As part of its programmes aimed at developing football in the region, the Western Nigeria Football Forum (WNFF) plans to build football houses for its seven member states.
The WNFF comprises the six southwest states of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos.
Speaking during the maiden Western Nigeria Football Union Taiwo Ogunjobi U-15 Championship’s award night, the body’s coordinator, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, said the zone planned to build well-rounded footballers, who apart from honing their skills to actualize their potential, also acquire qualitative education.
Akinwunmi said the Taiwo Ogunjobi U-15 Championship was instituted to honour the late former secretary general of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who spent a better part of his life in the service of the nation.
He added: “Apart from honouring Taiwo Ogunjobi, we will also help the host Football Association, Osun, complete its football house.
“We have raised some money from among ourselves, but we are also looking for help to complete the Osun State Football House.
“We hope that next year, we will take the project to another state, which will benefit from the programme until all the states have their own football houses.”
Akinwunmi, who is also the first vice president of the NFF, described recipients of the maiden Taiwo Ogunjobi U-15 Championship awards as patriots, who have done so much for the development of Nigerian football.
Among the awardees are Sports Minister, Sunday Dare; Chief Kessington Adebutu, who apart from sponsoring numerous youth football development initiatives, singlehanded bankrolled the resuscitation of the National Stadium in Lagos.
Others are promoters of Remo Stars Football Club, Kunle Soname, whose company, Bet9ja, Gbenga Elegbeleye, a former director general of the National Sports Commission (NSC).
There is also the proprietor of the defunct Omidiran Babes, Ayo Omidiran, a member of the FIFA Women Football Committee, who also chairs the NFF Women Football Committee; a former Ondo State Deputy Governor, Cornelius Omolade Oluwateru, Dr Rafiu Ladipo, the president-general of the Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club.
The owner of the defunct Jegede Babes, Princess Bola Jegede, was also honoured alongside former national team captain, Segun Odegbami.