Former Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mike Okiro has called on well-meaning Nigerians to provide nurturing platforms to engage budding talents in sports in order to curb youthful vices across the country.
Okiro made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on the sideline of the Unveiling Dinner for players of MOP Stars FC Academy on Saturday night in Abuja.
The event was to formally unveil 40 youngsters of MOP Stars FC invited to participate in the 2025 Dana World Youth Tournament in Denmark scheduled to hold from July 21 to 26.
According to Okiro who chaired the occasion, there are teeming young talents in sports, especially in football, that need to be offered opportunities to showcase their talents.
He urged stakeholders in the sport sector, as well as Nigerians of goodwill to invest in ventures that seek to discover, develop and showcase budding talents.
Okiro laud the leadership of the Academy for enlisting the lads and for securing their participation in the Dana tournament.
He said that the feat would launch them into professional football career.
“Football is a money-making venture, and it is an opportunity for gifted young Nigerian’s to be productively engaged, So I congratulate MOP Star FC Academy for this initiative to get our young men busy.
“I hope and called on Nigerians who have the wherewithal to put our youth together through sport to reduce crimes and insecurity for us to have a better society.
“We have the talents everywhere, and government cannot do it alone, that is why everybody must be involved.
“I think Nigeria should be proud to have somebody like Dr. Suleiman Adedoh who has mobilised resources to engage our youths who will take care of themselves and their families from the opportunities ahead.
“I also want to urge these boys who have been selected to represent us at the Dana tournament in Denmark, to give good account of themselves and make Nigeria proud”, he said.
Earlier, Adejoh, president of MOP Stars FC, said both the under 16 and the under 19 teams of the club have been invited to participate at the Dana tournament.
He expressed delight that the tournament was an opportunity for talented young Nigerians to showcase their talents on global stage and get opportunities.
He said the club was working towards discovery, development and empowerment of Nigeria’s budding talents in football.
“The Messengers of Peace (MOP) Stars Football Academy was born out of the need to preach peace in Nigeria through sports.
“It is also to engage young Nigerians positively, while also contributing to the development of football.
“As I scout for young talents across the country, it is obvious that our country is blessed with gifted and passionate young people who sincerely need platforms to express themselves.
“We are preparing them for the Dana tournament where 50 nations of the world are coming to play these young lads, so we are camping for two months before we leave for the tournament.
“This is our modest way of contributing to the peaceful coexistence that we need in our country Nigeria”, he said.K
Kabiru Sani, Coach of the Under 19 team, told NAN that the youngsters were determined to make Nigeria proud at the tournament, and therefore called for support from Nigerians .
Prince Adejoh, captain of the Under 16 team, expressed the team’s readiness to succeed at the competition.
“We are preparing, and we are very confident that this is an opportunity to represent our country well on the global stage.”(NAN)
