Organizers of the Renewed Hope Unity Cup Football Competition have formally invested the President of the Nigeria Football Federation and President of WAFU B, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, as patron of the tournament during a ceremony held at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja.
The investiture was conducted by Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, a former NFF Executive Committee member, ex-lawmaker, and current Chairman of the Plateau State Football Association. He also serves as National Coordinator and Director of Cornerflag Connection Ltd.
The visit formed part of broader efforts to strengthen collaboration and secure institutional backing for the 2026 edition of the competition, which is positioned as a major grassroots football and youth development initiative.
Conceived as a nationwide tournament spanning all 774 Local Government Areas, the Renewed Hope Unity Cup aims to harness football as a tool for youth empowerment, unity, and talent discovery. Yahaya-Kwande described the project as “À Goal Nigeria,” framing it as a call to action for national progress.
Speaking after his investiture, Gusau praised the initiative as a “noble” step aligned with the federation’s commitment to grassroots football development. He assured that the NFF would actively support the competition and monitor emerging talents with the potential to feature in Nigeria’s national teams.
The Renewed Hope Unity Cup is expected to serve as a platform not only for identifying football prospects but also for fostering national cohesion and development through sport.
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.
