By Tayo Ogunseye
Sports development advocate and philanthropist, Yemi Idowu, has blamed Nigeria’s sports development system for its failure to identify, nurture and develop football talents at the appropriate age, insisting that the country must rethink its approach to grassroots football.
He was one of the invited guests at the 1xCup final where Tonic FC of Ikorodu won the tournament after it defeated Young Strikers 4-2 on penalty to claim the 10 million naira prize money.
Idowu said the inability of the system to recognise talented players early had contributed to the challenges surrounding age-grade football, arguing that players should not be denied opportunities to pursue their careers simply because they are considered overage for a particular category.
Speaking on the need for a more inclusive approach to talent development, Idowu questioned why a player good enough to compete at international level would only be discovered after becoming too old for junior competitions.
“You don’t become older and then become a good player. You must have been a good player when you were younger. So, the system is failing them,” he said.
He argued that rather than leaving out players who fail to meet the age requirements for under-age competitions, football authorities should create alternative development pathways that allow them to continue playing and progressing.
According to him, the focus should be on identifying players’ appropriate levels and providing opportunities for them to develop, even when they are no longer eligible for competitions such as the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
Idowu also advocated a structured grassroots football development programme that would create a clear progression from amateur football to state, regional, national and international levels.
He explained that developing a pool of 200,000 young players would be necessary to produce 20 elite players, using a multiplication of 10,000 grassroots players for every eventual elite footballer.
He further proposed that the country should have about 600 players at the national level, with each state providing a minimum of 1,000 players competing at state and regional levels.
“The only way we can compete internationally is that a 12-year-old must be playing on a full-size pitch, non-stop, week in, week out, and playing local competition, state competition, and then national competition,” he stated.
Idowu stressed that talent development should not be built around assembling young players for short-term training camps, but rather on consistent participation in organised competitions from an early age.
He noted that players should have accumulated sufficient competitive experience before reaching 15 or 16 years, when the window for preparing for Under-17 international competitions becomes increasingly narrow.
Beyond football activities, the philanthropist identified nutrition, healthcare, physical exercise and adequate rest as critical components of youth sports development.
He expressed concern about the nutritional condition and physical development of many young Nigerian athletes, stressing that sports programmes must be integrated with proper health management and dietary plans.
Idowu, who said his focus on schoolchildren was informed by the importance of proper feeding and physical development between the ages of 10 and 14, maintained that young athletes must receive adequate nutrition, exercise and rest to reach their full potential.
He, however, expressed optimism that Nigeria could address its grassroots sports development challenges through a change in attitude and a more deliberate commitment to long-term planning.
He also called for greater attention to school and grassroots competitions, acknowledging the important role of the media in promoting young talents and encouraging participation.
While recognising the importance of professional football and the Nigeria Premier Football League, Idowu said more attention must be devoted to competitions at the grassroots and school levels if the country hopes to build a sustainable talent development system.
He commended the media for its support of grassroots sports initiatives, describing its coverage as crucial to drawing attention to young athletes and creating greater awareness of opportunities in sports.
According to him, Nigeria must move away from an excessive emphasis on winning competitions and instead prioritise building a development structure that consistently identifies, nurtures and produces talents capable of competing at the highest level.
