CBN deputy governor to grace Spires soccer finale

The Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Dr Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, will lead a list of dignitaries to the grand finale of the 2026 Spires 5-Aside Naija Street Soccer Tournament in Lagos on Saturday (today).

Abdullahi confirmed his attendance on Tuesday in a chat with the initiator of the event and Chief Executive Officer of Spires Media, Dr Bankole Allibay.

He said he was excited to be in Lagos for the third edition of the finale because the initiative had empowered young people through sports and technology.

“The Spires 5-Aside project is another medium to propel our youth in sports. The next generation of footballers must have a platform to hone their skills, and this is what the organisers have created,” he said.

He also commended Allibay for his passion for youth development.

“Individuals like Dr Allibay should be encouraged to do more for the advancement of Nigerian youth. His passion to empower the younger generation should be commended,” he added.

Abdullahi, also known as Dattijo, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in September 2023. Before that, he served as a policy adviser at the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York, and was part of the core team that developed the Sustainable Development Goals.

The finale will take place on Saturday, November 14, at the Union Bank sports ground off Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos. Sixteen qualified teams across the five divisions of Lagos began the championship on Tuesday, October 27.

More than ₦10m in prize money, along with group and individual honours, will be presented at the finale. Spires Media and telecommunications infrastructure company, IHS, will also present 52 free laptops to participants of the Spires Sports Meet-tech programme, which was recently completed in Lagos. Over 200 participants were trained in skills including Microsoft applications, coding, artificial intelligence and machine learning.