N8.2m set aside as NNPC/Shell Cup prize money

By Akeem Lawal

A mouth-watering sum of N8.2 million has been set aside as prize money for the winners of the 2017 edition of the NNPC/Shell Cup football competition for all secondary schools in the country. 

The General Manager, External Relations, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Mr. Igo Weli said in a media parley in Lagos on Wednesday that the overall champion of the 19th edition will be rewarded with N3.5 million, the runner up gets N2.3 million while the third place team will smile home with N1.1 million, adding that two Most Valuable Players will be going to the Netherlands for coaching opportunity with the Feyernoord Rotterdam Youth Academy. 

Weli who was ably represented by Mr. Banji Adekoya, Manager, Non Technical Risk, said that on completion of secondary education, the top 10 talents will be eligible to compete for NNPC/Shell University Scholarships.

He said the company is delightedly and proud of the reduction in the number of male football players who would have abandone education in pursuit of a career footballs since the competition started 19 years ago. 

According to him the championship has become a veritable feedstock for the nation's national teams and professional football league clubs in Nigeria as many football players had been discovered from the Nigeria's Secondary Schools, adding that a number of them had graduated to the nation's Under 23 and Super Eagles.

Meanwhile, the zonal preliminaries of the competition are scheduled to hold from June 15 to 18 in nine cities across the country, while the quarter finals are billed to hold on June 21 and 22, 2017. 

Coaching clinics by Feyenoord Rotterdam's Youth Academy will hold from June 24 to 26, while semi-final  and final matches are planned for June 27 and June 29 respectively  in Lagos. 

CAPTION:

Hope Nuka, Social Performance Lead, Shell Nigeria; Mrs Ibukun Adewale, Social Performance Adviser, Shell Nigeria; Mr Banji Adekoya, Manager, Non Technical Risk, Shell Nigeria; Ex-international, Chief Segun Odegbami and the Chairman, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Mr. Niyi Alebiosu during the media briefing for the 2017 NNPC/Shell Cup in Lagos on Wednesday.