Muhammad Sani
Nestlé Nigeria’s MILO brand, in partnership with former Super Eagles captain and football icon Ahmed Musa, has launched a 17-day football clinic and tournament in Kano aimed at discovering and nurturing young football talents across Northern Nigeria.
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The initiative, tagged MILO x Ahmed Musa Sports Clinic and Experience, is designed to provide children under the age of 13 with professional football training while promoting discipline, teamwork, resilience, confidence and other values associated with sports.
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Speaking at the commencement of the programme in Kano, Category Lead for MILO at Nestlé Nigeria Gilbert Tweneboah-Koduah,explained that the initiative was part of the brand’s commitment to using sports as a platform to empower Nigerian children beyond academic development.
He said MILO had been supporting sports development in Nigeria and decided to deepen its reach across the country through partnerships with sports icons, including Ahmed Musa, particularly to provide opportunities for young people in Northern Nigeria.
According to him, the 17-day programme will bring together more than 16 teams, with professional coaches providing participants with practical training in football skills, including shooting, tackling, teamwork and other essential techniques.
Gilbert explained that while the tournament would provide the excitement of competition, the major focus of the initiative was the training and development of the children.
He pointed out that, the programme is expected to culminate in a grand finale and the crowning of the winning team in early September, adding that the organisers hope to make the initiative an annual platform for grassroots football development in Northern Nigeria.
He noted that MILO’s experience with its basketball championship had demonstrated that sustained investment in grassroots sports could help produce future champions.
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Also speaking, Ahmed Musa, who is a MILO brand ambassador, said he initiated the football tournament to revive the culture of grassroots football and provide children with the opportunities he enjoyed while growing up.
Musa stressed that sports programmes involving children were once common in schools, with brands such as MILO playing an important role in promoting youth participation.
He expressed appreciation to MILO for supporting the initiative, stressing the need to return to grassroots football and catch young talents early.
The football icon hinted that, the focus on the Under-13 category was deliberate, as developing players at an early age would give them sufficient time to acquire the technical and personal skills required to excel professionally.
He expressed optimism that some of the children participating in the clinic could eventually become future stars of Nigerian football.
A footballer in Kano, Faruk Adam, described the initiative as timely, saying it would contribute significantly to the development of grassroots football and help provide young talents with the opportunity to improve their skills.
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Some of the young talents who participated in the opening match, Muhammad Ahmad and Umar Hussaini, expressed excitement over the opportunity to train under the initiative.
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They said they hoped the programme would help them develop their football careers and expressed their ambition to emulate Ahmed Musa by becoming professional footballers and representing Nigeria in the future.
The initiative combines professional coaching, competitive football and brand engagement, with organisers emphasising that the ultimate objective is to create a sustainable pathway for young talents to develop their skills and potentially represent Nigeria at the highest level.