Admin Newshunters 
Some years back, one Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Lulu conceived a football academy where football will be combined with education and precisely 10 years ago, he started the project by opening Fosla Football Academy at Karshi with the support of the then minister of the FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai who gave approval for the land to be used.
10 years along the line, it has been from glory to glory, from one good news to another. Before the success story, many thought it was going to be one of those abandoned projects. Just like it is said in the local parlance, “Like play like play”, Fosla began to win laurels and became a household name amongst football followers in Nigeria and across the globe.
For history sake, Fosla Academy was officially established on 16 September 2011. The school is basically meant to support youths who are naturally endowed in the game of football to combine their career with education.
The Academy started with 25 student-players all on scholarships. Today, the school has over 140 students with 42 of them running various academic programs at the Nasarawa State University Keffi. 80 percent of the student population are on scholarships.
The Academy has made so many impacts and won so many trophies to its name. Firstly, the school got to the finals of the NNPC/Shell All Nigerian Secondary Schools Football Competition in 2015. They won all the various editions of the FCT Principals Cup from 2015 to date.
They are also the champions of the FCT U-15 football tournaments and played up to the finals of the Copa Coca-Cola and Etisalat U-15 football on two occasions. Recently, they won the rejuvenated National Principals Cup in 2021.
It may interest you to note that Fosla Academy has produced many players that have represented the country in various age grade tournaments and they are also playing in the National League One (NLO) for Fosla Football Club.
During the celebration of the 10th year anniversary and graduation ceremony last Saturday, the founder and chairman of Fosla Academy who was also the former Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Sani Lulu while appreciating Nigerians that thronged the satellite town of Karshi-Abuja said he was full of excitement.
His words, “With gratitude and praises to Allah SWT, we humbly convey our appreciation for your unflinching the support accorded us before, during and after the 10th anniversary and 5th Graduation ceremony of FOSLA ACADEMY. May the Loving God reward you accordingly. I remain grateful for your great efforts. Thank you.”
Recalled that the Academy 10th year anniversary which was combined with the 5th Graduation ceremony, was also used to recognized some Nigerians who have contributed in the success stories of the Academy among whom are the Executive Governor of Kaduna state Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who was represented by his associate, Alhaji Dikko, the Sarki Karshi Alhaji Ismaila Muhammed, Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammed (Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi), Hajia Laraba Abdullahi and Ordinary President, Ahmad Isah of the Human Rights Radio. All these got Heroes Award
NFF General Secretary, Dr Sanusi Mohammed also got the Academy’s Merit Award alongside FCT FA Chairman Alhaji Abba Muhammed Mouktar; former Super Eagles Coordinator, Mr Emmanuel Attah; Super Eagles Secretary, Dayo Enebi; Dr Paul Amodu, former Kogi State Health Commissioner; Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmadu, former Fosla PTA Chairman; Miss Oluwatosin Kolawole of Operation Save Out of School Children Campaign, IHS and SCC.
Late Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi (Former NFA General Secretary) and Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi (Former Kogi state Commissioner for Works) were given Post Humous awards.
Meanwhile, many don’t seem to take the impact of Fosla Academy serious. In other parts of the world, the academy would have enjoyed many supports both from government and individuals especially corporate bodies because it is an avenue to get future talents that would shapen the country’s football positively.
Presently, only a few number of the country’s ex-footballers are educated hence they cannot take charge of football affairs in the country like it is happening in other parts of the world. Just of recent, George Opong Weah became the President of his country, Liberia while Samuel Eto Fils was just elected as the President of his country’s football federation, Fecafoot. Many of them became bankrupted while some ran into trouble signing wrong contracts in their playing days because of their levels of education. But today, there is hope for Nigerian football.
Apart from Fosla Academy churning out graduate footballers in future, the issue of age-cheat would be a thing of the past if only the country’s football ruling body, NFF can collaborate with the school. Instead of conducting scouting programme for more than 5,000 over-age footballers that would amount to nothing but cheating and bribing of coaches, it would be better to scout players from academies like Folsa, Pepsi, etc.
And instead of three months of scouting and screening, that can be used to perfect the team. The coach would just concentrate on tactics, that is the way to go. You can’t continue doing things the same way and expect a different result.
In conclusion, we should not look at who owns what but what we tend to benefit in the long run. We are aware that some people are not happy with the founder of Fosla hence some players from the school were dropped in the past not because of non-performance but because they want to use it to spite the owner.
One thing we should note is that, we are not punishing Lulu but a generation of good and under-age who will last long in the national team and who will suffer the most? – Nigeria of course. When we won the last U-17 World Cup with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Nwakali, etc, was it not the same Lulu that prepared that team from the U-13 to U17. If they don’t like him why did they use his players and when they won, do anybody remember to mention Lulu? The answer is No. It was Nigerian Golden Eaglet that was ringing in the ears of everybody. Well, for anyone that has ear, let him or her hear because a stitch in time saves nine.
