Sports

DG, NIS Prof Moronkola Mourns Chukwu

Published

2 months ago

April 12, 2025

The DG National Institute for sports, Lagos Prof. Olawale Moronkola has expressed deep shock and sadness over the demise of former Green Eagles Captain Christian Chukwu who passed away on recently.

Professor Moronkola described Chairman as he was fondly called as one of Nigerian formost player and coach as a dependable defender and great footballer of repute who brought glory and honour to Nigeria.

He recalled that Chairman was the national team captain when the Green Eagles first won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 1980.

Prof.Olawale Moronkola affirmed that one lesson was that Chukwu was a product of grassroot Sports as he was discovered while playing for the East Central State academicals.

He further asserted that he was a dedicated player who left an indelible mark in the sands of not only Nigerian football, but the whole of the African continent.

The DG commiserates with his family and the National Sports Commission.

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Sports

NLO’s Shola Ogunowo Earns Praise for Driving Grassroots Football and Exemplifying Integrity

Published

52 mins ago

June 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Nigerian football community has lauded Mr. Shola Ogunowo, Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), for his unwavering commitment to integrity and the development of grassroots football, earning him widespread respect and admiration across the sporting landscape.

In a statement released in Abuja and signed by Okechukwu Okebugwu, Mr. Ogunowo was praised as a transformative leader who has redefined the ethics and standards of football administration at the grassroots level. According to the release, Ogunowo has emerged as a “leading figure in the fight against match-fixing, bribery, and all forms of corruption” that have plagued the lower tiers of Nigerian football for decades.

Through consistent enforcement of transparency, fairness, and accountability, Mr. Ogunowo is steering the NLO toward becoming a credible platform where talent can be discovered and nurtured based on merit, rather than manipulation or favoritism.

“In an environment where shortcuts and compromises are all too common, Shola Ogunowo has remained a pillar of integrity,” Okebugwu stated. “He is restoring credibility to grassroots football by ensuring that fair play, discipline, and professionalism are non-negotiable.”

Since taking over as COO, Ogunowo has spearheaded a number of structural reforms aimed at instilling discipline and operational excellence among participating clubs. These include stricter licensing requirements, performance audits, and compliance monitoring to ensure clubs uphold the league’s code of conduct. His administration has also emphasized youth development, with a renewed focus on coaching education and player welfare.

The result is a reinvigorated Nationwide League One that is beginning to attract renewed attention from fans, corporate sponsors, and local communities. Observers say Ogunowo’s leadership is helping reshape perceptions of grassroots football—not just as a stepping stone to the elite leagues, but as a vital foundation for the future of Nigerian football.

“His leadership is not only impacting the pitch—it’s rebuilding trust, creating real value, and setting a good standard for sports administration in Nigeria,” Okebugwu concluded.

As the NLO season progresses, many stakeholders believe that with figures like Shola Ogunowo at the helm, the future of grassroots football in Nigeria is not only secure, but promising.

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