FirstBank, Okwaraji Foundation Launch National U-16 Secondary Schools Football Championship

The stage is set for the commencement of the FirstBank Sam Okwaraji Nigeria Secondary Schools Football Championship 2026 as organisers officially unveiled the maiden nationwide competition during a press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in New Owerri, Imo State.

Addressing journalists on behalf of the Chairman of the Steering Committee, Senator Osita Izunaso, the Secretary of the Organising Committee, Chidozie Achonwa described the championship as a national tribute aimed at preserving the legacy of late Nigerian football icon, Sam Okwaraji.

Chidozie said the competition, sponsored by FirstBank Nigeria and organised by the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation in collaboration with the Nigerian School Sports Federation, the Nigeria Football Federation and the National Sports Commission, seeks to combine football development with academic excellence and character building.

According to him, the championship is designed not only to discover football talents across Nigeria’s secondary schools but also to promote patriotism, discipline, academic excellence, courage and selflessness for which Okwaraji stood for.

He noted that participating schools would benefit from increased visibility and stronger sports programmes, while students would gain exposure to scouts, mentorship opportunities and possible scholarship pathways.

The Organising Committee Secretary added that the competition would also help states revive school sports structures and discover emerging football talents capable of becoming future national team stars.

“The competition is an investment in grassroots football development, national unity through sports and the character formation of Nigerian youths. A strong school football base is the foundation for a stronger Super Eagles future,” he said.

He announced that the Northern states preliminaries commenced on Friday, June 26, 2026, while the Southern states preliminaries will begin on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Providing details of the Imo State qualifiers, the organisers disclosed that the competition would be spread across the state’s three geopolitical zones, with the Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu zonal school competitions scheduled to commence on Wednesday, July 1, Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3, respectively.

At the end of the zonal preliminaries, one school will emerge from each of the three zones to qualify for the state finals.

The three schools will then compete for the first and second positions to earn the right to represent Imo State at the South-East zonal stage of the competition.

At the regional stage, the first and second placed teams from each of the country’s six geopolitical zones will qualify for the national finals of the championship.

In all, two teams are expected to emerge from each region to compete in the national fixtures of the competition.

The national finals of the championship, however, are billed to take place at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.

Representing the Imo State Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha, Mr. Greg Nwadike reaffirmed the Ministry’s full support for the organisers and the championship, expressing confidence that the competition would contribute significantly to the revival of school sports in Imo State.

Also speaking, the Director of School Sports in the Imo State Ministry of Education, Mr. Joseph Achugamonyeonu, who represented the Commissioner for Education, Prof. BTO Ikegwuoha, commended the organisers for the initiative.

Achugamonyeonu assured that the exercise would run seamlessly in the state, noting that the Ministry already has established modalities for school football competitions and would work closely with the organisers to ensure the successful implementation of the programme and achievement of its objectives.

The organisers expressed appreciation to FirstBank Nigeria, the Imo State Government, the Okwaraji family and other stakeholders for their support towards the successful hosting of the competition.

The championship is expected to become one of Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football competitions, providing a platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of football stars while preserving the enduring legacy of Sam Okwaraji.