FutbolConect targets grassroots-to-global gap in Nigerian football

Posted : 03 September 2026

Nigeria may never have lacked football talent, but the challenge of turning that talent into sustainable professional careers remains a major concern, stakeholders at the FutbolConect Talent and Club Growth Development Summit 2026 have observed.

The concern dominated discussions at the summit, held in Victoria Island, Lagos, where football stakeholders examined ways of creating a more organised pathway for young players to move from grassroots football into professional and international opportunities.

With the theme, “From Grassroots to Stardom,” the event brought together club owners, coaches, scouts, agents, administrators, former internationals and other industry players to examine talent identification, football business development and sustainable growth.

President of FutbolConect, Arinze Madueke, said the industry must move beyond traditional networks that often determine which young players gain visibility and access to opportunities.

He argued that football development should be built around systems capable of identifying talent, documenting players, creating visibility and connecting them with legitimate professional opportunities.

“There is a need to move beyond the present traditional approaches to football development,” Madueke said.

He said FutbolConect was designed to provide a more connected football ecosystem where players, clubs, academies, scouts, agents, coaches, administrators, investors and sponsors can interact and create measurable economic value.

Madueke stressed that access to football opportunities should not depend on wealth or personal connections, insisting that talented players from less privileged backgrounds must also have a pathway to professional football.

“Football should not be meant for the connected, or for the rich, it should be meant for everybody. Talent is scarce, talent should be seen, talent should be known,” he said.

According to him, the platform would help document grassroots players, provide statistics and create verified professional profiles that could make it easier for scouts and clubs to assess emerging talents.

He cited FutbolConect’s partnership with the Nationwide League One (NLO) as part of the organisation’s grassroots strategy, describing the NLO as an important foundation within Nigeria’s football structure.

The Danish international and coach, Flemming Serritslev, supported the call for better systems, noting that Nigeria possesses enormous football talent but that many promising players remain largely invisible beyond the country.

Serritslev, however, identified infrastructure as another critical area requiring attention, particularly the quality of playing pitches needed to improve the technical development of young footballers.

The summit also examined football’s potential as an economic and social development tool.

FutbolConect Senior Manager, Chioma Madueke, said the organisation’s activities were aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 8 and 10, which focus on decent work and economic growth as well as reduced inequalities.

“We don’t need to worry about getting the talent. The talents are there,” she said, stressing that the priority should be establishing systems capable of finding, developing and connecting those talents with opportunities.

Desmond Chiji, La Liga Global Network Delegate for Nigeria and Ghana, commended FutbolConect’s efforts to connect Nigerian talents with international football markets.

He noted that the increasing digitalisation of football was changing how players, clubs and markets interact, adding that technology could make scouting and talent recruitment faster, more accessible and efficient.

The summit attracted representatives of the Nigeria Football Federation, NLO and Nigeria National League, alongside FIFA-licensed intermediaries, club owners and other industry stakeholders.

Former Nigeria internationals Victor Agali, Victor Ikpeba and Jonathan Akpoborie were also among the prominent personalities at the gathering.

As Nigerian football continues to produce talents across its vast grassroots network, the message from the summit was clear: the country’s next generation of stars may not need more talent as much as they need better systems to ensure that the talent is seen, properly developed and connected to the world.

FutbolConect targets grassroots-to-global gap in Nigerian football

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