The Bayelsa State Government and Spanish football giants FC Barcelona have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a football academy in the state, in a move aimed at developing grassroots football and empowering young talents.
The agreement was signed during the grand finale of the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament, tagged Prosperity Cup 2026, held at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex on Friday.
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali, signed on behalf of the state government, while Bernat Villa Garris signed for Barcelona.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by former Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick, and the NFF Secretary General, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.
Speaking at the event, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, described the partnership as a major step toward engaging youths positively through sports and steering them away from social vices.
According to the governor, his administration remains committed to investing in sports development, including the completion of the state’s proposed 30,000-seat stadium project by 2027.
Governor Diri noted that the Prosperity Cup has grown significantly since his administration assumed office in 2020, evolving into one of Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football tournaments.
“Last year, more than 100 teams participated, but this year, there were 227 teams. We also introduced female and para categories,” the governor stated.
In the male final, Okoroma United from Nembe Local Government Area defeated Akinima Biogbo of Ogboloma in Yenagoa Local Government Area 1-0 to emerge champions of the tournament’s 8th edition.
Okoroma United received the grand prize of N40 million, while runners-up Akinima Biogbo went home with N13 million.
In the female category, Active Ladies of Agudama edged defending champions Afini Ladies of Amarata 1-0 to clinch the N10 million prize, while the runners-up received N7 million.
Governor Diri praised the players for their professionalism and improvement in the standard of play, noting that many of the participants were homegrown talents from Bayelsa State.
He also commended the tournament organising committee led by Ono Akpe, alongside sponsors and partners including Premium Trust Bank, Linkage Assurance PLC, Niger Delta Development Commission, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, and Arco Group for supporting sports development in the state.
The governor, however, expressed disappointment over the poor performance of state-owned Bayelsa United F.C. in the Nigeria Premier Football League and urged the management and sports ministry to prevent the club from being relegated.
Speaking after the MoU signing, Bernat Villa Garris said the Barcelona delegation had identified abundant football talent in Bayelsa.
“It is a pleasure for us to be here in Bayelsa to see the big improvement the state is making in sports. We would love to support the development of players and coaches,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Amaju Pinnick applauded the Bayelsa government for prioritising sports development.
According to him, the quality displayed during the final proved that the Niger Delta region possesses enormous football potential.
“There are too many Yamals in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta,” Pinnick said, referencing young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, donated an additional N10 million to the male champions’ prize fund, while House of Representatives member Ali Isa contributed N5 million to the female champions and another N5 million to support the tournament organisers.
