By Dayo Awoniyi
The 10th edition of the Nigeria Future Leaders Festival, themed “Say No to Drugs and Yes to Healthy Life”, is taking place today, May 27, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, as part of the Children’s Day celebration.
The event, which kicks off at 10:00am, brings together hundreds of young Nigerians for a day of inspiration, advocacy, and celebration of youth potential, with a strong focus on anti-drug campaigns and healthy living.
Organizers say the festival aims to empower young minds with the right values and leadership mindset to help shape the country’s future.
It also serves as a platform to reward outstanding young individuals and institutions contributing to youth development.
The high point of the festival will be the award presentation ceremony, where participants will receive trophies, prize money, medals, and certificates in recognition of their achievements and participation.
Supported by the Lagos State Government and several youth-focused organizations, the event reiterates the importance of continuous investment in the next generation.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
