Former Jersey Football Association president Ricky Weir has set his sights on deepening grassroots football development in Nigeria, returning to the country this month on a visit that combines the promotion of his award-winning memoir with continued support for walking football and youth league programs, The PUNCH reports.
Weir, who now holds a Nigerian passport, told reporters in Lagos that his latest trip was driven by three personal missions, namely, promoting his book, “Illegitimately Blessed”; supporting grassroots football; and strengthening the growth of walking football, a discipline he helped introduce to Nigeria in 2020.
“The biggest thing is that I can come back whenever I want. I don’t have to think about visas or costs anymore. It allows me to embrace the country more, spend time with family, and potentially shift more of my football development work to Nigeria,” Weir said.
The founder of the Jersey 2 Africa 4 Football Foundation continued his grassroots engagement by attending the 5Stars Premier League opening in Abuja, where he delivered a new Premier League ball to each of the sixteen participating teams, before officiating at the Walking Football opening league program at the Eagle Club Pitch in Surulere, Lagos.
“It was gratifying to see how far it has come. There are now league programs and women’s teams, which is fantastic,” Weir said of the progress made in walking football since he helped establish the slow-paced, non-contact discipline in the country six years ago.
Weir, a prolific striker in his playing days who scored more than 600 goals in over 1,000 matches before moving into football administration, served as president of the Jersey Football Association for six years and has since built charitable initiatives using football as a tool for social development across Africa.
During his visit, he was honored in Lagos by the Africa Illustrious Awards, organized by My Media Africa, receiving the Award of Excellence and Special Recognition as African Football Ambassador.
