Today, I boldly undertake a double task – to celebrate coaches who made things tick during the glorious years of National Grassroots Dream Team in Surulere, Lagos and to correct a major error that many people keep committing regarding the nomenclature for youth football in Nigeria.

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First and foremost, I earnestly celebrate four coaches who toiled willingly, committedly, untiringly, charitably and effectively in making National Grassroots Dream Team a household name for youth football development in Lagos State from 1988 to 2009.

Today, I doff my hat once again for the late Coach Anthony Onuoha (who was our foundation tactician in the highly-acclaimed centre of excellence), as well as Coach Chijioke Gabriel Osuagwu, Coach Osahon Emokpae and Coach Iyke Chijioke Anyaji.

I also quickly apologise to them for how I made them work for charity and did not try to turn the ‘goldmine’ we had into a money generating platform that could trive into the future through lucrative contracts with more than 200 hugely talented lads who turned up for three different rounds of training sessions (junior, intermediate and senior categories) every Saturday at White Sand Field, Orile Iganmu, Lagos.

When I see how several ‘uncertified coaches’ keep garnering huge amounts of money daily nowadays, in the name of training kids (including one of my sons) at so-called football academies, I simply confess that I was wrong to have run National Grassroots Dream Team as a charity venture. Instead of collecting registration fees from players, we paid them allowances instead from our personal funds!

Today, Coach Tony (aka Chief) is late and virtually forgotten. Coach Chijiioke was employed then dumped by Abia Warriors, Heartland and Enyimba. Coach Osahon recently suffered a major physical setback after serving as sole administrator of Badagry Division Football Association (BDFA). Coach Iyke toils on tirelessly but unsung in the interior localities of Ojo, Lagos.

They all served judiciously (but for free) as gaffers with the very busy and ubiquitous National Grassroots Dream Team. Together, we groomed seven players for the Super Eagles – Ayo Makinwa, Ifeanyi Emeghara, Kevin Amuneke, Femi Ajilore, Kazeem Ayila, Sunday Stephen and Nnamdi Oduamadi – but have no recent contacts with any of those former players in appreciation of their achievements.

Together we produced other top stars who shook Europe for some years – including Benjamin Onwuachi at Juventus of Italy, Daniel Chima Uchechi at Leicester City of England, Ezekiel Henry (Henty) at AC Milan of Italy, Rilwan Hassan at FC Midtjylland of Denmark, among many others – but nothing to show for us in the form of peps from their pro-contracts.

I hear Paul Ebere Onuachu is still in touch with Coach Osahon, but their connection was at his youth club, Young Stars FC of Satellite Town, Lagos – not at National Grassroots Dream Team. So, why have our direct products from National Grassroots Dream Team failed to keep in touch with people who worked to make them grow?

It all boils down to my insistence on treating them as sons instead of placing them on contracts that would yield long-term dividends to our team and provide emoluments for the coaches who worked for gratis. So, we could not get FIFA development grants on any of the lads we groomed.

Some even set up academies of their own after retirement, without thinking of continuing with the foundation that produced them. Many of them would rather credit the last step of their breakthrough and forget about their small beginning. So sad!

Today, I admit where I erred and I again beg for forgiveness from those four coaches who looked up to me to augment their future, but I disappointed … because I failed to realise that life is such a long road to travel on and human character changes along the way.

That’s why those players who appeared to be loyal and trustworthy as teenagers ended up thinking of self-first as fathers.

Call it the basic instinct of survival or a factor of assertiveness – especially in these days of harsh economic realities.

Apart from pleading for forgiveness from the coaches that I failed to make provisions for into their future, I hereby humbly appeal to football administrators, corporate bodies and philanthropic individuals to please kindly reach out with helping hands to uplift these true heroes before they die.

In the final analysis, I make bold to clarify that instances of the round leather game at youth and school levels are not the same as grassroots football.

Someone in the Baby Eagles, Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles is playing youth football, while anyone at Holy Ghost College, Sardauna College, CKC College, Baptist Academy or Saint Finbarr’s College is in school football – not at the grassroots.

Real grassroots football can only be seen when you go to interior places in Eket, Kafanchan, Gboko, Ubakala, Atakunmosa, Bwari, Ajangbadi, et al. Leave the city centre and visit the slums. Grassroots football occurs only in the distant community and suburbs of a city.

At the same time, while many teams now parade themselves as football academies, they must realise that it’s just in nomenclature alone and an abberation.

Can there be an academy without a hostel, training pitch, classrooms and proper academic curriculum owned by the team and officials of the ‘club claiming to be a school?’

Nigeria’s crude oil production topped its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota in May, reaching its pinnacle in 15 months and cementing its position as Africa’s leading oil producer.

Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed the country produced an average of 1.53 million barrels of crude oil per day (bpd) during the month.

With a condensate production of 170,446 bpd included, the commission put Nigeria’s average total hydrocarbon output at 1.7 million bpd.

“Nigeria’s oil production witnessed an upswing in May 2026, averaging 1,530,354 barrels of crude oil and 170,446 barrels of condensates per day, bringing the total combined production to 1,700, 800 barrels per day and consolidating Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest oil producer,” NUPRC said in a statement on Thursday.

The figure represents 102 per cent of Nigeria’s OPEC production quota of 1.5 million bpd, according to the regulator.

The latest performance marks a significant milestone for the country’s oil sector, with total production standing at its peak since last July, when the combined crude oil and condensate output reached 1.71 million bpd.

With the figure for condensates excluded, the 1.53 million bpd in May represents Nigeria’s strongest performance since January 2025, when output touched 1.538 million bpd.

The May figure also represents a 15-month high for crude oil production, excluding condensates.

While Nigeria’s oil production continues to witness significant growth, oil rich communities from the country’s Niger Delta region are grappling with unprecedented levels of oil and gas pollution amidst renewed exploration targets.

Remediation efforts across the region have been conspicuously slow, raising concerns over the country’s refusal to prioritise the welfare of the residents of the region.

Production rises month-on-month

Crude oil production (excluding condensates) in May increased by 2.8 per cent from 1.48 million bpd a month earlier.

The trend has remained positive over the past five months. Combined crude oil and condensate production rose from 1.48 million bpd in February to 1.54 million bpd in March, 1.66 million bpd in April and 1.7 million bpd in May.

The steady rise suggests sustained improvements in operational efficiency across the upstream sector, despite the ongoing challenges facing the global oil market.

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Among Nigeria’s major production streams, Bonny Terminal recorded the highest output, contributing 293,870 bpd.

Forcados Terminal followed closely with 289,900 bpd, while Qua Iboe produced 173,360 bpd.

Escravos Oil Terminal accounted for 135,470 bpd, while Odudu (Amenam Blend) completed the top five production streams with 63,250 bpd.

Improved operations

The NUPRC attributed the improved production performance to stable operations across the industry.

According to the commission, there were no significant pipeline disruptions or facility outages during the period under review.

It also noted that all the previously scheduled turnaround maintenance programmes have been successfully completed, contributing to improved operational reliability and higher production efficiency.

The latest figures could boost government revenues and strengthen confidence in the ongoing efforts to raise Nigeria’s oil production capacity, which has been constrained in recent years by crude theft, pipeline vandalism and operational challenges.

With output now above its OPEC quota, attention will turn to whether the country can sustain the momentum in the coming months.