IJESALAND: FOOTBALL FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Spending the festive period with my people and also participating in the usual activities (now a tradition), made me realize that the ultimate intervention in the renaissance of Ijesaland is not only in sharing of ones ideas and thoughts on good governance, good practices through organizing symposiums, conferences; neither is it also only in organizing seminars/talks for all students from nursery/primary schools to the College & Polytechnic in our land.

It is time we see football as potency for social development and as a uniting factor which will help in leadership, skills development, mentoring, and the creation of links with local community leaders and organizations.

I opine the public office holders and the well-to-do in our land should not only begin to initiate projects and foundations that are bespoke towards solving people's problem, but also organize football competitions for our youths; as it is being done in my town every December.

Football has gone beyond playing for fun; it is an ideal tool to bring people together for the common goal of creating harmonious and cohesive societies. Football can be used as a driven force to upsurge understanding between different communities; using the young people's love of the game to bring communities together and educate them about the dangers of discrimination/racism. Social isolation and disengagement fragments local communities! Football: a good tool for Unity and Community Development.

Oluwatomilola K. Boyinde,
Initiator & President,
Ijesaland Renaissance Initiative,
[email protected]