Ex-Ondo Lawmaker Advocates for Greater Investment in Grassroots Football

Gbenga Omole, a former member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, has called for increased investment in grassroots football development from federal and state governments, as well as other stakeholders. Omole made this appeal during the final of the eighth Akogun U-20 Annual Football Competition, held in Oka Akoko.

Omole, who served in the state assembly from 2019 to 2023, stressed that grassroots football development is vital for revitalizing Nigerian football. He believes that identifying and nurturing players at a young age will create a larger talent pool for professional clubs and national teams, while also preventing talented individuals from losing opportunities due to a lack of development.

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Identifying and nurturing promising players at a young age would provide a wider pool of talents for professional clubs and the national teams and will reduce the risk of losing talented footballers who lack the opportunity to develop their abilities.

As the organizer of the annual competition, Omole stated that his passion for football and desire to empower youth inspired him to start the event in 2018. The competition has since served as a platform for discovering, nurturing, and promoting promising young talents from the grassroots. He noted that several players from the competition have advanced to professional careers, with one currently playing in Europe and others featuring for clubs like Sunshine Stars and teams in Ghana and South Africa.

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One of the products of this competition is now playing professional football in Europe.

This year's competition identified approximately 10 promising players. Through a partnership with Inspiration Academy, four or five of these players will be sent to an academy in Abuja for further development. Omole urged the government to provide more support for grassroots football, citing prominent Nigerian footballers like Finidi George, Joseph Yobo, and Sunday Oliseh, who began their careers in similar grassroots environments.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties and Strategy, Gani Mohammed, commended the organizers for the impressive turnout, organization, and the quality of football displayed by the young players. The governor acknowledged the event's demonstration of the area's youth potential and suggested that improved sporting facilities could help the community produce globally recognized football stars.

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Many of them are scattered all over the country, and we continue to discover them. We have seen about four or five players whom we are going to take to an academy in Abuja.