GreenHunters Sports International and Sports Marketing Roundtable are set to launch a campaign "Show Some Concern for Grassroots Football in Nigeria" calling for government and private corporate investments in this regard.
The sports marketing roundtable of March 2022 traced the current erosion of young talents today to lack of pitches in school and within neighbourhood, where these young lads can go to practice and develop their ability in the game of football.
A young boy of about 12 years in Nigeria may have never played in a standard football pitch all his life. They may find little space in their compound to kick ball around, but have not played a standard 11-aside football game.
The present situation analysis shows a deplorable state in young talents development system in Nigeria. With the private school system now prevalent, most private schools are not big enough, in terms of landscape, to have a standard football pitch. Sports as part of school curriculum have been relegated to the background.
Houses are built every where without recreation packs or football pitches considered within a neighborhood town planning.
This is where government attention is needed to build an enabling environment for talent development.
The ministry of education should ensure a more robust sports curriculum is carried out in all the public and private schools across the country.
Corporate private investment is needed to adopt the maintenance of pitches, sponsor tournaments, purchase of kits and football equipment for schools and neighborhoods.
