Sports

My Desire Is To Give Young Nigerians Opportunity To Excel In Life-Rt Hon Essien

Published

4 years ago

October 13, 2022

Joel Ajayi

The Proprietor of the FC One Rocket team based in Akwa Ibom state South-South Nigeria Rt. Hon Otuekong Nse Essien has revealed that his desire is to give a platform for more young Nigerian who don’t have the opportunity to exhibit their God-giving talent that will propel them to greatness in life.

NFF new board member Hon Essien stated this while speaking to Sports Journalists in Abuja where he talked about his journey into football and his plan for the young ones who don’t have the opportunity.

Rt. Hon. Essien, a soft spoken, gentleman who equally owned a football academy said that his passion to help the needy make him fast rack building of a stadium in his community, while many young footballer on his pay roll on Monthly basis.

According to him, we are trying to give the young people an opportunity to exhibit their God-giving talent.

“Life is about having a platform to exhibit what you can do in life and that is what we do for the young people.”

He equally identified capacity building, integrity and grassroots development as part of his innovation he is bringing on board for more growth and development of Nigeria football.

When asked what will be his contribution to the NFF? He replied: “By the grace of God, I am bringing the capacity that is the truth, I will bring integrity as well as grassroots development. That is why I have an academy, like said earlier, my academy supplies most players. So these younger people are there in the rural and urban areas. There is a need for us to give them a platform.

“I will also try to encourage the leadership of the federation to look into grassroots growth, thankfully NFF President said, he will not play with football grassroots development.

“We need to go back to the era when we had a state league, state league is not functioning anymore, I wish to also have a governor’s cup in my state, and these are the kinds of things I want to encourage.”

He however, identified fund, sponsorship and inability of the league to be on TV as challenges of football in the country, saying those challenges propel him to come into NFF board to contribute his quota toward football growth.

Speaking on the FC One Rocket team, he expressed that his target is to nurture the club to represent Nigeria in the continient of Africa and even beyond.

“Let me tell you, I envy people like Kunle Soname, that is my model, I want to be like him, look at the facilities he provided for CAF Cup, I want to be like him, have such magnificent stadium and also be able to go to Africa

“My desire for the club is to be in premier league and even represent Nigeria in the continent of Africa.”

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Sports

PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon Splashes Big Prize Money Ahead Of 14 November 2026 Race

Published

7 hours ago

October 25, 2026

The Gleamer

Top Three Elite Finishers To Earn $8,000, $6,000 And $5,000 Respectively

The organisers of the highly anticipated PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon have announced an attractive prize package for athletes across every category ahead of the race on 14 November 2026 in Abuja.

The prize announcement has been welcomed by athletes and coaches, as the event continues to establish itself as one of the leading road races in Nigeria. The race offers local athletes the chance to compete against international runners in front of a home crowd, while also earning meaningful rewards.

In the elite category, first place earns $8,000, second place takes $6,000, third place gets $5,000, fourth place receives $4,000, fifth place goes home with $3,000, sixth place earns $2,000, seventh place takes $1,000, and eighth place gets $500.

In the Nigerian category, first place earns ₦2,000,000, second place takes ₦1,500,000, third place gets ₦1,000,000, fourth place receives ₦500,000, fifth place goes home with ₦300,000, sixth place earns ₦200,000, seventh place takes ₦100,000, and eighth place gets ₦50,000.

According to the organisers, the prize structure reflects the commitment of PremiumTrust Bank to the growth of athletics in Nigeria and to the encouragement of home based athletes. The separate Nigerian category ensures that local runners are properly recognised and rewarded for their performance.

The half marathon, which covers 21 kilometres, remains an important event for long distance runners. It serves as a test of endurance and preparation, and it provides a competitive platform for athletes building towards major national and international competitions.

The race is expected to draw elite athletes, club runners, corporate teams, fitness enthusiasts and supporters from across Nigeria and beyond. The turnout is expected to be high, given the interest already shown since registration opened.

Organisers have advised interested runners to register early through the official registration portal of the race to secure their participation, as arrangements are being put in place for timing, security, medical support and traffic management on race day.

The prize money is now confirmed, attention will shift to the athletes as they complete their final weeks of training and preparations ahead of the race day.

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