The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has been officially invested as patron of the Renewed Hope Unity Cup Football Competition.
The investiture ceremony took place on Wednesday at the NFF secretariat in Abuja, where Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, a former NFF executive committee member and Chairman of the Plateau State Football Association, performed the ceremony.
The visit by the competition’s organisers was aimed at strengthening institutional backing and building strategic partnerships ahead of the 2026 edition of the tournament.
Discussions focused on expanding support for what has been described as a nationwide youth empowerment and talent development initiative.
The Renewed Hope Unity Cup is designed to engage participants from all 774 local government areas across Nigeria, using football as a platform to promote unity and discover emerging talents.
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Yahaya-Kwande, who is leading the initiative, described the competition as more than a football tournament, noting that it is intended to foster youth inclusion, national cohesion, and long-term development through sports.
In his remarks, Gusau welcomed the initiative, describing it as aligned with the federation’s vision of grassroots football development.
“This is a welcome idea, and I am excited to be a patron of the initiative,” he said.
“The NFF will play an active role and monitor the competition closely to identify outstanding players who can progress to the national teams.”
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is currently hosting a training workshop for match commissioners ahead of the 2026–2028 cycle in Cairo, Egypt.
Nigeria is represented at the workshop by Mohammed Sanusi, Aisha Falode, Ruth David, and Babagana Kalli, alongside delegates from several other African countries.
The programme is part of CAF’s efforts to enhance officiating standards and administrative capacity across the continent.
