Sports

Abba Yola Bags PAN African ICON of Sports Award

Published

3 years ago

September 25, 2022

The Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Alh. Abba Yola has bagged the prestigious Thomas Sankara Leadership Prize for Pan – African Icon of Sports Renaissance Award in honour of his leadership ideology and high administrative prudence in the field of sports.

At the award ceremony which held in Abuja over the weekend, the President, Youth Partnership For Africa’s Development (YOUPAD), Hon. Coulibaly Hameed described him as a consumate Pan Africanist.

In a press statement issued by Director (Press & Public Relations) Mohammed Manga on Sunday said that the youth group commended him for his well articulated policies which has positively transformed sports development in , of,,various capacities of his services to Nigeria, as well as his leadership with zero tolerance for corruption, nepotism and favoritism.

Past illustrious recipients of the prize, he stated, include President Umar Al-Bashir of Sudan, IGP Ibrahim Idris and Prof. Chukwuma Ozumba, amongst other distinguished Africans.

In his acceptance speech, the award recipent and Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Alh. Abba Yola attributed the recognition to the doggedness and pragmatic approach of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the doggedness of my boss, the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, with the full support of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, he said.
According to him, sports is a natural fit for him as he has been involved in different levels of its management and administration, from State to Federal capacities.

While commending the Youth Partnership for Africa’s Development for the honour, he said, “this award will no doubt encourage me to continue to do what I know best, contribute to the development of our youth through sports”.

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Sports

From Streets to Stardom: Unique Futbol Academy Scouting Program Inspires Ibadan’s Young Footballers

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2025

The Gleamer

Ibadan is buzzing with excitement as the Unique Football Academy Scouting Program kicks off, bringing together top European football clubs and talented young Nigerian players.

The four-day program, which commenced on Monday, features a delegation of four directors from prominent European teams, including two from Kosovo and one from India, led by renowned football agent Diego Martins from Portugal.

The scouting program aims to identify and select outstanding players who will be given opportunities to showcase their skills in Europe.

Successful players will be offered the chance to take their careers to the next level, with the organizers assuring them of opportunities abroad.

According to the Director of the program and founder of Unique Football Academy, Mr. Jelil Oladimeji, this is not the first time the academy has organized such an event.

“This is the 4th edition, and we are proud of the progress and impact we have made so far in terms of exposing our raw talent to the European market,” he said.

The program has already proven successful, with several players from previous editions going on to excel in European leagues. Some notable examples include Haruna Saleh with PAOK in Greece and Praisegod Emersons in Slovakia.

As the program continues, clubs are gearing up to exhibit their talents, and the future looks bright for Nigeria’s young football stars.

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