SPORTS PERSONALITY: Kwara Football Academy purely state government owned – KFA boss

With Mike Adeyemi

Jimoh Kehinde is the Ag. Administrator Kwara Football Academy (KFA). In this interview with MIKE ADEYEMI he speaks on the intention of the founding fathers of the academy as well as how the institution has impacted on average Kwarans. Excerpts:

How has been the journey since you assumed office as Ag. Administrator, KFA?

Well, I thank God Almighty for his support and assistance. The journey so far has been hectic, but we thank God.

We have been able to move the academy forward than where we met it. When I came into the academy around June 2017, the number of students I met on ground, the level of facilities and the administration generally that I met,  I thank God.

Because of my background… in the civil service and in the sports, I was able to advanced this place forward.

When I came in, I met almost 98 students both in the school and at the field. But today, they are almost 166 students.

When we came in, first we decided to look at the intentions of the founding fathers, which is to create a platform for the young boys who are willing to take football as career.

And they know that many may not be able to afford the kind of funding. So the Kwara State Government came in with an assistance bid in the form of scholarship.

But before you came in, the yardstick is that you are a player as exercise are carried out across the nation.

I think as at that time, they started with about 35 students. But when I came in, I discovered that there was nobody with scholarship, only two or four.

I now discovered that we have not get people that may represents the interest of the academy in terms of players.

When I came in, I brought in the idea. As you know,  I was appointed through the Ministry of Sports. So I throw in the advise that in sports today as far as Nigeria clime is concern, many that are there are not from affluence.

So, in view of this, we have to think along that line. And the Commissioner of Sport then agreed with me and they gave me 20 scholarship for the players.

We did our scouting and up till this time, we are still on it. Among those we have placed today, many of them have been fixed into various clubs in the country.

So far so good, it has been hectic, but we give thank to God.

What has been the challenges before KFA?

One major thing I want to us to understand is that, in every establishment, money is always not enough for anybody.

We are facing financial problem. You know, there are lots of things in the hands of the government to cater for. We have health, social development, medicals. We have every other areas, Sports is also part of it.

So, at our own level – we believe we should also enjoy what our counterpart in the state are enjoying. Like here, government on it own part pays the salaries of our workers.

Even there is no running cost, but government also give us a leverage. If you bring in student, whatever you charge for them, make provision for feeding and little you can take for the running cost.

But as I told you, many that are involved in sports are not from affluence home. If you now what to raise the fees beyond those who are affluence, the interest of the government for setting up the academy might be reduced.

We have to level up at certain instances to ensure that at least, we take care of their feedings. What we charge students is to take care of their feedings and little maintenance in their hostel.

So certainly, you cannot go more if we are thinking of how to run the administration. With that, we are looking up to the government to come to our aid to do the running.

We have four pitches, three hostels, two are functionionally working, we have two medical department.

What synergy does exist between  KFA and the Nigerian clubs?

The relationship has been quite good. I want to tell you that, today Kwara Football Academy has players in almost all clubs in Nigeria.

Am talking in terms of even those who have left before I came in,  and we have some now. So,  at least for now, in recent time, we have sent players to Wikki Tourist, MFM Lagos, Sunshine, Gombe united, ABS and few other clubs are also seeking for our interest particularly at the lower league and we are sure that definitely our players are there.

So far so good, we have been pushing our players up to the world.

What is the position of KFA now in terms of government support?

Just like I have said earlier, the government have been paying the salary of our workers adequately. Since I came in, government have not owe us one kobo.

But ,one thing so obvious is that prior the time the Ministry of Sports took over this place from harmony holdings, there were backlog of salaries owed, and our staff have been agitating this.

I put up several memo to the government. Thank God it has received blessings of the government. They have given approval to release some to us, so we will be able to pay them.

But that has not been given to us. We are looking forward to get it soonest.

(Cuts in:) Are you invariably saying Harmony Holdings has handed off the control of KFA?

Yes, completely

(Cut in:) Under whose control is the Academy now?

The control of KFA now is strictly in the hand of Kwara State Government. That is why it is under the Ministry of Sports.

The idea of Kwara football academy started with our leader, Dr. Bukola Saraki when he was the governor.

As I told you earlier, the intention was to create a platform and to ensure that sports people can make living out of it, while they can also do it to study.

So they started with those who are willing to study and play football. That is the principle on which the academy was based.

Though, they started with scholarship that time as to be an impetus to the young one within our society and the surrounding states.

Now, there is fees involved, because if you want to come in to Kwara football academy, except the 20 slots that I said we’re on scholarship to the top class at the yellow group – that is the first group that represents the academy.

Every other group, if you are good and we discovered that, okay we can also groom you, but your parents must pay some token to support you.

We now open our structure to ensure that we allow people to come in as day student.

We know that many may not be able to afford even the little we set. As a fresher at KFA, you will pay N167, 000. That includes your accommodation, feeding, clothing and the textbook.

How would you say KFA has impacted an average kwarans?

Yes. When you look at the likes of our players that are now competing with their colleagues at international level, you will give kudos to the government for creating this academy.

Even some of them that are operating at our local level here,  if you count, we must have produced nothing less down 30 to 40 players from our academy that are in different clubs in Nigeria.

(Cut in:) Kwarans?

All of them are not Kwarans, but we have Kwara indigens among them. The numbers of Kwarans that are there should be close to 20 that left this place to the outside world or to clubs within Nigeria, and they are doing well.

You see, government cannot do everything at a blow, it has to be gradual. Even life itself is gradual. That is why when you are born, you started at the cradle.

Development is gradual  and I want to believe with government focus more in this place, we are likely to have more talent discovered to join their colleagues across the globe.

KFA now and then, how would you adjudge it?

Yes, at the inception, what they were at that time, the level of funding then is comparatively high to now.

It is only salaries we were able to sustained on now.

(Cut in:) I want you to evaluate it in terms of progress

In terms of progress, I think there is a paradigm shift. We are waxing stronger today in retrospect to about few years back.