YAKUBU SARMA: THE FOOTBALL ADMINISTRATOR BUILDING A NEW PATHWAY FOR GOMBE’S YOUNG TALENTS
By Ohis Asein
Gombe State is steadily emerging as one of the states making significant strides in football development in Nigeria, and at the centre of this transformation is the Chairman of the Gombe State Football Association, Alhaji Yakubu Sarma, who also serves as the Senior Special Assistant on General Services in the Governor’s Office, Gombe State.
Beyond having two professional league clubs representing the state, the Gombe State Football Association under Sarma’s leadership is placing strong emphasis on grassroots football development, creating a structured pathway for young talents to progress from the grassroots into professional football.
One of the major initiatives introduced by the Football Association is the organisation of competitions across different levels, including State League 1, State League 2, the Statewide League 3 and the Super League.
The objective is clear: to provide regular competitive football for young players, discover promising talents and create opportunities for them to be identified by professional clubs within Nigeria and beyond.
For Sarma, the project goes beyond football administration. It is about building a sustainable football ecosystem where talented youngsters can dream of becoming professional footballers and have a genuine pathway to achieve that dream.
Speaking on why he has continued to invest his energy in grassroots football despite the enormous financial demands of running football programmes, Sarma said his motivation comes from his passion for the game and his personal experience as a footballer.
“Ohis, it is passion,” Sarma explained. “I played football to a stage before I had to stop because of injury. But football today is lucrative, and we need to create a pathway for young footballers who are aspiring to take up the profession.”
That philosophy appears to be driving the Gombe FA’s approach — rather than waiting for talented players to emerge by chance, the Association is creating competitions where young footballers can consistently play, develop and be noticed.
The different tiers of competition also provide an organised structure for clubs across the state, while giving players the opportunity to gain valuable match experience.
Sarma believes that if young footballers are given the right platform, proper competition and adequate exposure, Gombe can continue producing players capable of competing at the highest level.
His administration’s grassroots strategy is therefore not simply about winning competitions. It is about building the next generation of footballers.
At a time when many young Nigerians are looking towards football as a career, initiatives such as these could prove crucial in bridging the gap between grassroots football and the professional game.
With Gombe already boasting two professional league sides and the State Football Association continuing to strengthen its grassroots structure, the state appears determined to become a major football talent hub in Nigeria.
For Yakubu Sarma, the journey is driven by one simple belief: talent needs a pathway — and every young footballer deserves an opportunity to be discovered.
