By Daily Sports on August 29, 2016

Cowbell Football Academy was launched in 2012 as a Corporate Social Responsibility programme by Promasidor Nigeria with the lofty objective of building and developing the nation’s youths through football and has within the short period written its name in gold amongst the earlier counterparts.

Following significant contributions to sports development in the country by Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk and for the visioner, Barrister Godwin Dudu Orumen football fans have foreseen a bright future for the game in the country.

To say the least, Daily Sports, followed this year’s Summer Camp proceedings from the beginning to when the curtain was drawn and can vividly say it was memory forever. Much innovation were put in place and all the local stars, ex-internationals, coaches and administrators of high standing graced the Summer Camp to add colour and the kids were the better for it. In fact, they were roundly enriched.

Fans truly enjoyed every bit of it cheering and seeing many of their idols they have not seen for a long time. The 2016 Summer Camp of the Cowbell Football Academy provided them such opportunity.

They spoke about the three weeks Summer Camp training for the kids mounted by Cowbell Football Academy at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. They thumbed up the organisers adding that with what they saw on display in the Academy; there is glimmer of hope for Nigerian football within the horizon.

For the records, the facilitator, Barrister Godwin Dudu Orumen, needs no much introduction because he is a household name in the round leather game. Therefore, I will not dare into his resume. But I must posit that he has served in the Nigeria Football Federation’s very prestigious technical committee when erudite administrator, Alhaji Sanni Lulu Abdullahi presided over the apex football house. I have to borrow the mouth of the gargantuan to deal extensively on his rich curriculum vitae. He is Mr. thorough, disciplined, workaholic of the first order and above kind to a fault.

Trust anything Orumen. The academy is committed to excellence, standard and preparing young footballers, between ages 3 and 18 to glow brightly for all to see as stars in the making.

Let me be honest with you, the training, which meant to engage the kids during the summer season and make them better Nigerians, was a beauty to behold as it was aimed at repositioning football in the land.

It was enthusiasm galore when I participated in one of the classroom session the academy organized for the children, the genre of delivery and the content of the seminar was an all-inclusive tactic to football instruction.

No jokes, I vehemently believe there is light at the end of the tunnel for the nation’s football in no distance future as currently the state of the sport in the country is essentially in poor shape needless to remind us there that things have gone astray administratively and theoretical aspect.

Head or tail, with the input from Promasidor to football academy, Nigerian youths have a future in the round leather sport that is if they can keep the flame as they were thought. Therefore, it may be safe to stick out one’s neck to say a generation of football artists in Nigeria that knows their onions is about being unleashed.

Frankly speaking too, the game being a multi-billion dollars industry needs to be grown as such with more corporate bodies joining forces to raise the game by injecting much fund into the academies to ensure Nigeria has solid platform for the budding footballers. The job should not be left for only Seven UP Bottling Company owners of Pepsi Football Academy and Promasidor owners of Cowbell Football Academy.

This Reporter is further encouraged by the progress the academy has made. I appeal to other corporate concerns to adopt similar initiatives.

 The academy has no doubt made positive impact on football in this country. It was great for the kids who were extremely over-joyed throughout the programme. The best opportunity is to play under academy to know the basics of football. To buttress it, parents and stakeholders hail Cowbell inspiration.

The 2016 Summer Camp was primarily targeted at learning, funfair, frills, thrills, grills and the final of the 2016 Summer Camp came to an end Saturday, August 13, inside the main bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, with parents and stakeholders present.

The Rector, Cowbell Football Academy, Godwin Dudu-Orumen, has been all praises to Cowbell for their unflinching support to the academy thus far.

He has not hidden his admiration on the five star support from Cowbell which he often described “as great, they’ve been very supportive. We have 17 coaches in three centers and Cowbell paid all of them as at when due, and some of them have been sent on refresher courses. We boast of equipment that some professional football clubs don’t even have. Though, it could be a lot better as we want to have our own hostels and training ground and create a bit of formal environment but so far cowbell has done well for the camp,” Orumen was quoted to have said.

He further revealed that his knowledge with Cowbell Academy is all year round, insisting that the summer camp is only an activity for three weeks mainly for children in boarding houses. The regular academy closes to accommodate the summer camp. The academy played about 160 friendly and competitive matches and incurred less than 20 yellow cards, meaning what he set out to do to bring up good, sound minds and bodies is being achieved.

Dudu Orumen further narrated how parents often stop and said to him that Cowbell Academy had taught their children discipline. “As early as 6am they are getting ready for summer camp. So the object of bringing up good Nigerians and teaching them values on the platform of football is being achieved in terms of discipline. It is instructive to note that a lot of children from the academy that sat for the last West Africa School Certificate had five or more credits,” he revealed.

Further investigation had it that two of the products from the academy were part of the Nigerian team that won gold at the Africa Youth Championship (AYC), one of them, Toheeb Gidado, was the team’s captain.

Orumen once acknowledged that response and commendation from the parents had proven to him that “the academy is achieving its objectives to help keep children away from mischief, have them gainfully employed, bring up as discipline and focused children. The sole aim of the camp is not to bring up professional footballers but rather to bring up better human beings. So we don’t give them the impression that they will overnight become Zinadine Zidane or Christiano Ronaldo,” he adds.

It would be recalled that the three-week summer camp, particularly opened for students on long vacation, and aimed at the total development of the Nigerian child through sports and extra-curricular activities. However, for the Category Manager, Dairy, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Abiodun Ayodeji the company fashioned out the edge with a vision to adding significance to the society as a socially-responsible corporate citizen. According to him, “the company is very keen in creating activities and platforms that would provide a 360 degrees development opportunity for Nigerian children and youths. This is all about total growth, whether in academics or extra-curricular activities,” Ayodeji informed.

The Cowbell Football Academy currently has three centres in Lagos, Ikorodu and Benin. The Academy is reputed to be one of the most organised football academies in Nigeria, the Cowbell Football Academy is owned by Multisports Nigeria Limited, and sponsored by Promasidor Nigeria Ltd makers of Cowbell Milk.

Without any prejudice the academy has provided a sustainable structure for the creation of a massive youth empowerment programme for young and aspiring football enthusiasts/talents as well as builds new heroes for Nigeria on the platform of Academy Football. For instance, all eyes were on Judah Bajela, 9, when the U-10 players of the Academy took to the pitch to display their skills.

Bajela, adorned in the colours of Team River Niger to the admiration of parents, spectators and members of the Academy that witnessed the finale of the 2016 Summer Camp inside the main- bowl of the National Stadium Lagos.

He was the star of the match, scored four goals against Team River Benue 5-1, thereby announcing boldly that he is a star of the future. Dudu-Orumen, restated that the CFA is here to ensure the realisation of the academy’s objective of improving and developing sports in the country.

The amiable lawyer cum sports administrator stressed that Promasidor identified with its objectives and has supported it fully. Bravo!

•Victor Enyinnaya can be reached via 08055068145 (sms only) or by e-mail via sportzvictor@yahoo.com.au

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 29, 2016

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