Cross River State has unveiled a football development initiative designed to identify, groom and sponsor talented young players from local communities to professional opportunities in Europe.
The Cross River State Government has launched a new football talent development initiative tagged “From Cross River to Europe,” aimed at discovering and sponsoring homegrown players to professional leagues in Europe.
The Chairman of the State Youth Empowerment Scheme, Kalita Aruku, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Calabar on Wednesday.
According to Aruku, the initiative is designed to create a structured pathway for talented young footballers to transition from grassroots football to the international stage.
He described the programme as an unprecedented step that could redefine youth empowerment through sports in Nigeria and particularly in Cross River State.
The initiative, which will be coordinated by his office, is expected to tackle the lack of opportunities that have hindered many talented Nigerian youths from pursuing professional football careers abroad.
“By providing a structured pathway for professional development, the programme will effectively eliminate lack of opportunity that have long stifled the dreams of Nigerian talented youths,” he said.
Aruku commended Governor Bassey Otu for introducing the programme, noting that it would create opportunities for youths while boosting sporting activities across the state.
He explained that the talent scouting process would involve multiple stages and include scouts from within Nigeria and outside the country.
“Cross River Governor is a trailblazer. No government in the history of the country has ever taken the bold step of directly sponsoring young football talents to Europe,” he stated.
According to him, the initiative aligns with Governor Otu’s “People’s First” agenda aimed at empowering young people based on their strengths and talents.
Aruku further explained that the programme was designed not only for individual empowerment but also for long-term institutional sustainability.
He revealed that a portion of the future earnings of players who secure contracts abroad would be channelled back to the state as a source of foreign exchange generation.
“The era of our talented players watching their dreams subdued due to lack of support is officially over,” he added.
The chairman also disclosed that the scheme would operate in collaboration with the state Ministry of Sports to identify, nurture and develop the next generation of football stars from Cross River State.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.