Super Eagles and Udinese FC goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, aims to give back to society, inspire young talents, and nurture future stars.

“I look forward to giving back by setting up a foundation for humanitarian causes and a football academy to mentor and train aspiring players, ” Okoye told Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu, yesterday.

Okoye, a native of Enugu State, expressed excitement at returning to his roots and announced plans to launch a charitable foundation and establish a football academy in the state.

“I’m truly excited to be back home. Enugu is my origin and I carry it with pride everywhere I go,” he said.

Governor Mbah commended Okoye for making Enugu State proud on the national and international stage.

He applauded the goalkeeper’s commitment to youth development and announced that the state government would appoint him as an Ambassador of Enugu State, describing him as a role model who would inspire young people, particularly pupils in the state’s Smart Green Schools.

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has opened up on his humble beginnings in Lagos, recalling how he took on menial jobs like fetching water and cleaning gutters to survive before rising to stardom.

In a candid interview with media personality Daddy Freeze, Osimhen, a former African Footballer of the Year, recounted the hardships he endured growing up and the daily hustle that helped shape his journey.

There was a building in front of our house, a typical face-me-I-face-you,” Osimhen said.

“I used to fetch water for tenants there for N80. Sometimes, I would clean gutters when spirogyra started growing in them, and I got paid N30.”

(BusinessDay)

The Lagos State Government on Thursday distributed various sports equipment to 1,664 public schools in the state, as a way of shaping the sporting abilities of the students.

The donation was facilitated by the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund with a total of 1,020 primary schools and 644 secondary schools from the six education districts and the 20 Local Government Education Authorities of the state receiving the equipment.

Some of the equipments are table tennis boards, running vests and pants, spike shoes, footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, chess sets with clocks, Scrabble boards with dictionaries, draught boards, tennis rackets, and first aid boxes with medical kits.

These items were handed over to the Tutor-Generals/Permanent Secretaries of the six educational districts in Lagos.

Lagos State Head of Service, Bode Agoro, represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary of the Land Bureau, Kamar Olowosago, said the distribution marked a significant milestone in Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s efforts to promote sports development and excellence in education.

“In the last six years, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration has shown great commitment to our students through the continuous improvement of school infrastructure, which ultimately enhances the teaching and learning environment in our public schools,” Agoro said.