The Kano State Government is set to distribute football kits to 60 grassroots football clubs across 12 Local Government Areas of the state as part of efforts to encourage youth participation in sports and develop football talent at the grassroots.

Special Adviser to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on Sports, Sani Musa Danja, disclosed this while unveiling the pre-distribution ceremony to sports correspondents in Kano.

Danja said the initiative was designed specifically to support grassroots football clubs and encourage young people to participate actively in sports, stressing that the distribution was only the beginning of the government’s intervention in grassroots sports development.

According to him, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is committed to empowering young people through sports and other programmes aimed at creating opportunities for them to develop their talents.

“This is just the beginning. We are going to give it to grassroots only. Governor Yusuf is committed to empowerment,” Danja said.

He explained that the football kits would be distributed to five clubs in each of the 12 selected Local Government Areas, bringing the total number of beneficiary clubs to 60.

The Special Adviser listed the benefiting Local Government Areas as Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni, Nasarawa, Ungogo, Kumbotso, Gezawa, Wudil, Bichi and Dawakin Kudu.

Danja said the initiative was also intended to demonstrate the government’s concern for the development and welfare of young people, particularly those involved in grassroots football.

He noted that many community-based football clubs had previously depended on individuals and influential personalities for basic equipment, including footballs and playing kits, but said the government had now decided to provide direct support to such clubs.

“Some local clubs used to write to influential individuals just to have a football, but now the government of Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf has done it,” Danja said.

He added that the government was not limiting its intervention to the provision of football kits, as it also planned to improve the capacity of coaches through specialised training programmes.

Danja disclosed that coaches from Europe would be invited to Kano to train local coaches as part of efforts to improve the standard of grassroots football and ensure that young players receive proper technical guidance.

“We decided to make coaches trained. Coaches will come from Europe to train our coaches in Kano,” he said.

According to him, developing qualified coaches is essential to the long-term growth of football because talented players need competent professionals who can identify, nurture and develop their abilities from an early age.

Danja described football as a valuable global asset, saying the enormous financial value attached to the sport had made investment in grassroots development increasingly important.

“Football is now a treasure, that is why we are developing it,” he said, adding that the huge transfer fees being paid for top players demonstrated the economic potential of football.

He said the Kano State Government was determined to restore the prominence of football in Northern Nigeria, with particular attention to Kano, which he described as a state with a strong football culture and a large pool of young talents.

“We are back in the North on football and Kano in particular, so we have to speed up,” Danja said.

He explained that the initiative would also serve as a form of encouragement and recognition for young people who were actively involved in football at the community level.

Danja said the government hoped that providing equipment and other forms of support would raise youths’ consciousness about sports and make them appreciate the government’s efforts towards their development.

He stressed that the intervention was aimed at promoting and encouraging young people rather than serving any political purpose, noting that football has a powerful influence on communities and young people across the world.

“Football is very powerful in the world,” Danja said, adding that the government intended to use sports as a platform for youth development and empowerment.

He further disclosed that the government would introduce encouragement awards and other forms of recognition for grassroots clubs and individuals contributing to sports development in the state.

Danja said the distribution programme would take place at the Coronation Hall in Kano, where the beneficiary clubs would receive the football equipment.

He assured sports journalists and other members of the media that the government would continue to carry them along in its sports development programmes, saying the media had an important role to play in promoting grassroots sports and highlighting the achievements of young athletes.

“We will not relent, and we will carry you along, the media,” Danja said.

He reiterated that the state government would continue to explore ways of strengthening grassroots football, developing coaches and creating opportunities for young players to progress from community football to higher levels of the sport.

Danja said the ultimate objective was to promote and encourage youth participation in sports while creating a sustainable pathway through which talented footballers from Kano could be identified, developed and potentially compete at national and international levels.

The Member of the House of Representatives representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency, Hon. Lanre Omoleye Oladebo, has congratulated the Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Habitat, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, on the occasion of his 50th birthday.

In a congratulatory message, Hon. Oladebo described Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa as a distinguished parliamentarian, accomplished public servant and valued colleague whose dedication to legislative duties and commitment to national development remain worthy of commendation.

He noted that attaining the age of 50 is a remarkable milestone, providing an opportunity to reflect on a life defined by service, achievements, leadership and meaningful contributions to society.

Hon. Oladebo also expressed his personal appreciation for the celebrant’s friendship, collegiality and commitment to the business of legislation, noting that his wealth of experience, intellectual capacity and dedication continue to add significant value to the National Assembly.

The statement reads:

It is with great pleasure that I join your family, friends, colleagues and well-wishers in celebrating you as you attain this remarkable milestone of 50 years.

Your journey has been marked by dedication, resilience, intellectual capacity and an unwavering commitment to public service. Beyond being a distinguished parliamentarian, you have been a dependable colleague and a leader whose friendship I deeply value.

As you celebrate your Golden Jubilee, I pray that Almighty God grants you renewed strength, sound health, greater wisdom and abundant grace to continue your service to humanity and our dear nation.

May this new chapter of your life bring you greater accomplishments, fulfilment and lasting impact. May the years ahead be even more rewarding than those behind you.

“Happy 50th birthday, my dear Chairman and distinguished colleague. I wish you many more years of good health, happiness, peace and impactful service.”

Signed:
The Media Team
Office of Hon. Lanre Omoleye Oladebo

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate an alleged anti-north statement attributed to him and circulated on social media.

The petition to the DSS was written on behalf of the senate president by Chinedu Akubueze, his chief of staff.

According to the petition, Akubueze called for an urgent investigation into the creation and coordinated dissemination on Facebook and other digital platforms of what he described as a “manifestly false, inflammatory and dangerously divisive statement” attributed to Akpabio.

The alleged statement, circulated alongside Akpabio’s photograph and designation, reads: “Northerners, You Will Be the Ones to Suffer the Most, If You Allow Tinubu to Lose the Election”.

Akpabio’s chief of staff maintained that the senate president “did not make this statement”.

He said no date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report had been produced to authenticate the alleged remark.

“The graphic carries no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source,” the petition reads.

“It appears to have been deliberately manufactured and presented as an authentic quotation for the purpose of deceiving the public, provoking regional resentment against the President of the Senate and portraying him as threatening the people of Northern Nigeria.”

According to the petition, a preliminary examination of publicly accessible Facebook records identified some of the earliest traceable accounts that amplified the alleged fabricated graphic.

It listed Abdullai Musa, who reportedly posted the graphic in a Facebook group called Sheikh Muhammad bin Uthman Group 24, and Uzoma Chilaka, whose Facebook post reproduced the graphic alongside commentary credited to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar.

The petition said the individuals should not be presumed guilty before an investigation but described them as “material persons of interest” because of their alleged roles in circulating the material.

“Their publication records, device communications and the provenance of the image should, therefore, be investigated in accordance with the laws,” it said.

In the petition, Akubueze urged the DSS to investigate the source of the graphic and identify its designer, original uploader, sponsors, intermediaries and network through which it was distributed.

He said the investigation was necessary to establish the circumstances surrounding the creation and circulation of the alleged statement and prevent further dissemination of what he described as inflammatory content.