Pinnick promises to furnish Western Nigeria League Forum office

From left, Director General, Development Agenda for the Western Nigeria (DAWN), Seye Oyeleye, President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick and the first vice president, NFF, Mr Seyi Akinwunmi during the flag off of the Odua Football League (OFL) and commissioning of the Western Nigeria Football Forum Office situated at the Cocoa House Building, Ibadan. Photo: OLAWALE OLANIYAN

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick has promised to furnish the new office of the Western Nigeria League Forum.

He made the promise after he unveiled the new office of the Forum as he described the innovation as the future of Nigerian football.

“I must commended the emergence of the Western Nigeria Football League. It will form the future of Nigeria football. It is a pacesetter for other regions and it will assist in discovery of new stars,” he said.

While congratulating those behind the move, Pinnick promised that it would not be a competition among the zones, adding that even if it would be a competition it will be a healthy one.

In his address, first vice president of NFF and Chairman of Lagos Football Association (LSFA), Barrister Seyi Akinwumi, traced the establishment of the Forum to a meeting held by stakeholders in 2015 in Abeokuta.

He said the integration was in line with NFF statute on regions, saying “It is not going to be a kind of discrimination, but something being done to engender regional integration and also help promote grassroots football, as well as produce future stars.”

Akinwumi, who promised that the development would witness the revival of the Principals Cup and Tertiary Institution Football Competition, assured that the initiative would accommodate all the stakeholders like coaches, referees and media.

“For instance, Coach Adegboye Onigbinde will handle coaching programme for the zone to prepare them for football development and other coaches from other zones will attend,” Akinwumi said.

The Director General, Development Agenda for the Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye said part of the mandate of the commission is to put the Southwest region on the map as a flourishing sport community from a task of engaging and shaping the future of the youth.

Oyeleye said, “It is part of our roles to use sport as a critical tool to create huge impact on the well-being of our people as well as eliciting means of encouraging an entire community to participate and see the benefits of physical activity.

“The Commission is committed to developing sports and recreational activities within the Southwest region. This commitment derives from the conviction that sports can serve as a significant tool to improve the overall health standard in the region – but sports is also so much more.”