The Minister Of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has identified youth football academies as vital platforms for discovering, nurturing and developing Nigeria’s next generation of football stars.
Key Highlights
- Youth academies drive football development
- Grassroots talent discovery is crucial
- Academy provides professional opportunities
- Discipline is vital for young players
- Onyeka’s legacy inspires youth development
Olawande, represented by his Special Adviser on Public Engagement, Omoleye Adedoyin, made the submission in Abuja, during the unveiling of the Under-17 team of the Onyeka Ikenga Football Academy, established in memory of the late Onyeka Augustina Ikenga.
Adedoyin said the academy represents an important investment in the future of Nigerian football by providing young talents with opportunities to develop their skills and pursue professional careers.
“This is a platform where talents can be identified. There are also many young people who are willing to do more. From here, it is a stepping stone for them to go higher and put into practice whatever they have learned,” he said.
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He noted that footballing nations that have achieved global success invested heavily in youth academies, stressing that many of their internationally acclaimed players began their careers at the grassroots.
“Most of their footballers today also started from this stage, and today they are known globally across the whole world,” Adedoyin said.
He urged the young footballers to maximise the opportunity provided by the academy while maintaining discipline, dignity and a strong sense of responsibility.
“I want to say that being here today is an opportunity for me. Being right here shows that there are people who are committed to football and sports, and we want our young children to grow and be proud of us,” he added.
The unveiling marked a major milestone for the Ikenga family, which transformed Onyeka’s passion for football into a youth development initiative following her death on January 11, 2024.
Performing the formal unveiling, the Chairman of the occasion, Moses Ebute, paid tribute to Onyeka and expressed optimism that the academy would produce future Super Eagles stars.
He commended the family for preserving Onyeka’s memory by nurturing the passion she had for football and creating opportunities for young talents.
