Increased focus on grassroots sports development as a tool to drive youth engagement across the country and beyond was chief among the issues discussed during the recently concluded Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) Masterclass Series. The Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) Masterclass Series, a month-long knowledge-sharing webinar tagged “HiFL Masterclass with Stanbic IBTC,” saw attendees and facilitators generally agreeing that more inclusive involvement of youths in sport-related activities is key especially as the industry along with other parts of the economy continue to deal with the effects of the pandemic and the ensuing new normal.
The Classes with the Masters 1.0 was a sequence of online sessions, powered by the leagues’ marquee sponsors Stanbic IBTC, created to grow and empower critical stakeholders – sports and non-sports enthusiasts by engaging experts on pertinent issues that affect them.
Director, PACE Sports and Marketing Limited, Sola Fijabi, organisers of the Masterclass Series, reiterated in a statement detailing the success of the classes that the sessions were aimed to drive valuedelivery to every segment of the collegiate value chain including sponsors/partners, sports administrators/managers, athletes, and fans. This is while creating a viable platform for more focused, continued, and long-term direct engagement for sports and youth development in the country.
“We are indeed glad to have delivered above and beyond on all our promises before the sessions and the reception from the varsity stakeholders and general media has been mind-blowing and indeed we are already looking at a version 2.0 to further entrench our position as one of Africa’s biggest collegiate football showpiece,” Mr. Fijabi concluded.
The sessions featured top sports personalities from within and outside the country from all facets of the sports industry discussing pertinent issues from across the spectrum that affects the youths and sports development in particular. As agreed in the sessions, it has been proven that success in Sports does not happen by chance. Instead, a concerted effort by all stakeholders is needed and ably backed by enabling policies to create the right environment for the athletes to both grow and thrive.
“We believe that initiatives such as the Masterclass Series will go a long way in providing the needed knowledge and expertise. We are indeed excited to be a part of this revolution and cannot wait to host everyone in future editions. It should be noted that the HiFL Masterclass Series is sponsored by Stanbic IBTC in conjunction with LaLiga, SuperSport, and Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA).