Ogun FA Chairman reaffirms commitment to youth football development

By Tosin Omojola

The Chairman of the Ogun State Football Association, Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi, has emphasized the importance of youth development both in the state and across Nigeria, describing it as non-negotiable. He emphasized the need for collective efforts to ensure that young talents are consistently discovered and nurtured.

Majekodunmi made these remarks following a review of the preliminary round of the 2024 Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF) age-grade football competition for boys and girls in Ogun State.

As an Executive Board Member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Majekodunmi expressed his satisfaction with the level of talent displayed during the games. “Preliminary round games have been held, and we are leaving no stone unturned in providing proper monitoring and exposure for these young players,” he said. “I am particularly impressed with the female teams; this is an area that needs improvement, and the current crop of players is showing promising potential.”

He extended his gratitude to Sir Kesington Adebutu, the competition’s sponsor, and mentioned that substantial plans are already in place for the 2025 calendar year. He also called on other corporate organizations to support the initiatives of the Ogun State Football Association.

“We already have support from KAAF and Bet9ja, who sponsored our recently concluded State League. Plans are underway to make the next edition even more expansive,” Majekodunmi added. “We are especially grateful to Hon. Kunle Soname for his unwavering support, which we deeply appreciate.”

Majekodunmi, who also chairs the NFF Youth Football Committee, recently accompanied Nigeria’s Under-20 team to Togo for the WAFU B U-20 tournament. He concluded by highlighting Nigeria’s abundant pool of young talent and affirmed that the country should have no difficulty building strong teams at age-grade levels.