Ejiogu Okigwe Zonal Unity Cup Begins, As He Launches N25M Youth Sport Initiatives, Talent Hunt

While football skills development in many nations around the world has contributed to enriching young men and women who have got the talents, youth involvement in sports is also seen as a veritable tool to foster unity, preach peace, curb insecurity, and reduce crime through effective football engagements, youth development initiatives, and other socio-economic empowerment programmes.

The above, however, are the driving forces behind the Mike Ejiogu Okigwe Zonal Unity Cup 2025/2026, as it marked yet another milestone in people-oriented leadership, community service, advocacy for productive youth engagements, and social development.
High Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu said this as he officially flagged-off the football tournament at the Isinweke Mini-Stadium in Ihitte Uboma LGA, Imo State, on October 4, 2025.
Chief Ejiogu, who was represented by Hon. Ben Duru Onyedikachi, captured the excitement among sports lovers and numerous football enthusiasts at the event.
In a show of football skills, fantastic dribbling and coordinated ball control like in the English Premier League, the opening match ceremony was played by Progressive Stars of Isiala Mbano and Bright Stars of Ihitte Uboma. The game, which ended in goalless draw after the 90 minutes, attracted many football lovers as the villagers, passers-by, motorcycle riders (okada), keke, bus operators, and onlookers stopped over at the field to cheer their favorite teams to victory.
A media consultant, Njoku Macdonald Obinna, who watched the match, described it as it as the biggest football fiesta in the history of Okigwe zone.
The tournament, which started on October 4, 2025, will be played throughout the year until January 3, 2026. The grand finale will take place at Central School, Anara, Siala Mbano LGA, Imo State.

Disclosing the prize awards for the various positions, Hon. Ben Duru Onyedikachi, Chairman, Central Organizing Committee (COC), Mike Ejiogu Okigwe Zonal Unity Cup, reiterated the commitment of the sponsor, Akuluno Duru Mike Ejiogu (Onowu of Igboland), to empower Imo youths beyond Okigwe zone through entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, capacity building, sports development, and other socio-economic empowerment initiatives like the now ongoing football tournament.

According to Ben Duru, the team that comes first will take home the sum of N8 million; second position, N5 million; third position, N3 million, while fourth to 12th positions will receive consolation prizes of N400,000.

Engr. Henry Iwuanyanwu FNSE— General Manager of Chevron Football Club, Lekki, Lagos State, an offshoot of Chevron-Soccer Consulting Services LTD, assured that the best talents among the young footballers who fall within the specified age brackets, at the end of the tournament, would get call ups for trials in Nigerian football clubs and also stand better chances of traveling overseas for further international trials, sporting opportunities, and expositions.

An Mbano-born public analyst and event moderator, Duru Evan (El- Doctore), while speaking with Njoku Macdonald Obinna, during the football competition, maintained that High Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu has continued to change the narrative in people – driven leadership and youth engagement. Commending him for the bold football initiative and sponsorship of the ongoing tournament in which he donated the sum of N25 million for the participating teams drawn from all the communities across the six LGAs in the Imo North Senatorial District (Okigwe zone).

Remarkably, the mind blowing N25M Mike Ejiogu Okigwe Zonal Unity Cup has inspired leadership, reawaken consciousness on talent discovery, and ignited passion among the youths as most of them have dusted their football kits and gone back to the field for trials.
High Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu (Onowu of Igboland) whose name is synonymous with entrepreneurship, selfless public service, philanthropy, community development, talent discovery, and youth empowerment.

This football edition, no doubt, will give him another opportunity not just to empower the youths but also bring them together with a renewed hope and new direction, inspiring leadership through his time-tested successful lifestyle as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community leader.

A colorful event which had in attendance the Chairman of Ihitte Uboma Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze Rev. Jude Uwalaka (Ihi lll of Umuihi Ancient Kingdom), HRH Eze Wifford Mbagwu (Abu ll of Abueke), HRH Eze Marcel Iheme (Egwu Nte lll of Umuezegwu), members of Chief Ejiogu Grassroots Transformation Group led by Hon. Mrs. Nkeiruka Nwosu, LGA coordinators of Mike Ejiogu Grassroots Movement, Hon. Dim Bennett Duru Onyedikachi, Chief Achiever Onyelike Darlington, Chairman of Flames Real Estate Enterprises Ltd, Ichie Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, Hon. Austin Ubani, Chief Nwora Amadi, among other guests and numerous football spectators.