AfriSportPro Youth League and the Nigeria Police Force will stage a novelty football match on November 21 to sensitise young people against cultism, drug abuse and other social vices ahead of the first National Convention of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices.
The match, which will bring together youths and police personnel, is part of activities to promote the convention of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), scheduled for November 25, 2026.
The initiative is aimed at using football to promote positive youth engagement, discourage criminal behaviour and strengthen community participation in the fight against social vices.
The convention, with the theme, “Strengthening Preventive Policing through Community Partnership, Youth Empowerment and Collective Action for National Security”, is expected to draw national attention to preventive policing and youth development.
Speaking on the initiative, the National Coordinator of POCACOV, SP Orvenonne Ikwen, said the convention was designed to strengthen the campaign’s efforts through advocacy, sensitisation, mentorship and community participation.
He said, “With the mandate of creating awareness and preventive messaging against cultism, drug abuse and other social vices through advocacy, sensitisation, mentorship and community participation, POCACOV is launching its first National Convention to give national attention to its mission.”
Ikwen said the campaign remained committed to preventing cultism and other social vices by encouraging community involvement and educating young people.
The partnership with AfriSportPro is expected to extend the campaign’s message to young Nigerians through its organised football network, which connects clubs, players, coaches, communities and supporters across the country.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AfriSportPro, Chukwuebuka Ugwu, described the partnership as one of the organisation’s most important collaborations, saying it aligned with its vision of using sports to educate, empower and positively engage young people.
He said the decision to partner with POCACOV was informed by the need to use football as a platform to discourage crime and create awareness among young Nigerians.
“For me, this is one of our most important partnerships because it aligns with our vision for youth engagement, creating opportunities and educating the Nigerian youth, especially against cultism and other forms of crime,” Ugwu said.
He added that he was convinced about the importance of the initiative after learning about POCACOV and its objectives.
“When I learnt about POCACOV, I knew I wanted to be part of it. This is why we’re partnering and doing this novelty match to help create awareness about POCACOV and its messaging and promote the upcoming National Convention,” he said.
Ugwu argued that educating citizens, particularly young people, should take priority in efforts to address criminal activities, stressing that law enforcement alone could not eliminate crime.
“I believe for a society to rid itself of crime, it must first focus on educating its citizens, especially the youths. Enforcement should serve as a complement,” he said.
He noted that football provided an effective channel for reaching young people because of its widespread appeal and existing youth participation.
According to him, the match will bring POCACOV’s preventive messages closer to thousands of young players, coaches and football supporters within the AfriSportPro community.
He described the collaboration with the police as an opportunity to demonstrate how sports could contribute to crime prevention and national development.
“It is my honour to be collaborating with the Nigerian Police on this very noble cause,” Ugwu added.
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