Grassroots football development has once again taken centre stage as fresh efforts are being made to revive the system that once produced some of Nigeria’s greatest players. During the opening ceremony of the second edition of the Senate President’s U-18 Unity Cup in Abuja, Senate President Godswill Akpabio reiterated the need to invest in youth football to secure the nation’s sporting future.
A statement from his media aide on Monday confirmed that the competition, which began at the Old Parade Ground in Garki, features 21 teams — 16 male and five female — drawn from different parts of the country.
Akpabio, represented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports Development, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, said the Unity Cup was designed to reignite Nigeria’s football talent pipeline and provide a platform for young players to showcase their skills. He emphasised that the growth of Nigerian football hinges on early talent identification and consistent development.
“With these young men showcasing their talents, this is the future of Nigeria, and there is no way you can grow sports if we don’t go to the grassroots. In times past, the Late Keshis, the Okochas, the Kanus, the Amokachis, the Ikpebas and the Tijani Babangidas, who brought glory to Nigeria, were discovered in these kinds of tournaments,” he said.
He further noted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has shown clear commitment to advancing sports, urging administrators to take advantage of the renewed government interest. “I have seen tremendous signal from President Bola Tinubu in putting sports on the front burner, therefore sports administrators must key into this opportunity that the President has shown in the last two years. It should not be business as usual,” he added.
Akpabio assured that the U-18 Unity Cup would remain an annual event aimed at grooming young talents capable of representing Nigeria at major international competitions.
Tournament Coordinator, Hon. John Bassey Ekpenyong, praised Akpabio for recognising the role of grassroots tournaments in nurturing young athletes, describing the Unity Cup as a platform that promotes unity, sportsmanship, and national growth.
In the opening match, Jaguar Football Club of Abia secured a 1–0 victory over Amahus Football Club of Yobe.
The competition continues this week in Abuja, rekindling memories of Nigeria’s golden era when community tournaments, school sports, and youth academies produced stars like Rashidi Yekini, Stephen Keshi, Nwankwo Kanu, Daniel Amokachi, and Austin Okocha. That once-thriving system has weakened over the years due to poor funding and the collapse of school sports, leaving the national teams to depend increasingly on foreign-born players. The Unity Cup now seeks to restore that lost culture of talent discovery and development.
