promote netball in schools and create school Teams.”

"Develop an elite top playing netball Team who can compete at national and international levels.” 

"To develop clubs in different states and regions that can compete against each other National leagues in order for different clubs to compete against each other in tournaments.”

Her goal is to make Nigeria a household name in global netball, the way Kenya owns athletics or South Africa owns rugby. 

With her vision, her technical background, and her unmatched drive, that dream no longer feels distant.

CURRENT PROJECTS 

• Netball and Walking Netball Development in the City of Aquatic Splendor – Lagos

• Launching accessible Netball and Walking Netball clubs and training sessions for women of all ages

• Building structured participation pathways to strengthen local netball presence

• Aiming to expand into multiple clubs, social leagues, and community health 

partnerships

THE ROARING TIGER IS READY TO ROAR AT HOME

From St. Lucia to Grenada, from UK community festivals to Inter-Island championships where she won multiple titles, Okocha has seen what structured netball can produce.

Now, she is determined to replicate and surpass, that success in Nigeria.

Her message to every young girl, every mother, every community group and every sports enthusiast is clear:

Netball belongs to all of us. Together, we can take it beyond the sky. Together, we can make Nigeria unstoppable.

And with Victoria Okocha leading the charge, Nigeria’s rise in global netball may just be beginning.