Akin Alabi Launches Ibadan United FC to Develop Football Talent in Oyo

Member of the House of Representatives representing Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency, Hon. Akin Alabi, has announced the establishment of Ibadan United Football Club, a new Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) side aimed at nurturing football talent across Ibadan and Oyo State.

Alabi said the club was born out of a long-held ambition to own a football team while maintaining his lifelong loyalty to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), which he has supported for more than four decades.

According to him, the dream first materialised about five years ago when he partnered with his friend, Biola Kazeem, to establish Lekki United in Lagos. The club competed in the NLO, the third tier of Nigerian football, before attracting the attention of European scouts interested in some of its players.

The growing international interest in the club’s players, Alabi said, prompted him to rethink the project and relocate it to Ibadan to create greater opportunities for young footballers in his constituency and across Oyo State.

He explained that the club was subsequently rebranded as Ibadan United FC, with a vision of serving as a platform for discovering, developing and exposing local talent to professional opportunities within Nigeria and abroad.

Addressing concerns about the club potentially competing against Shooting Stars, Alabi said the new team would complement rather than rival the Oluyole Warriors by serving as a feeder club capable of producing quality players for 3SC and other professional clubs.

“Ibadan United is about creating opportunities for talented young footballers to realise their dreams,” he said. “It is a platform to develop football in Oyo State while opening doors for players to compete at higher levels.”

The newly launched club will campaign in the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO), with Alabi expressing confidence that Ibadan United FC will become a source of pride for the city and contribute significantly to grassroots football development in the state.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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