OGWUS Leads Charge Against Social Vices Through Football Tournaments

OGWUS Leads Charge Against Social Vices Through Football Tournaments

By Genesis Ogiri

The OGWUS Youth Empowerment and Community Development Organization (OYECDO) has unveiled two major grassroots football tournaments for 2026 as part of efforts to empower young people, discover emerging football talents and combat social vices across communities in the Niger Delta.

The tournaments — the 2026 Upata Unity Football Cup and the 2026 OGWUS Empowerment Cup, Abua/Odual — are designed to deploy football as a tool for youth development, community mobilisation, peacebuilding and crime prevention. OYECDO said the competitions would provide young people with constructive opportunities to channel their energy into productive activities amid challenges including kidnapping, oil bunkering, drug abuse, cultism, unemployment and youth restiveness.

The initiative is also positioned as a community-based intervention aimed at strengthening social cohesion and creating sustainable opportunities for young people. According to OYECDO, the tournaments would promote discipline, teamwork, integrity, leadership, responsibility and peaceful coexistence, while providing participating youths with an avenue to develop their sporting abilities and build positive networks.

The 2026 programme builds on the success of the 2025 Upata Unity Cup, which attracted prominent figures from Nigeria’s football, political and traditional leadership circles. Former Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Austin Eguavoen, performed the ceremonial kick-off, while former Super Eagles star and Rivers United coach, Finidi George, also participated, alongside Rivers State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Hon. Richard Ukpeni Ewoh, and the Paramount Ruler of Upata Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Nyudu Dr. Felix Enene Otuwarikpo, PhD.

Founder and sponsor of the tournaments, Eur Ing. Professor Chinedu Ogwus, said sustainable community development must begin with deliberate investment in young people. He stressed that providing youths with opportunities to develop their talents and realise their potential remained critical to building safer, stronger and more prosperous communities.

Professor Ogwus called on football teams and talented young players to register for the 2026 competitions, expressing confidence that the tournaments would provide a bigger platform for talent discovery and development. He said exceptional players could gain exposure to professional clubs, scouts and potential opportunities in national and international football.

Working in collaboration with the Upata Traditional Council, OYECDO said the tournaments were part of its broader commitment to using sports as an instrument of social transformation. The organisation maintained that sustained investment in grassroots sports could help reduce youth vulnerability to criminal activities and other destructive influences, while promoting unity, discipline, leadership and economic empowerment.

The initiative comes amid growing calls for stronger community-based interventions to address the social and economic challenges confronting young people in the Niger Delta. OYECDO said its approach was to create platforms where youths could develop their talents, build positive relationships and pursue productive opportunities rather than become vulnerable to crime and other harmful influences.

OYECDO said the impact of previous editions had extended beyond the football pitch, with some players discovered through the competitions progressing into professional football structures, including Rivers United. With registration for the 2026 OGWUS Empowerment Cup now underway, the organisation is calling on teams, players, corporate bodies, philanthropists, government institutions and development partners to support the initiative, which it said would help discover future football stars, empower youths, strengthen community relations and contribute to a safer society.

 For sponsorship and partnership enquiries, OYECDO can be reached via 08055099408 and info@ogwusyouthempowerment.org, as well as its official website and social media platforms.

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