VEMBE
The appointment of the incumbent Executive Director of the Commonwealth Handball Association (CHA), Barrister Terence Vembe, as a member of the International Handball Federation Arbitration Tribunal, has been greeted with excitement in Nigeria.
One of the first reactions came from the President and Members of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), who extended their warmest congratulations and expressed pride in Barrister Vembe’s achievement, citing his astute administrative and technical experience in Nigerian handball as key factors in his appointment.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the HFN President, Mr. Jibril Saidu Ojih (FNIQS), described Barrister Vembe’s appointment as a testament to his dedication and expertise in handball, saying, “we are confident that his contributions will further elevate the sport globally.”
In the statement, signed by Atabo Opaluwa Aminudeen, Media Assistant to the HFN President, said the nation’s Handball body looked forward to Vembe’s continued success.
The IHF, the world governing body for Handball announced this week, the appointment of Terence Vembe, a notable Abuja-based legal practitioner, to serve as Member of its Arbitration Tribunalfor the electoral year 2005 to 2029.
According to the letter of appointment dated the 9th day of April, 2026 and personally signed by the IHF President Dr. Hassan Moustafa and communicated to Mr. Vembe, the appointment was made following the decision of the IHF Council made pursuant to the resolution of the IHF Congress authorizing the Council in that regard.
In the letter, the IHF Council pledged to support and back Mr. Vembe and his colleagues appointed with him to achieve further progress and prosperity of handball.
The Arbitration Tribunal, the highest appellate adjudicating body of the IHF which sits on appeals from decisions of the Arbitration Commission consists of a Chairperson and ten members elected by the IHF Congress with each Continental Confederation having at least one member. This is the highest position ever attained by a Nigerian in the IHF.
Mr. Terence Vembe who is the Founder and Principal Partner of Anakerem Chambers – the Law Offices of Terfa Vembe & Co, was formerly Head of Chambers at the Law Firm of Messrs Ola Olanipekun & Co. His blossoming Legal Practice spans inter alia: Civil and Criminal Litigation across all courts within Nigeria and the West African sub-region with landmark judgments to his name.
An Ex-International Handball Player who also played in the Nigeria National Handball Premier League with the Benue Buffaloes Handball Club, Makurdi, Benue State, Mr. Vembe is a grassroots sports development champion. He was a pioneer member/Secretary of the defunct Rockets and Lynxes Handball Clubs, Gboko. He was also at various times Captain (male) and Coach (male and female) of the University of Ibadan Handball Team. A veteran of the game of handball in Nigeria, he is rightly a member of the Mega Veterans Handball, Abuja.
Terence is an experienced sports administrator particularly of the game of handball. He is the Legal Adviser of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Legal Adviser of African Handball Veterans Association, Three Term Member, Ethics and Arbitration Commission of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) and former 1st Vice Chairman of the Benue State Handball Association.
