The Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in partnership with Femben Sports International Limited, on Tuesday held a draw for the year 2025 inter-secondary school football tournament.
Speaking at the event, held at the ministry’s conference room, the sponsor, who doubles as Head Coach of Femben Sports Academy, Mr Femi Olatunji, said that the initiative aimed to discover raw football talents in secondary schools and nurture them to become professionals.
Olatunji said that the football competition was the first part of the entire partnership’s programmes for the talents that would be discovered from the competition. He added that arrangements were also in place for mentorship and sponsorship stages based on parents consent.
According to him, the partnership with the ministry would focus on four cardinal points which include talent identification through tournament sponsorship and holistic career development programmes.
“The talents from the competition will be exposed to international opportunity, which is about cultural exchange packages through sports and educational programmes.
“It is not enough to identify talent. What is the plan for that talent, what do we have in store? How do we want to nurture them, how do we want to train and prepare them for professionalism?
“There are kids who need to go and study abroad and continue their sports development based on their talent that they have, “he said.
He further stated that physical and health education teachers, and games masters in Oyo state secondary schools would be trained on basic coaching education so as to be able to identify talents across schools in the state.
Also, the Chairman of Femben Sports International Limited, Hon. Kunle Olatunji, said that twelve schools from different local governments in Ibadan had been selected to participate in the first phase of the knock-out tournament.
Olatunji added that the plans had been made to extend it to other schools and local governments. He noted that the company had already secured agreements with some foreign football clubs for sponsorship for talented students that would emerge from the competition.
The Director of Secondary Schools in Oyo state, Mrs Folasade Alamu, while speaking on behalf of Commissioner for Education Science, and Technology, Mr Olusegun Olayiwola, charged participating schools to abide by ethics of the tournament.
Alamu urged the schools to ensure that the purpose of the partnership was not defeated through unhealthy competition and feeding of ineligible players.
She reiterated that unwavering commitment of the ministry to support any initiative that would bring progress and development to the education sector in Oyo state.
The selected schools would play all the matches at Bishop Phillips Academy Ibadan, starting from Tuesday.
The participating schools include Government College Ibadan, Army Day Grammar School, Ojoo High School, St Michael High School Omi-Adio, Abadinal College, Bishop Phillips Academy, Loyola College Ibadan and Monatan High School among others.
