Cade Esports Collaborates with Nigerian Esports Stakeholders to Serve as Nigeria’s National Team Partner for the First-Ever Esports Nations Cup

Lagos, Nigeria — 2026 — Cade Esports & partnered with Nigerian stakeholders, has been selected as Nigeria’s National Team Partner for the first-ever Esports Nations Cup (ENC), following a rigorous two-phase application process led by the Esports Foundation.

The Esports Nations Cup is the new global nation-based esports competition that will bring together national teams across leading game titles, creating a structured pathway for players to represent their countries and for fans to rally behind national identity in esports. As part of this process, Cade Esports was evaluated against key organisational, governance, and operational readiness criteria outlined by the Esports Foundation.

Cade Esports secured the role through a collective application model, bringing together key stakeholders across the Nigerian esports ecosystem, including 10N8E, Gameevo, Kucheza Gaming, Nexal Gaming, Mobile Legends Community of Nigeria, Africa Free Fire Community, Kon10dr, Goodwill Gaming, SAGES Africa, and several grassroots gaming community organisers across the country. The initiative is also supported through a public-private alliance with the Esports Federation of Nigeria.

As the coordinating applicant, Cade Esports will lead Nigeria’s participation framework for the ENC, working with ecosystem partners to support title delivery, talent pathways, community mobilisation, and national representation across relevant game titles.

The appointment marks a major milestone for Nigerian esports, positioning the country to participate in a global competition format that complements existing club-based structures with a national team pathway. In announcing the global appointments, the Esports Foundation noted that the ENC is built on the idea that “players should have a trusted pathway to represent their country, and fans should have a national team they can truly rally behind,” while emphasising the importance of strong local partnerships and structures behind each participating country’s programme.

In a separate application process, Kunmi Adenipebi was selected as National Team Manager, where he will oversee the organisation of Nigeria’s national team operations, including the coordination of coaches, player selection processes, and team preparation.

Chima Paulson, CEO of Cade Esports, said:

“This is a strong moment for the Nigerian esports ecosystem as a whole. We approached this as a collective effort because we knew that representing Nigeria on a global stage required more than one organisation; it required community trust, ecosystem alignment, and structures that can support players over time. We are proud to coordinate this effort and work with stakeholders across the country to build Nigeria’s pathway to the Esports Nations Cup.”

Kunmi Adenipebi, National Team Manager, added:

“Our task now is to ensure that Nigeria’s national team programme is organised with clarity, merit, and professionalism. From player selection to coach coordination and title-specific preparation, the focus will be on building a team structure that reflects the depth of talent we have in this country and gives our players the best platform to compete.”

Nigeria’s participation in the ENC will also create new opportunities for grassroots engagement and title-specific ecosystem development. Through the partner network, local communities and organisers across different games will play a role in helping identify talent, build fan engagement, and connect national representation to the wider development of esports in the country.

The Esports Nations Cup is expected to feature titles such as Mobile Legends, EA SPORTS FC, Chess, PUBG Mobile, and other leading esports titles, introducing a new layer to the global esports calendar through structured national competition.

For enquiries regarding Nigeria’s National Team Partner programme, please contact:

[email protected]