AFCON: APC Reaffirms Plan to Grow Nigeria’s Sports Economy

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has restated its commitment to youth empowerment, with a renewed pledge to stimulate growth within Nigeria’s sports economy.

This assurance was given by the National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, according to an official statement released on Monday by his media aide, Abimbola Tooki.

The statement followed the conclusion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which ended on Sunday. Nigeria finished the tournament in third position, while Senegal defeated host nation Morocco in the final to emerge champions.

Beyond the competitive results, the APC chairman reportedly used the continental football event as an opportunity to extend Nigeria’s sports diplomacy beyond the pitch. While in Morocco, Professor Yilwatda led high-level strategic engagements focused on redefining the future of Nigerian football and positioning it as a driver of employment, national cohesion, and long-term development.

According to the statement, Yilwatda was part of the Federal Government’s official delegation to Morocco during the AFCON tournament. While supporting the Super Eagles alongside Nigerians at home and abroad, he also engaged in discussions aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s football ecosystem into a sustainable economic sector.

The APC chairman’s involvement went beyond symbolic presence. On the sidelines of AFCON activities in Rabat, a landmark strategy session was convened to examine how Nigeria could intentionally deploy football as a tool for job creation, youth inclusion, and infrastructure development across the country.

The statement explained that the strategy meeting was facilitated by the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Silas Agara. It brought together political leadership, football diplomacy stakeholders, and technical experts with a shared objective.

That objective, according to the APC, was to study and adapt lessons from Morocco’s widely acknowledged sports development framework into a practical Nigerian model capable of producing measurable and sustainable outcomes.

Central to the discussions was the understanding that Morocco’s football achievements did not occur by chance. Instead, they were the result of long-term planning, coherent policy alignment, and consistent investment in sports infrastructure and talent development.

Drawing from these lessons, participants agreed that Nigeria’s approach must extend beyond match results and tournament success. The focus, they noted, should be on the broader sports economy, which includes employment opportunities in stadium construction and maintenance, facility management, coaching education, sports administration, technology solutions, and other related sectors with the capacity to absorb thousands of young Nigerians.

The statement further disclosed that Professor Yilwatda would provide the required political leadership and policy guidance to drive the proposed vision. Meanwhile, Silas Agara would oversee implementation, ensuring that the strategy results in tangible employment opportunities and structured skills development for Nigerian youths.

In addition, Amaju Pinnick, a FIFA Council member and leader within the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is expected to contribute international perspective and facilitate access to global technical support.

Policy and technology expert Esebamen Clement will lead the development of a data-driven and implementable framework designed to guide the initiative and ensure accountability in execution.

Another major outcome of the Rabat engagement was the emphasis on collaboration with state governments, particularly through the Progressive Governors Forum, to ensure nationwide alignment and decentralised execution.

Professor Yilwatda reaffirmed that football, when properly structured and supported, has the capacity to function as a powerful vehicle for national unity, youth empowerment, and economic growth, reinforcing the APC’s broader development agenda