Leading financial institution, Zenith Bank Plc, has announced a novel plan to engineer football growth and development in the country with a unique partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) geared towards capacity building programmes.
Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Amangbo told a delegation of the NFF top officials led by its President Amaju Pinnick, at the Zenith Bank’s headquarters in Lagos, that Zenith Bank is now firmly committed to providing an enabling platform for the growth and development of the sport in the country.
“We are ready to empower the new crop of young and accountable administrators at the NFF to reach lofty heights,” said Amangbo.
Amangbo declared that Zenith Bank sees the partnership as a worthwhile Corporate Social Responsibility cause, and that the coming of a crop of young, passionate, intelligent and transparent persons to the helm of affairs at the NFF was indeed pleasing.
“This is a crop of people you see doing things and benchmarking them against global best practices. For a very long time, we have not seen this in Nigeria football administration. The quality of people leading the NFF has spurred us to commit to giving them support. We are ready and happy to empower them to reach the lofty heights they have set for themselves.”
The partnership announcement began with a presentation by NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi, who in his capacity as Chairman of the Youth Football Committee, regaled the gathering with NFF’s comprehensive youth development programme, including but not limited to grassroots, U-13, U-15 sub-heads, which will be in the framework of what he called The Next Eagles Championship.
“We have a holistic Future Generation Plan, which is aimed at engendering a pool of talented young men and women for all categories of the National Teams at all times. Today, everybody talks about the Senior National Team. That should not be so. We want to create a situation whereby people will also talk about grassroots and youth competitions.
“The NFF is committed to working hand-in-hand with every organ that has to something to do with the youth, in order to realize our objectives. In the next two weeks, we will unveil our detailed programme at a world press conference.”
On his part, NFF President Amaju Pinnick stated that apart from capacity building programmes for all workers in football, the youth development programme is the next big commitment of the present NFF administration.
“The impact of our capacity building programme for referees has been immediate, with the improvement in the League. Now, it is time for a comprehensive youth development programme that will see to the constant feeding of all the National Teams.
“We cannot thank Zenith Bank PLC, a financial institution with impeccable records and with a solid reputation, enough for their support for this programme. They have indeed opened the way for real development of Nigeria football.”
Pinnick highlighted that the kernel of the partnership is for the Nigeria Football Federation to invoice Zenith Bank PLC for the various youth development programmes, as well as for capacity building of adminstrators (Chairmen of State Football Associations) and the salary of Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh.
“Both the NFF and Zenith Bank have agreed not to put a price tag on this partnership. We will invoice Zenith Bank for the various programmes and all these will be captured in our audited account in the annual report.
“It is a transparent path that we have both chosen, and we believe that this marriage is made in heaven.”
The NFF delegation to the Zenith Bank’s headquarters include: 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi, 2nd Vice President/LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko, Board Members Emeka Inyama and Sunday Dele-Ajayi, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, NFF Marketing Committee member, Colin Udoh.
NFF’s Head of Communications Ademola Olajire and LMC’s Head of Special Projects Harry Iwuala were also at the event, while Mr. Amangbo was supported by his Board of Directors.
Meanwhile, Zenith Bank, in a birthday surprise for Super Eagle coach, Sunday Oliseh, Monday, revealed plans of paying the salary of the coach for one calendar year.
Disclosing this much is NFF President, Amaju Pinnick who appeared as a guest on Channels Television on Monday in Lagos, that the federation is in advance discussions with the bank to take up the coach’s salaries for one year.
Part of the deal is a sustainable youth development programme which will be sponsored by Zenith, including the deal that would take care of Oliseh’s salary for 365 days.
“A newly designed world class Nike kit will be arriving sometime in February and under this sponsorship state FA chairmen will visit Derby County FA for exchange of ideas.
“Part of the deal will see Zenith Bank sponsor our youth programme and pay the salary of Coach Oliseh for one year.
“We’ve been on the plan for a sustainable youth programme for over nine months and we hope it will out-live us. It’s a deal we’ll have for four years. Every year we’ll have talents churned out. We are unveiling a sponsor for our youth development programme that will see us produce future Super Eagles,” Pinnick concluded.
Oliseh who marked his 41st birthday ceremony, Monday, earns N5m monthly salary which was the contract the NFF had with him in July, following the sack of former coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.
