Sports

Eke, YSFON And Grassroots Football

Published

7 years ago

March 1, 2019

I have not seen any Nigerian dead or alive, who had painstakingly devoted his entire life to the development of youth football than Tony Eke. He was excellent and elegant, a complete football aficionado of extraordinary savvy. He combined a rare administrative ingenuity in football management with patriotic fervor in raising the standard of football from grassroots level and became an apostle of youth soccer development in the last five decades in Nigeria.
No one could fault Tony Eke’s genuine love for youth football development programme right from his childhood days in Ajegunle, the cradle of modern day footballers. He got involved in football matters as a teenager in 1965 when Youth Sport Federation of Apapa (YSFA) was formed by Chief Israel Adebajo, who was also the founder of the famous Stationery Stores Football Club of Lagos as a breeding ground for the would-be Lagos darling club.
Tony was in his early 20’s when the likes of Avi Awotoro and Sam Nwobum were being urged to sign for Stores, but it was only petit Awotoro that was preferred to the bulky, stout and lanky Nwobum. At that period, YSFA was firmly under the supervision of former Nigeria national team manager, Major Ibikunle Armstrong, an indigene of Ilaro in Ogun State, whilst millionaire business Kano-born Garba Nautan Hamza was the chairman. Patiently but painstakingly, Tony Eke learnt the ropes and became a popular figure in football circles in Lagos State, making Ajegunle his base for youth soccer revolution.
At the age of 19 in 1970, Tony Eke had already become familiar with some top brass of the Nigeria Military like Col.Sule Apollo, Major-General Joseph Garba and General Benjamin Adekunle, who had been keeping the youth club going, since the death of Mr Israel Adebajo in 1969. The trio formed a remarkable partnership with Garba Hamza from early 1970 till 1976 when the military coup that toppled General Murtala Mohammed began to have adverse effect on the day-to-day running as financial straits crippled the activities of the body.
Imbued with a burning patriotic fervor, Tony Ossai Eke, a young Nigerian of Delta State extraction, born in 1950 in the heart of Ajegunle, in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government of Lagos State, took up the challenge to expand the financial base of YSFA when he approached the management of VONO Nigeria Ltd to sponsor the first RAMAT Cup in Lagos State in 1977. The request was granted and Lagos was privileged to host the maiden edition of General Murtala Ramat Mohammed U-16 Boys soccer championship at St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, where Chief M.K.O. Abiola, a personal friend of Murtala Mohammed replaced the trophy and took over sponsorship of the yearly RAMAT Cup till 1994, even while in detention mid-way.
It would be pertinent to recall that Tony Eke was the brain behind the transformation of a local football outfit to national spotlight when YSFA (Youth Sport Federation of Apapa) became YSFON (Youth Sport Federation of Nigeria) in 1980.
For the first time, the RAMAT Cup was played in Kano and had eight (8) states from the Federation participating at Sabon Gari Stadium, Kano, it was during that tournament that Tony Eke mooted the idea of changing YSFA to YSFON in order to reflect national outlook. It is also of interest that Tony Eke initiated the moves that culminated into the appointment of Prince Dokun Danquah Abidoye, business mogul and owner of KODA Sports as the National President of YSFON on March 26, 1980 at the Central Working Committee of YSFON meeting held at Tony’s family house at 18, Olowojeunjeje Street, Ajegunle, which served as interim secretariat of the body.
I can also attest to the fact that Tony Eke was the one that first launched Nigeria into global honour when he registered the Nigerian youtyh to take part in a competition organised in Goteborg, Sweden in 1980. Tony Eke singularly recruited a crop of talented youngsters like Tajudeen Disu, Tarila Okorowanta, Paul Okoku, Dipriye Tebowei, Christopher Anigala, Alphonsus Akhahon, Femi Olukanni, Mutiwa Oshuntolu, Felix Egogo, Patrick Udoh, Monday Onyebuchi, Monday Oyarekhua, Gbewuro Amatere, Roland Onyemechi, Lawrence Akufe and Ali Kadri and kept them under the supervision of a football technocrat and former Red Devils goal-poacher “Diamond-toed) Peter “Baby” Anieke of Nigeria’s 1949 U.K. Tourists fame.
Led by the President of YSFON Prince Abidoye and seven other officials, Ben Ekpo, Isaac Eke, Patrick Akpavuerhe, Kayode Abiade and my humble self (the writer of this piece), we arrived Goteborg in Sweden to play against the best Europe could offer in terms of youth soccer. We were simply unstoppable as Tarila Okorowanta and Felix Egogo tantalised and taunted their opponents with sizzling football artistry to win Nigeria’s first soccer laurel at international U-16 stage.
Tony Eke’s record as a football administrator and pathfinder of Youth soccer revolution would be uncompleted without an illusion to the fact that he was truly a national soccer icon who touched all corners of the county, staging soccer contents to immortalise or celebrate those who made the game famous at their time.
For instance, Tony Eke regularly staging football competitions in honour of Kano Ado Bayero, Oba of Benin, U.J. Esuene, M.K.O. Abiola, Lekan Salami, Joe Audu, Dominic Oneya, Muda Lawal and recently the ALL STARS Cup which was his last assignment in October 2018, shortly before his sickness of almost nine years took a dramatic turn.
I would like to recall Tony’s last moments on earth with an agonising feeling. As a friend, colleague and confidant for almost four decades, Tony Eke had been the one always inviting me to his house on issues pertaining to football in Nigeria and other West African countries. In fact, he had told me in September, 2018 that we should arrange a football match to celebrate Chioma Ajunwa’s birthday and also mark her recent promotion by the Police on 25th December, 2018, but for his sickness which relapsed in the early part of December. He called on phone and I noticed that his voice was incoherent. When I got to his Oluwalose residence in Ikotun, Lagos on February 1, 2019, I noticed that Tony Eke was in his last days on earth and I quickly called his lawyer daughter Anthonia, who answered my call from Abuja. However, Tonia later told me she was making arrangement to take her father to their village in Delta and wanted to know whether I would be able to go with the family, which I unhesitatingly gave my nod.
Maybe we procrastinated because it took Tonia another three days to get back to me, and when she did, it was to break the sad news that her father had passed on in the early hours of February 16, 2019. I was devastated.
Meanwhile, the remains of Tony Ossai Eke will be buried on Friday, 1st March, 2019 at Ikoyi Cemetery. There was a wake-keep on Thursday, 28th February (yesterday) at Navy Barracks, Ajegunle, Apapa.

Segun Adenuga

Sports

NDG: Rivers Coach Appeal To NDDC In Talent Discovery

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Chess coach Nnamso Umoren has appealed to relevant authorities, most especially the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to provide funds for scouting of hidden talents at the grassroots.

He stated that lack of funds is hindering most coaches from doing what they are expected to do; hence, they don’t have enough money to travel to rural areas to discover talents.

Umoren made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Tidesports yesterday, in Benin, Edo State, shortly after the second edition of the Niger Delta Games drew her curtains closed.

According to him, without coaches no athlete can perform better, as coaches are the ones that teach athletes the techniques and rudiments of every sport.

“I appeal to the commission to support the coaches with funds to enable them to go to the areas and discover talents. Lack of funds for coaches limits the extent to which they can move around within the state in search of talents.

“I am of the general opinion that without coaches, athletes cannot perform better; hence, the coaches teach them the rudiments of the sports,” Umoren said.

The Chess coach called on the Rivers State government to organise tournaments in the State to know the strength of athletes discovered, saying that will improve sporting activities in the State.

However, he commends NDDC, who are the major sponsors of NDG, and Dumamis Icon Limited for close to perfect organisation.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Rivers Sports Director Rates Niger Delta Games High

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Director of Sports, Obia Inyingikabo has that the just concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games, held in Benin, Edo State, was very impressive and well organised.

She commended both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dumamis Icon Limited for the sponsorship and organisation respectively.

According to her, the problem of the team was the epileptic situation of shuttle buses, which was not under the direct control of the sports council.

Inyingikabo said this in a telephone interview with Tidesports yesterday; she confirmed that apart from the poor transport system for athletes, every arrangement went successfully as planned.

The director praised her athletes for making the State proud by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals during the games. She assured the people of Rivers State that in the next edition they will perform better and also used the opportunity to commend Rivers State promoting sports in the State.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Treat Bees, Silkworms As Valuable Resources – Don

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management, at the Federal University of Technology Akure,(FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has said insects such as bees ,houseflies silkworms and similar species should be seen and treated as valuable resources whose careful management could enhance food security, generate income, support industrial applications, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Prof. Oladipo made the remark while delivering the 193rd Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Citing the honeybee as a prime example, Oladipo noted that beyond honey production, bees provide beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and venom used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while their pollination services significantly increase crop yields and biodiversity.

She also referenced silkworms, whose silk supports textile industries and export earnings, as well as black soldier flies and houseflies, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and crickets which are increasingly used in the production of high-protein livestock and aquaculture feeds, thereby reducing dependence on expensive imported feed ingredients.

Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Professor Oladipo highlighted the multiple contributions of insects to national development in a monolithic economy like Nigeria, where over-dependence on crude oil has limited diversification.

She pointed out that insects serve as food for humans and feed for livestock, provide income for households through apiculture, sericulture, and insect-based enterprises, and supply raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Beneficial insects also enhance food security through nutrient recycling, biological control of harmful species and weeds, and pollination of crops and horticultural plants, resulting in bumper harvests and increased biodiversity.

Professor Oladipo further mentioned termites and dung beetles for their role in nutrient recycling and soil aeration, improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Ladybird beetles and parasitic wasps, she explained, serve as natural biological control agents, reducing populations of destructive pests without harming the environment.

In the area of public health, Oladipo declared that though “the economic toll of insect vectors is staggering, stretching from the household to national economy, thereby undermining productivity, draining family resources, and constraining national growth, certain insects negatively affect agriculture, public health, and livelihoods”.

The professor pointed to the importance of understanding mosquitoes and other disease vectors such as tsetse flies, whose management is critical in combating malaria, yellow fever, dengue, sleeping sickness and other vector-borne diseases that weaken workforce productivity and strain national resources.

She cited data showing that malaria alone costs Africa over 12 billion dollars annually in healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and reduced investment. Beyond mortality, she emphasized, insect-borne diseases also contribute to morbidity, chronic disability, and reduced workforce efficiency, imposing heavy burdens on families, health systems, and national economies.

She referenced maggot therapy, currently practiced in teaching hospitals in Kano, as a safe and effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds adding that bioactive compounds from fungus-insect complexes such as Bombyx batryticatus and Beauveria bassiana, which have been developed into medicines with anticonvulsant, anticancer, antifungal, anticoagulant, and hypolipidemic properties.

Weaver ants, bee venom, and cantharidin from blister beetles, she stated, also possess therapeutic value, including immune-boosting, anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, and antiviral applications. She maintained that strategic government investment in entomotherapy could strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce pharmaceutical import dependence, save lives, and support national economic diversification.

According to her, these examples demonstrate that insects are not merely pests to be eradicated but strategic biological assets that, if properly managed, can enhance food security, strengthen public health systems, generate employment, and support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The Agric expert noted however, that certain pest species continue to pose threats to agriculture and public health, thereby negatively affecting economic growth. She stressed that proper management, rather than indiscriminate eradication, is key to maximizing the benefits of these six-legged resources.

Professor Oladipo advocated integrated pest management strategies that prioritize environmentally friendly approaches, including botanicals, pheromones, biological control agents, growth regulators, and semiochemicals, while minimizing the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides.

She warned that excessive reliance on chemicals has resulted in resistance, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. She also called for stricter regulation of pesticide importation and usage under professional supervision, and for stronger surveillance by regulatory authorities to prevent the introduction of exotic pest species.

To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in entomology, she urged the government to support insect rearing and the conservation of beneficial species and to establish more Departments of Entomology in universities.

On the benefits of insects, she stressed the need for shifting societal perceptions and promoting sustainable practices, calling for stronger linkages between universities and industries to translate research findings into practical applications and commercial opportunities.

Professor Oladipo further appealed for increased funding for research and for targeted support for brilliant but indigent students in science-based disciplines, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of entomologists and agricultural scientists is critical for national development.

Presenting the inaugural lecturer, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, FAS, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, described Professor Oladipo as a distinguished scholar whose research has significantly advanced the field of entomology and strengthened FUTA’s academic and research profile.

The Vice Chancellor who described the lecture as ‘timely’, given Nigeria’s challenges in food security, public health, and economic diversification, commended the inaugural lecturer’s scholarly depth, resilience, and dedication to mentoring students, reaffirming FUTA’s commitment to research that addresses pressing national development priorities.