English Premier League, in conjunction with British Council, has trained over 100 Nigerian players and coaches in the Premier Skills programme geared towards developing football in the country.
The Premier Skills initiative, which started 13 years ago in Lagos and Kano, according to British Council, has r impacted the lives of less privileged children and the girl/child, the organisers said.
British Council Country Director, Lucy Pearson, who was represented by the Council’s Acting Director, Chikodi Onyemerela, at the closing event of the project held at Meadow Hall School, Lekki, Lagos, at the weekend, said the Premier Skills is one of the projects under the Council’s non-formal education
portfolio.
“The Premier League Skills is an international partnership between the British Council and Premier League, which uses football to develop brighter future for young people and raise their self-esteem. The project provides for coaches, referees and players to become better integrated into the society.
“During the last 13 years of the project delivery in Nigeria, we successfully trained 948 coaches and referees. These coaches and referees are now agents of change in their respective communities and are promoting inclusivity and community cohesion through the methodology of Premier Skills,” he said.
Also speaking on the project, Regional Head, Marketing, Cultural Engagements, sub-Saharan Africa, Edemekong Uyoh, said that the Premier Skills project has impacted children positively through football, stressing that there is need for more government and corporate bodies to join in the project in future to take it to different states of Nigeria beyond Lagos and Kano.
To British Council’s Project Officer, Harira Gurana, the Premier Skills programme has successfully benefited about 80 percent of women in Nigeria.
“Premier Skills programme has assisted to also educate children on child rights, teach youths to guard against bad influences in the society, and given hope of a better future to marginalised people in Nigeria,” she said.
One of the successful coaches trained at the Premier Skills programme, former Super Falcons invitee, Chinasa Ukandu, said the Special Skills programme has helped her to improve her career in coaching from well experienced trainers.
Ukandu said the Premier Skills has also improved the development of football in Nigeria, as most children and youths in local communities have benefitted from clubs established in their schools.
