Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Senator Ita Enang, has called for greater recognition of Nigeria’s football legends and creative talents, describing football as a potent instrument of diplomacy and soft power.
Enang spoke at a football networking dinner in Berlin, which brought together FIFA officials, coaches, scouts, consultants, diplomats and other stakeholders from the global football community.
In his address, the envoy reflected on the tributes paid during the evening to Nigerian players developed under German coaches.
“Great testimonies were given of Nigerian footballers who were trained by German coaches, and that’s my friend there who mentioned some of the names of Nigerian players whom he said were his players, whom he trained. And so, this is welcoming the country of football to the country of football,” he said.
Enang stressed that football can succeed where politics alone fails, particularly in building peace.
“What football can achieve, what politics cannot achieve… politics cannot achieve peace alone. Politics alone cannot achieve peace, because however you fight, however the missiles or the bombs, you will still sit on the table,” he said.
“I was glad when I saw Iran play football on American soil, when I saw Iran and other countries in other matches who played although they were in a state of war. So football can achieve greater peace than politics.”
He described the celebration of football icons as central to Nigeria’s soft power.
“For Nigeria, part of our soft power and part of our ambassadors is what has been done today by celebrating and convoking the football ambassadors evening this evening. And we have great footballers like JJ Okocha, like Kanu Nwankwo and all the rest of them who are playing on the world stage,” Enang said.
The Ambassador also revealed plans for a future visit by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to Germany with soccer stars.
“I was discussing with my colleague, my neighbours, and I’ve committed that next time, about between the 20th and 25th, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria is coming to Germany and he will come with some of these soccer stars to Germany, to also market, to also show and be a resource to the German society and also an encouragement to the youth of the society in Germany,” he said.
He also urged stakeholders to raise the bar for a new generation of talents in the world.
Speaking on grassroots development, Enang added: “What we are doing in Nigeria is to raise another younger, youngest set of Nigerians from the community football, from the village footballs, from football from Agege and from Ijebu and from Egede and from Idio communities, who will become the JJ Okochas and who will become the Kanus of tomorrow.”
He closed with a renewed call to honour Nigeria’s sporting and creative icons: “Let us honour our football legends and artists as the world esteems and reveres them.”
