Stakeholders of Nigerian football opined that governments at all levels should completely hands off sponsorship or ownership of football clubs in Nigeria.

According to some aficionados, the state-owned clubs have not thrived or perform better than privately owned clubs in recent times.

And yet, another strong voice in the fortunes of Nigerian football has joined the fray, albeit from a fresher angle.

Speaking in a recent interview, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ikorodu City Football club, Sanmi Doherty, admonished the federal government to establish a football trust fund that would empower the clubs to operate in line with the global best practices in world football. He added that Nigerian clubs would be able to compete favourably with their counterparts on the continent.

“I think government should only provide the facilities the enabling environment for the clubs. I think we can also have a trust fund fir Nigerian clubs. Tell me, why can’t the federal government earmark certain amounts of money as annual grants to help the clubs playing in the league?

“You know we’re not only promoting football, we’re also empowering the youths and using football to curb restiveness amongst the youths.

” Football is big business and capital intensive. For instance, if I know that I’m going to receive maybe N3billion from the government as my annual allocation, I can conveniently go for the best players, pay them very well, and ensure they get the conducive environment to ply their trades professionally and of course, the desired results will come,” the youthful club owner enthused confidently.

As part of the activities marking the 2025 International Day of Sports for Development and Peace, the Lagos State Sports Commission in collaboration with the Global Ambassadors Initiative has announced a series of events commemorating the celebration.

At a media briefing held on Friday at the Conference Room of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Director General, Lekan Fatodu discussed extensively the significance of sports in propagating youth empowerment, social cohesion and bridging the gaps in segregating some members of the society.

The LSSC boss stated that the IDSDP is in harmony with the commission mandate of encouraging mass participation in sports, providing an enabling environment for youth to exhibit their hidden talent irrespective of their social status and background.

The theme for this year’s celebration is ’Leveling the Playing Field: Sports For Social Inclusion’, Fatodu highlights the role of sports in bringing everybody on the board and ensuring that no one is neglected. He acknowledged its positive impact in challenging stereotypes and prejudices, giving voices to the voiceless and fostering gender equality.

The Lagos state government through the sports commission, over time, has leveraged the power of sports in bringing the youth into the limelight, providing opportunities for talents to combine sports with education to raise future leaders and champions from the communities.

The partnership with Carmel Academy to mark the International Day of Sports for Development and Peace attests to the power of collaboration with the Lagos State Sports Commission, Ministry of Education, Lagos State Universal Basic Education, Sports Providing Entities and corporate sponsors.

Executive Trustee of Ambassador Initiatives for Youth Development and Conflict Resolution, Ndidi Edeoghon, said the IDSDP was designed to showcase the impact of sports on social changes, bridging the gap of inequality, gender sensitivity, promoting a healthy environment and the immense contributions to the livelihood.

The International Day of Sports for Development and Peace is celebrated globally on April 6th every year, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly. The three-day event will feature about 1000 pupils and students from selected primary and secondary schools across the state. The debate, competition and award ceremony are set for May 7th, 8th and 10th respectively.

After the Leadership debate on the opening day, participate in Athletics, Swimming and Board Games including Ayo Olopon on the second day while pupils and students who perform exceptionally well in both debate and sports activities will get awards and certificates on the final day.

Sequel to the name change effected four years ago as published in a National Newspaper from Francis Ibhawoh foundation to ‘FRANCIS AND FIDELIA IBHAWOH FOUNDATION’, the body in a press statement reiterate it’s are pleasure to announce that the name change reflects the shared values and lifelong commitment of Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh to Education, Community Development, and Youth Empowerment. 

“While the foundation’s name has evolved, our mission and core values remain unchanged, as we continue to strive for a positive impact in our local communities, while also empowering young people to find their voices and shape their future.”

Speaking at an event held in Lagos on the 16th of March 2025 to unveil the Foundation’s new logo, the Chairman of the Foundation, Gerard Ibhawoh states that, “the name change is more than symbolic. As it is a testament to the shared vision, values, and dedication of Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh, whose lifelong commitment to making a difference in the lives of young people and communities continues to inspire us”.

He also announced that in line with the foundation’s commitment to fostering intellectual discourse and critical thinking, the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation, is pleased to announce the call for entries for the 2025 edition of its annual essay competition for undergraduates.

The 2025 Essay Competition has the theme, ‘Sports As a Catalyst for Social Change and National Development: In what ways can sports foster social inclusion, peacebuilding and youth empowerment?’

It further remarked that sports have the power to bridge divides, inspire communities, and drive meaningful change. How can we harness this power for a better society?

Entries for the essay competition opened April 01, 2025, and closes on

May 15, 2025. Winners will be announced on June 02, 2025, and with a prize money of N100,000 each for the best essays. And for further information, interested participants can reach out to:  www.ibhawohfoundation.com, and contact@ibhawohfoundation.com

The Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation reaffirms its dedication to championing education, youth development, and community progress. As it looks forward to receiving insightful essays from young thinkers across the nation, in the bids to continue to inspire positive change.