The Acting Customs Area Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Command, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, has launched the Afeni Cup 2026, an inter-secondary school football tournament designed to combat smuggling and empower young people in the border community of Idiroko, Ogun State.
The competition, organised in conjunction with Jonnyyeko College of Health Science and Technology as part of the Command’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, is aimed at steering secondary school students away from the dangers of border smuggling by engaging them in sports and exposing them to productive opportunities outside illicit border trade.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs Chado Zakari, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, saying the initiative was conceived to engage young minds positively, foster community spirit and showcase sustainable career paths beyond smuggling.
Zakari explained that Idiroko, being a strategic border community, has historically exposed many vulnerable youths to the temptations of smuggling, adding that the football tournament offers a constructive alternative by channelling their energy into teamwork, discipline and healthy competition.
Declaring the competition open, DC Afeni said: “Smuggling robs our youth of their future. By sponsoring this competition, we aren’t just playing football; we are providing a platform for advocacy, teaching life skills, and showing these students that their potential extends far beyond the border tracks.”
Afeni noted that the tournament is also intended to identify and nurture young football talents from an early stage, inspiring participants to pursue the sport as a viable and rewarding career while leveraging sports as a tool to discourage involvement in illicit cross-border activities.
The tournament features 12 teams drawn from secondary schools across the local government area and is expected to engage hundreds of students, both on the pitch and in the stands.
Educational authorities, youth associations and community leaders have thrown their weight behind the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that will help keep students in the classroom and away from smuggling routes.
Organisers also disclosed that grand prizes, including cash rewards and educational materials, would be presented to the winning schools and outstanding players at the end of the competition.
The tournament kicked off on 13 July 2026 at Iko Gate Grammar School, Idiroko, and will climax with a grand finale on 24 July 2026.
