The tournament is designed to discover budding talents with the aim of helping them to hone their potentials and providing them an opportunity to play professional football in Nigeria or overseas.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos at the weekend, the Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. Remi Olowude, who was represented by IGI’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Rotimi Fashola, explained that the talent hunt was designed as a corporate social responsibility project to be executed nationwide, with the aim of helping teenage youth nurture their sporting talents and aspirations.

“The ultimate objective is to avail as many young talents as possible, whether in the cities or in the remotest parts of Nigeria, an opportunity to exhibit their potentials and eventually pursue a career in professional football in Nigeria or overseas,” he said.

Olowude, who described IGI as an ardent corporate sports enthusiast and promoter, said the tournament was yet another of the company’s contribution and commitment to the growth of the game of football and youth development in general. 

He said Lagos State was being used as a pilot edition, adding that the event attracted an army of participants from all the major street-soccer zones in the Lagos metropolis and its environs, including Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe.

According to him, a core selection team of renowned Nigerian and foreign football club scouts are saddled with the responsibility of screening the participants. At the final stage of the screening, the outstanding players will be selected and kept together to train routinely for possible selection by local and foreign scouts.

On the company’s deep involvement in sports, Olowude said: “IGI firmly believes that sports philanthropy is an expression of our corporate social responsibility. It is a veritable tool to keep our youth profitably engaged, to enable them to achieve a sound body and mind. The company’s efforts helps to create opportunities for these youths at the grassroots level to reach their peak, wear the national colours, and attain international recognition.”

IGI has since inception committed financial and material support to the sponsorship of sports at all levels. All the national soccer teams as well as clubs in the domestic leagues have benefited from the company’s donations at various times.

IGI Plc is the ‘Official Insurer' of the Super Eagles, Olympic Dream Team, Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets, Super Falcons, U-20 Female Team, U-17 Female Team, and the national league comprising the Premier League and Divisions One, Two and Three.