Nigeria Produces The Talent, Others Reap The Reward

By Uchechi Okporie

Nigeria is not short of football talent. The talent is here, and we see it again and again. The problem is what happens to that talent after it is discovered. Too many Nigerian players look outside the country for leagues where they can earn better, develop themselves and receive the motivation they need to give their best.

People often say money is not everything. That may be true, but money is also a form of motivation. When someone has a talent, works hard and gives his time and energy to that talent, he deserves to feel valued. Payment can encourage a player to put in more effort and push himself beyond what he already knows.

This is why the government and football authorities need to look seriously at the state of football in Nigeria. If players are not properly motivated, it becomes difficult to build a strong league that can keep its best talents. A player who knows that another league can give him better opportunities may naturally look elsewhere.

The painful part is that there may be many Nigerian talents we have not even discovered yet. When a player receives proper support, encouragement and motivation, he may bring out abilities that were hidden before. Sometimes, the talent we see today is only a small part of what that player can actually become.

Nigeria should therefore not only celebrate footballers when they succeed abroad. We should also ask what we are doing at home to make them want to stay, develop and represent the country.

The talent is already here. What Nigeria needs is a system that values that talent, motivates the players and gives them a reason to believe that they can build a future at home. Nigeria produces the talent. The question is: why should others be the ones to reap the reward?