By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin 

The three tiers of government in Nigeria have been enjoined to put in concerted efforts towards developing young talents in sports, especially football, by promoting football academies, stressing that football can take families out of poverty.

A consortium of football enthusiasts and professionals who spoke with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday said this became necessary because governments had left sports development in the hands of private hands.

They said that the development has not made sports, particularly football, far less explored, having been left in the hands of the private sector.

President of a football academy, DollyP Sport Academy, Ahmed Yusuf, the Academy Sporting Director, Akeem Latifu, and a team of scouts for football talents, led by Villasenor Lopez Israel, who made these assertions, therefore urged governments to create football academies for young talents to flourish and to help produce future giants in the country. 

According to Yussuf, “Government should do more to develop sports in the country. The government has left sports development in private hands. They should create football academies for young talents to flourish and produce future giants in the country.”

Ahmed Yusuf, who said that the academy had gone around different areas of the state like Baruten, Kosubosu in the Kwara North, Offa, Erin Ile in the Kwara South, and Ilorin in the Kwara Central to scout for young football talents, added that youth were selected through competition among secondary schools. 

“We assist the youth in meal, accommodation, sports materials, sports development, as well as in their education,”  he said, pleading for parental consent in the release of boys for sports activities and programmes. 

Also speaking, the Sporting Director of the academy, Akeem Latifu, said that sports, especially football, can take many Nigerian families out of poverty. 

“I believe God created sports to take the poor out of poverty. I’m an example. I used football to change the lives of my family. Football is really for the poor. There are talents in Kwara State, and I want to say that good things have just started to happen here. 

“We collaborate with international sports development agencies.

“Dollyp aims to grow the football business in Kwara State and, from there, penetrate Nigeria and Africa. A lot of our people are making it from football. Look at what football is doing to the economy of Lagos State. We want to see how we can get more, produce more of Taiwo Awoniyi, get more resources, and stop depending on the government. 

“Our footballers are making a fortune playing abroad, so we plan to make young lads from Kwara too to benefit,”  he said. 

For his part, Director at Grupo Orlegi, Mexico, Villasenor Lopez Israel, said that the major criteria football scouts look out for in young talents is mentality, adding that the team of talent scouts was in Kwara to discover football talents and develop them.

“We aim at having a good impact on their lives. Nigerian football players are strong. You have good strikers and defenders with great impact on the field of play.”

He also said that young talents need to adapt to the new world, new system of football, and culture, adding that “If you don’t have a strong mentality, even with a strong body, you may not make it.”