Benue State Football Association (BSFA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Benue State University to help young football players to go to school while still enjoying and developing their football talents.
The Chairman of BFA, Dr. Godwin Edeh who disclosed this when he visited the Vice Chancellor Benue State University Prof.Tor Iorapuu said the partnership will help to create amazing opportunities for young footballers to study and play football at the same time.
According to him, “many young athletes face a big problem they feel they must choose between education and becoming a footballer. But with this programme, they don’t have to choose. They can get the best of both to prepare for their future and sports to follow their passion.
“This programme will also teach our young players important life skills, like how to manage money and make smart choices for their future. We want them to succeed not just on the football field but also in life. We have had situations where a lot of athletes who were uneducated squandered their wealth because they did not get the basics.”
Dr. Edeh described the partnership as a win-win for both BSU and BSFA, adding that for BSU, the university will attract more talented students who love sports, new facilities like a sports lab, a first-aid center, and a digital content studio will be built, making BSU a top university for sports and education in Nigeria.
‘This partnership will make BSU to become famous as the first university to officially partner on this groundbreaking programme.”
For BSFA, we will have a chance to help young players grow in both football and education, and will use BSU’s excellent facilities to train our footballers and develop their skills.
He said, “this programme will allow us to nurture talented players and promote grassroots football in Benue State and I am appealing to the Teachers to help in guiding and supporting the athletes to balance their studies and sports.
“I want to commend BSU through the VC for being bold and visionary. You are the first university in Nigeria to officially partner with EduBall Programmme.This shows your commitment to education, sports, and the future of our youths. Your leadership is inspiring, and we hope other universities will follow your example.
At BSFA, we are fully ready to make this partnership succeed. We will provide scholarships, training, and resources to support this programme.We are committed to seeing our young footballers grow into champions on and off the field.
“As we sign this agreement today, we are not just making plans, we are planting seeds of hope and opportunities for the future. We are giving our young people a chance to dream big, work hard, and succeed in life”
In his response the Vice Chancellor prof Tor Iorapuu who commended the leader of BSFA for the wonderful initiative said the project reminded him of his pet project Football for Democracy, saying balancing sports with education will help players to go a long way globally with a promise to support the initiative to succeed.
