The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has taken Nigeria’s football diplomacy beyond the pitch, leading high-level strategic talks in Morocco on the sidelines of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.
The talk is to design a new blueprint aimed at repositioning Nigerian football as a catalyst for job creation, unity and sustainable national development.
Professor Yilwatda was part of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s official delegation to Morocco during the 2025 AFCON, where he joined Nigerians at home and abroad in rallying support for the Super Eagles.
The visit came at a historic moment, as the national team finished strongly to clinch third place at the continental tournament, rekindling national pride and unity.
Beyond supporting the team, Professor Yilwatda used the opportunity to engage in high-level strategic engagements aimed at redefining the future of Nigerian football as a catalyst for national development.
On the sidelines of AFCON in Rabat, a landmark strategy session was convened to explore how Nigeria can deliberately harness football to promote unity, create jobs for young people, and build sustainable sports infrastructure across the country.
The session, facilitated by the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, Mr Silas Ali Agara, brought together a powerful mix of political leadership, global football diplomacy and technical expertise.
It was driven by a shared objective: to adapt lessons from Morocco’s widely acclaimed sports development model into a practical Nigerian framework that delivers measurable outcomes.
At the heart of the discussions was the recognition that Morocco’s football success was the result of long-term planning, coherent policy choices and sustained investment.
Drawing from the experience, the team agreed on the need for a Nigerian adaptation that goes beyond match results to focus on the full sports economy.
This includes job creation through stadium construction and maintenance, facility management, coaching development, sports administration, technology, and other allied sectors capable of absorbing thousands of young Nigerians.
Professor Yilwatda will provide the political leadership and policy direction required to drive the ambitious vision, while Mr Agara will spearhead the execution, ensuring that the strategy translates into real employment opportunities and skills development for the youths.
FIFA Council Member and CAF leader, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, will contribute global insight and access to international technical support, while policy and technology expert, Esebamen Clement, will lead the design of a data-driven and implementable framework to guide the initiative.
A key outcome of the Rabat engagement was the emphasis on collaboration with state governments, particularly through the Progressive Governors Forum.
Under the proposed framework, governors are expected to serve as the primary drivers of sports infrastructure development and grassroots talent cultivation within their respective states, ensuring nationwide impact and sustainability.
Professor Yilwatda reaffirmed that football, when properly structured and supported, could serve as a powerful instrument for national unity, youth empowerment and economic growth.
He stressed that the APC remained committed to innovative governance and the adoption of global best practices that place young Nigerians at the centre of development planning.
The Rabat engagement marked a decisive step away from rhetoric towards a clear package of actions, signalling a new approach to sports development, one that positions football not just as a game, but as a strategic platform for jobs, unity and national renewal.
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