It was a moment of pride and celebration for the Akwa Ibom State Football Association as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, declared open the ‘Football Governance and Leadership’ seminar. The event, held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Saturday, November 16, 2024, brought together stakeholders and football enthusiasts from across the state.
Gusau began by expressing his gratitude to God and the stakeholders for electing their chairman, Mr. Samuel Umoh, to lead them. He praised Umoh’s commitment, doggedness, and vision for football development in Akwa Ibom State. “The only thing he needs is your support for him to succeed,” Gusau emphasized. “On our own side, I want to assure you that we are always going to support him, to make sure football develops in Akwa Ibom State.”
Gusau also acknowledged the significant role Akwa Ibom State has played in Nigerian football, describing it as “our home.” He celebrated the state’s contribution to Nigeria’s qualification for the 2025 AFCON, saying, “We celebrated qualifying for the 2025 AFCON, so I think people need to celebrate Akwa Ibom because it happened here.”
The NFF President thanked the people of Akwa Ibom State for providing a conducive environment for the AFCON qualifiers, which Nigeria won with two matches to go. He encouraged the Akwa Ibom State Football Association to continue their good work, emphasizing that the seminar should be just the beginning. “The picture of Nigerian football lays at the grassroots,” Gusau said. “From this seminar, what we expect is for participants to take the knowledge gathered to develop talents at their respective local councils.”
As the seminar commenced, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation. The participants were eager to learn and share knowledge on football governance and leadership, with the ultimate goal of developing Nigerian football from the grassroots.
