Nasarawa State government has assured investors and stakeholders of it’s readiness to partner with anyone with a genuine commitment aimed at discovering and developing the sporting potentials in the State.
Amb. Lucky Isaac Yargwa, the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development gave the assurance Thursday, 15th September, 2022, at the Agwatashi Central Football Field in Obi Local Government Area when he declared open a three-day football scouting programme put together by the duo of SAJEWA Football Club and JAF Sport Club.
He said that the talent hunt is in line with the policy of Governor Abdullahi Sule for youth in the State to be meaningfully engaged in order to add their contributions to the growth and development of the society.
“This programme and our foreign guests are an indication that our State is not only peaceful but the right destination to invest in.
“We are proud of the brains behind this initiative, and I wish to categorically say that the State Government will support them in whatever way to add to the development of our youth.
“Opportunities like this used to elude us, but we are glad that we are having it right at our doorsteps today.
“As for the participants, this is an opportunity to make their dream come true as far as their football career is concerned”.
He implored them not to disappoint their families and whoever brought them to the program charging them to be disciplined, committed, focused and pay adequate attention to the instructions of the scouts and their coaches in order to be selected.
In their separate remarks, co-sponsors of the programme,Agyo Ismaila Ewa(CEO of SAJEWA FC) and Daniel Favour Joshua(CEO of JAF FC) represented by the Team Manager, Ayaya Michael, revealed the rationale behind staging the scouting programme.
According to Agyo, he said, “There’s nothing far from the reality. We have lots of talented youth who are roaming the streets with a few or no one to assist them.
“Today, football has become a money-spinning business, so, that gave me the zeal to set up my own football club to see how I can harness those battalions of talents and nurture them to become global champions in football.
“This is the second scouting programme my players will be participating in this year. About six of my players were picked during the first programme, and as I talk to you now, they are already on their way for trials in Europe and Asia.
“So, even if it is just a player that scales through, it’s going to be a huge plus to Nasarawa State and Nigeria.
“Generally, I am obsessed with talent and human resource development. This is my own way of giving back to the society that made me, and to also support the giant strides of Governor Abdullahi Sule in the area of youth and sports in Nasarawa State.”
For Favour, “Helping the youth achieve their dreams and assist their families as well as join forces with the Nasarawa State Government to both hunt and nurture the abundance of talents” was another reason for coming up with the scouting programme.
One of the scouts, Wahib Bensaou(CEO of FC Frankfurt City in Germany) said, “We are here in Nigeria, particularly, Nasarawa State, hoping to see a lot of good talents for the European football market.
“This is my second time in Africa. I was in Ghana before, but Nigeria is the biggest country in Africa, more than two hundred million people are living here, and there is a lot of talents here.
“So, all of Europe, including my colleagues here, Andrei Dotsenko from Russia and Ozan Isitir from The Netherlands, know that a lot of good players come from Nigeria, and that is what we are trying to follow.
“Our target is to get as many good players as possible who can meet our requirements and take them to the next level.
“This is my first time here, and I am planning to come back again if everything goes fine.
“The organizers are doing a very good job. We are very safe here and they are taking good care of us. In fact, I hope to be here again, maybe soon.”
Before the commencement of scouting activities, Mr. Agyo Ismaila Ewa had led the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development together with the foreign guests to the Palace of the Osoho of Olosoho, His Royal Highness, Dr. Umar Ojiri Abubakar Apeshi, in Agwatashi.
The three days event will see more than three hundred budding talents drawn from over thirty teams within North-Central Nigeria as well as from Cross-River and Adamawa States, respectively, displaying their potentials for the foreign scouts and agents from Germany, Russia, and The Netherlands.
Among the participating teams are SAJEWA FC, JAF Sports Club, Onyibe FC, Greater Tomorrow FC, Destiny Football Academy, Olosho FC, Ugwu FC, Amor FC, Discovery FC, Obi United FC, Doctor Football Academy, Tent Football Academy, Plateau Peace Football Academy, and Luti FC.
Eche Amos
