The Nigeria Football Federation NFF says the Ultra modern football Secretariat proposed for Ogun State Football Association and five other States will be completed and commissioned in January 2019.
The president of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Melvin Pinnick gave the assurance on Monday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital where he was hosted by the state FA to shed light on the proposed Secretariat.
Pinnick highlighted the development of the grassroots and proper documentation as reasons why it is imperative for the state football association to own a standard Secretariat devoid of the government.
“You need a Secretariat for the development of the grassroots because if you have your players and at the end of the day, you don’t have any documentation where you collate data’s, you will find out that player’s can come over and over again, and that’s where we find age cheats” He said.
He added “We are alligned with the FIFA connect programme where every stakeholder is expected to have a verifiable record to aid growth monitoring in the grassroots, as well as their activities”.
According to the first vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, the Federation is also working towards building two football pitches for football associations across the country to pave way for a solid foundation which begins from the grassroots.
Barrister Akinwunmi confirmed that the football houses in Ogun and Oyo State will be built simultaneously, while hoping that other’s would also be completed by January 2019.
The Chairman Ogun State Football Association Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi Appreciated the NFF for its concerted effort towards developing soccer from the grassroots, while also promising that the state Football Association will keep working laboriously in staging competions where talents would be discovered as it has done in the past.
He referred to the state League, the Ogun FA under 13, under 15 and under 18 competitions as the foundation of football in the state, while also promising that the FA will not relent in its effort to discover more talents.
Also in attendance were former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation and current Technical committee chairman Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, President, Nigeria Refeerees Association and Vice Chairman Lagos State Football Association Alhaji Tade Azeez, Chairman Oyo State football Association, Chief James Odeniran and executives of the Ogun State Football Association
