By Nkechi Eze
The maiden edition of the Chief of Defence Staff South-South Under-15 Boys Football Championship has ended in grand style, with renewed calls for sustained non-kinetic engagement of youths as a strategic response to Nigeria’s security and social challenges.
The week-long tournament, which concluded on Friday, 20 December 2025, at the Sharks Football Club Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, featured young football talents from the South-South geopolitical zone, alongside teams from Abia and Imo States.
In an official statement signed by the Director, Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, described sports as a critical non-kinetic tool for positively engaging youths and redirecting their energies towards productive and patriotic pursuits. Speaking at the closing ceremony through his representative, the Chief of Defence Administration, Rear Admiral Gideon Kachim, the CDS noted that the championship reflected a collective commitment to grooming disciplined, focused and talented young Nigerians.
General Oluyede explained that the tournament went beyond football, serving as a platform for promoting unity, teamwork, character building and the inculcation of core values such as discipline, resilience, fair play and respect. He stressed that such initiatives remain vital in fostering national cohesion and preventing youth involvement in crime and other social vices.
Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Sports, Mr Emmanuel Ndah, commended the Chief of Defence Staff and the organisers for hosting the championship in Port Harcourt. He observed that the competition successfully brought together young athletes from different states, fostering unity, teamwork and discipline, while reinforcing sports as an effective tool for youth engagement and national development.
Earlier, during the third-place match, the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, advised the participating youths to shun negative influences such as drug abuse, cultism, indiscipline, peer pressure and truancy. He urged them to embrace sports as a pathway to discipline, resilience, teamwork and respect for constituted authority, noting that discipline learnt on the field often translates to discipline in life. He thanked the CDS for entrusting 6 Division with hosting the tournament, describing the initiative as timely, particularly during the yuletide season.
In a vote of thanks, an Imo State Military athlete, Elijah Dozie, expressed appreciation to the CDS for his commitment to youth and sports development. He thanked fellow athletes for the exposure, lessons and friendships gained during the championship, pledging continued discipline, teamwork and excellence both on and off the field.
At the grand finale, Team Imo State Military emerged champions after a keenly contested 2–1 victory over Team Edo State. Team Edo State finished as runners-up, while Team Akwa Ibom State clinched third place following a penalty shootout. Medals and trophies were subsequently presented to the teams, an exercise coordinated by the Chairman of the Central Organising Committee, Air Vice Marshal Tunde Phillips.
Overall, the championship underscored the commitment of the Chief of Defence Staff and the Armed Forces of Nigeria to youth empowerment, talent development and constructive engagement as part of broader efforts to build a more secure and united nation.
