PHOTOS: British Council Visits Complete Sports, To Bring EPL Coaches To Nigeria

By Johnny Edward: Two English Premier League coaches from Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion and one from English Championship side, Sunderland, will be in Nigeria from the 5 March to 10 March to train local grassroots coaches in the second phase of the Premier League Skills in Nigeria programme, officials of the British Council Nigeria have informed Completesportsnigeria.com.

The Premier League Skills is a programme aimed at empowering local coaches with the basic coaching skills and also offering them basic fundamentals and rudiments of the game.

Premier League Skills has so far trained 20,000 community coaches in 29 countries worldwide.

Top officials of British Council Nigeria who visited Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Nigeria’s leading sports daily and sports website Complete Sports and Completesportsnigeria.com, at their head office in Okota, Lagos on Wednesday revealed their plans to develop people in sports (football and rugby) and other spheres of life.

“The focus is on helping Nigeria and the people develop in music, arts and sports (football and rugby) as well as promoting friendship,” the British Council Director of Schools, Mohammed Ahmed, said in his introductory speech.

“We identify the needs of the people in the communities and offer solutions. The first phase of the Premier League Skills in July saw over 200 coaches trained.”

Ahmed also added that the British Council partnered with the Lagos State Football Association in training Physical and Health Education teachers in the state on how to improve the quality of the game from the grassroots.

“Also we engage in skills acquisition and also deliver social messages to these participants on how well to cope in different situations,” he added.

The British Council Nigeria also engages public secondary schools in Premier League Enterprise Challenge in Nigeria. The Premier League Enterprise Challenge is a project where secondary school students will come up with a sustainable business plan to be supported.

Last year, students of Abesan Senior High School won while this year, Community Senior High School, Surulere emerged winner at national level.

Responding, the Group Managing Director of CCL, Alhaji Mumini Alao, lauded the innovation and promised to support the programme.

He said: ”We at Complete Sports would love to partner the British Council Nigeria on these projects and we will be involved as long as we are invited to them.”

The British Council Nigeria team was led by their Head of Communications, Edemkong Uyoh. She was accompanied by Patience Salami, Digital Media, Chikordi Onyemarela, Senior Stakeholder Manager and Mohammed Ahmed, the Director of Schools and the Marketing Manager, Nnamdi Odiwe.

 

The British Council Nigeria team with Complete Sports Editor Mr Dare Esan (third right), Deputy Editor Mr Oladimeji Loko (first right) and Julius Ojeagbase of Complete Sports Studios.

 

The British Council Nigeria team being shown round the Complete Sports printing press by Mr Dare Esan.

 

The British Council Nigeria team and the CCL team in Alhaji Mumini Alao’s office.

 

British Council Nigeria Director Schools, Mohammed Ahmed (middle), presenting a gift to Alhaji Mumini Alao and Mrs Lydia Oyekanmi.