BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, OCTOBER 13, 2026/ 07:13PM
All is set for the kick-off of the Borno State Progressives Unity Cup (Challenge Cup) in Borno State.
The competition is organised by the Borno State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Poverty Alleviation as part of its corporate social responsibility.
The tournament will be played across wards in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Areas, with a total of 64 teams set to participate.
Speaking on the competition, the Chairman of the organising committee, Babagana Kalli Ozogla, said the tournament was organised by the state government to engage youths in the state as part of the recovery process.
He added that engaging youths with sports like football will keep them occupied and prevent them from engaging in social vices such as drug abuse and gangsterism.
Ozogla noted that the Borno State Government under the leadership of Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum is doing everything possible to ensure youths are engaged with such initiatives as part of recovery from over a decade-long Boko Haram crisis that bedeviled the state.
On his part, the Chairman, media and publicity of the competition, Abubakar Abdulazeez (Bolori), said the league will kick off on October 18, 2026, at exactly 3:30 PM at the El-Kanemi Warriors Sports Complex, Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to Bolori, the prize money for the competition includes N10,000,000 for the 1st position (Governor's Prize), N7,000,000 for the 2nd position (Senate's Prize), N5,000,000 for the 3rd position (Member House of Representatives' Prize), and N3,000,000 for the 4th position (Member House of Assembly's Prize).
He added that a cash prize of N100,000 each will be awarded to the best player of the tournament, highest goal scorer, best goalkeeper, among other categories.
He urged members of the public to turn out en masse to grace the occasion and prayed for an injury-free tournament.