Michael Ikpoki, the chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, has linked the continuous achievement of the annual grassroots football championship; MTN Lagos Street Soccer to the strategic partnership between the title sponsors, MTN Nigeria and the property owners, Lagos State Government.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of Season 7 of the championship at the Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos on Sunday, Ikpoki, declared that, the project is a success story of private-public partnership in socio-economic development of the society.
“This soccer tournament helps to channel the energies of the youth constructively, thereby diverting them from negative practices which are detrimental to their future and the society. In this regard and in others, relating to education and empowerment, we believe that we are partners with the Lagos State Government to develop the youth and position them for a successful future,” he said.
Commending the ICT Company for its continuous support of the tournament, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, the representative of the State Governor and the State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, said, “whilst there has been a lot of growth and change over the seven seasons of this championship, one thing that has remained constant is the unwavering partnership and support of our title sponsors, MTN Nigeria. Season after season MTN Nigeria has continued to demonstrate its commitment to giving back to the youth of our great state.”
Meanwhile, some members of the winning teams have continued to express their excitements and expectations of becoming the new champions. The captain of the winning team, male category, Koilo 2 Street, Lagos Island, Niyi Owolabi who was apparently full of joy after receiving the coveted trophy said that this will be a landmark in their entire life.
“This is a dream come true, in fact we are short of words for this achievement. We also thank the organisers of this tournament for their spirited drive and commitment to talent discovery among the youths through this platform.”
In this same vein, Ogbeidera Raphael, the 13-year-old student of FESTAC Grammar School, who won the Most Valuable Player award in the U-15 category, stated that he will continue to cherish the award for the rest of his life. “It is not easy to be chosen among hundreds of football talents as the best, I believe this is God’s doing and I will appreciate this as long as I live,” he said.
MTN Lagos Street Soccer is an initiative of the Lagos State Government, with the support of MTN, it is conceived to bring and discover raw football talents that abound on the streets of Lagos, polish and put them on a global platform to compete for recognition and success.
Apart from the cash prizes and MTN branded football kits for the finalists, the winners of various categories will also undergo training tour in South Africa later this year. Indeed, this is one of the many ways MTN is living its brand value of making live Better for its customers and Nigerian as whole.
