The OGWUS Youth Empowerment and Community Development Organisation (OYECDO) has announced two grassroots football tournaments for 2026, with the organisers seeking to use the sport to engage young people and address social challenges in communities across the Niger Delta.
The competitions are the 2026 Upata Unity Football Cup and the 2026 OGWUS Empowerment Cup, Abua/Odual.
According to OYECDO, the tournaments are intended to provide young people with productive activities while creating opportunities for football talent identification and community engagement.
The organisation said the initiative comes against the backdrop of challenges confronting youths in the region, including unemployment, drug abuse, cultism, kidnapping, oil bunkering and youth restiveness.
It added that participation in organised sport could encourage discipline, teamwork, leadership and peaceful coexistence, while helping young people build positive relationships within their communities.
The 2026 programme follows the inaugural Upata Unity Cup held in 2025, which featured former Super Eagles Technical Adviser Austin Eguavoen, former Nigeria international and Rivers United coach Finidi George, Rivers State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs Richard Ukpeni Ewoh, and the Paramount Ruler of Upata Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Nyudu Dr Felix Enene Otuwarikpo.
Founder and sponsor of the tournaments, Eur Ing Professor Chinedu Ogwus, said investment in young people was essential to addressing some of the challenges facing communities.
Ogwus said providing youths with opportunities to develop their abilities could contribute to safer and more resilient communities.
He also said the tournaments could give talented players an avenue to attract the attention of professional clubs and scouts.
OYECDO, working with the Upata Traditional Council, said the competitions form part of its wider use of sport to promote youth development and community cohesion.
The organisation also pointed to players from previous editions who have moved into professional football structures, including Rivers United, as evidence of the potential pathway from grassroots competitions to the professional game.
Registration for the 2026 OGWUS Empowerment Cup is ongoing, with OYECDO seeking participation from football teams across the target communities.
The organisation said the tournaments would focus on football competition while providing a platform for young people to engage in organised activity and develop their sporting and social skills.