Pathway
By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos, Aug. 31, 2026 (NAN) FutbolConect, a digital football and transfer platform, has called for stronger systems connecting Nigerian grassroots talents with international opportunities.
The call was made at the FutbolConect Talent and Club Growth Development Summit 2026 in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Monday.
The summit, with the theme ‘From Grassroots to Stardom,’ brought together stakeholders to discuss talent identification, football business development and sustainable growth.
FutbolConect President, Arinze Madueke, said football networks must create income, opportunities and measurable impact beyond establishing connections.
He said the organisation sought to build stronger networks, discover and develop talent, grow clubs and create sustainable economic opportunities.
“There is a need to move beyond the present traditional approaches to football development,” Madueke said.
He called for a more connected ecosystem where talents, clubs, opportunities and investment could meet effectively.
Madueke said grassroots football required structured talent identification, scouting, player visibility and clearer pathways into professional football.
He said FutbolConect’s digital platform connected clubs, academies, scouts, agents, coaches, players, administrators, investors and sponsors.
According to him, players and agents can create verified professional profiles while accessing legitimate football-related opportunities and commissions.
“Football should not be meant for the connected, or for the rich, it should be meant for everybody.
“Talent is scarce, talent should be seen, talent should be known,” Madueke said.
He said the platform would document grassroots players, provide statistics and enable scouts to identify talents capable of progressing internationally.
Madueke said the organisation’s partnership with the Nationwide League One demonstrated its commitment to grassroots football development.
“We have partnerships with the lowest league, the Nigeria Nationwide League One, NLO. This is the basic grassroots football in Nigeria,” he said.
He also stressed proper age classification and long-term documentation of young players to establish credible football development pathways.
Danish international and coach, Flemming Serritslev, said Nigeria possessed abundant football talent, although many players remained invisible internationally.
Serritslev said football was developing rapidly in Nigeria but urged stakeholders to improve infrastructure, particularly playing pitches, for better technical development.
FutbolConect Senior Manager, Chioma Madueke, said the organisation’s objectives extended beyond football business to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
She said its activities aligned particularly with SDGs 8 and 10, focusing on economic development, poverty reduction and reducing inequality.
“We don’t need to worry about getting the talent. The talents are there,” she said, stressing the need for effective identification systems.
Desmond Chiji, La Liga Global Network Delegate for Nigeria and Ghana, commended FutbolConect for bridging football talents with available international markets.
Chiji said football was undergoing rapid digital transformation, with platforms like FutbolConect improving access, speed and efficiency.
The summit attracted ex-internationals, FIFA-licensed intermediaries, club owners, NFF representatives, and officials from the NLO and Nigeria National League.
Former Nigeria internationals, Victor Agali, Victor Ikpeba and Jonathan Akpoborie were among prominent personalities at the event.
KOJE/KTO
==========
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo(function(){try{var u=”https:\/\/nannews.com.ng\/wp-json\/nan\/v2\/track\/pageurl”,p=888092;if(navigator.sendBeacon){var d=new FormData();d.append(“pid”,p);d.append(“url”,location.href);navigator.sendBeacon(u,d);}else{var x=new XMLHttpRequest();x.open(“POST”,u,true);x.setRequestHeader(“Content-Type”,”application/x-www-form-urlencoded”);x.send(“pid=”+p+”&url=”+encodeURIComponent(location.href));}}catch(e){}})();
Source link
About the Author
