President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja declared his administration’s commitment to use football for the girl-child’s development and also inspire young people to have rewarding careers in the game.  

Buhari stated this while receiving at the State House a FIFA delegation led by president Gianni Infantino, and which also had the president of Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe. 

He called on the top echelon of football’s world governing body to see Nigeria as “one of its greatest assets when it comes to the development of football’’. 

On women’s football, President Buhari expressed delight that Nigeria has produced excellent role models to inspire the next generation of stars to take up the sport. 

‘‘Our national women’s football team, the Super Falcons, are a force to reckon with both on the continent and internationally. 

‘‘Some of our women footballers include Asisat Oshoala, who only recently became the first African to win the Women’s European Champions League with her club in Barcelona. 

‘‘There are also Rasheedat Ajibade, Rita Chikwelu, Onome Ebi, who is the only African to have played in five FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals, and Desire Oparanozie. 

“Before them we had Perpetual Nkwocha, Mercy Akide-Udoh, Nkiru Okosieme and Ann Chiejiene, and they are globally recognised stars,’’ he said. 

President Buhari, therefore, urged the leadership of the world football governing body to consider Nigeria among the first in its plans for support and investment. 

He also informed the visiting FIFA president, who is in Nigeria for the six-nation Aisha Buhari Invitational Football Tournament, that his administration has since 2017 adopted football as a national asset. 

The President said sport was being accorded the highest level of attention possible by his government to enable rapid development of abundant talents in the country. 

‘‘I have also approved the unveiling of a committee to draw up a 10-year football development master plan for the country. 

‘‘I expect that the recommendations of this committee will accelerate the development of football. It is my hope that it will further improve the fortunes of the game internationally.” 

On the Aisha Buhari Cup (ABC) competition, which has the theme “Playing for Good”, President Buhari said the tournament could not have come at a better time. 

‘‘This women’s football competition is a novel idea here and I am sure it will be exciting in its execution for our women folk and lovers of football. 

‘‘It is also a confirmation of what we already know about our women,’’ he said. 

The President thanked FIFA for making ABC a ranking tournament, adding that he looks forward to more countries joining to participate in the future. 

Describing football as one of the greatest sources of unity in the country as well as in many parts of the world, President Buhari said: 

‘‘Our hearts beat as one any time our teams are playing a football match. Our youths are always positively engaged when our national football teams are on assignment. 

‘‘Without any doubts here, football is a major tool of national unity’’. 

The Nigerian leader commended the enormous work done by FIFA in the development of football, using it as a tool for positive social change and to drive global unity. 

He pledged support for the latest FIFA initiative, the FIFA Connect programme which aims to drive football development at the grassroots using technology. 

Buhari assured the football body’s top echelon of Nigeria’s active participation in the programme. 

He also emphasised Nigeria’s huge pedigree in global and continental football. 

According to the president, the country has achieved successes in many international and continental competitions while maintaining close, cordial and mutually-beneficial relationship with FIFA. 

‘‘Nigeria is one of the few nations of the world which have participated in all FIFA competitions, at all the different levels for both men and women. 

‘‘These have opened doors of opportunities for a lot of our young boys and girls, men and women to have rewarding careers in the game,’’ he said. 

In his remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said Nigeria as the leading black nation in the world was central to all that FIFA is seeking to achieve in its football development plan. 

‘‘We love football and we follow the game passionately,’’ he said. 

Also speaking, Infantino renewed FIFA’s commitment to support the development of football in Nigeria. 

He also pledged to strengthen FIFA’s partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

‘‘Nigeria is a big football-playing country. We need Nigeria to lead the football movement in the world, together with Africa as a continent,’’ the FIFA president said.

He thanked President Buhari for supporting the development of the game, appealing to him to help FIFA amplify the message of football as a uniting force.

‘‘When football is played there are no divisions in a nation or continent. Football brings people together and to do that we need important countries like Nigeria,’’ Infantino said. (NAN)