Kano Pillars Technical Adviser, Daniel Ogbunmodede, has asked Nigerian universities to start placing students on internship programmes with football clubs, a move he believes will sharpen professionalism in the game and give young graduates real-world experience.
The Kano Pillars gaffer made this call while addressing delegates at the 54th National Conference of the Nigeria Association for Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHAR-SD), held at Bayero University, Kano, on Thursday. He directed his appeal particularly at students studying Physical and Health Education and Sports Management, saying such placements would let them work directly with coaches, physiotherapists and fitness trainers at clubs like Kano Pillars.
According to Ogbunmodede, students who go through this kind of exposure can bring fresh value to clubs in physiotherapy, sports science and fitness training, areas he believes are still underdeveloped in many Nigerian football setups. For Kano Pillars supporters, this is a reminder that the club's technical adviser is thinking beyond matchday results, looking at how football institutions in Kano and beyond can be strengthened from the ground up.
Ogbunmodede also raised concerns about what happens to footballers once their playing days are over. He pointed out that too many retired players end up jobless and cut off from the sport entirely, and argued that universities have a duty to arm players with skills and knowledge throughout their careers. "Universities need to equip players with relevant skills and knowledge throughout their careers so that they remain productive, professional and able to continue contributing to the sporting industry after retirement," he said.
Professor Faruk Rashid Haruna, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Education, Kontagora, who chaired the event, backed the coach's position and called for tighter collaboration between universities, football clubs and sports councils. He urged Departments of Kinetics and Health Education to lead the way in forming these partnerships, insisting that athletes should be produced through proper scientific methods rather than left to chance, which he said remains common practice across much of Nigeria.
Professor Abdullahi Darki, Chairman of the Sports Consultative Committee at Bayero University, Kano, described the proposals as timely. He revealed that the university is currently drafting a sports policy and promised that Ogbunmodede's recommendations would be considered for inclusion.
Away from the conference hall, Kano Pillars fans have plenty to look forward to on the pitch. The Sai Masu Gida head into their next fixture against Doma United FC at home on Matchday 4, this September 20, on the back of a solid start to the season that includes a 3-2 home win over Niger Tornadoes on Matchday 2, with Fabian Nworie Maduabuchi grabbing a brace in that encounter.