In a significant boost for grassroots sports development, Prudential Sports Limited has invested over ₦65 million in talent recognition, welfare, and infrastructure within Gombe State. The landmark event, held on 2 December 2025, saw the company honour top athletes and administrators while rolling out substantial support programmes for the sporting community.
Major Awards and Life-Changing Support Initiatives
The ceremony, hosted at Matrix International Academy Gombe, celebrated excellence across various sports. The headline winner was young Mercy Iliya Namarwa of the Gombe State Chess Association, who was crowned the Overall Best Athlete of the Year. In a thrilling development, the newly elected President of the Nigeria Chess Federation, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, presented her award and pledged to sponsor her trip to Zimbabwe to train with the national team for the continental championship.
Other notable awardees included Abdulrahman Mahmoud Baba (Doma United) as Young Athlete of the Season, Chindo Abubakar (Gombe Bulls Basketball Club) as Most Improved Player, and Atiku Baitu (FC Yarmalight) for Most Appearances. The CEO of Mailantarki Academy, Hon. Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, received the Sports Administrator of the Year award.
Beyond the trophies, Prudential Sports launched impactful welfare schemes. The company enrolled over 1,000 retired Gombe athletes and their dependents into the GoHealth contributory healthcare scheme at a cost of ₦10 million. Furthermore, 100 active athletes were registered into a contributory pension plan with Premium Pension Limited.
A Comprehensive ₦65m Investment in Gombe's Sporting Future
The CEO of Prudential Sports and pioneer Chairman of the Gombe Sports Commission, Mallam Farouk Yarma, detailed the full scope of the investment. The company provided ₦2 million to the Gombe State Football Association to support club registrations in Division 1 and 2 leagues.
In a move to nurture future talent, sports equipment was donated to 15 selected public and private schools across the state. The donations included:
- Football, basketball, volleyball, and handballs
- Chessboards and scrambled boards
- Football nets
Gombe State University (GSU) also received similar equipment along with two sets of customised football jerseys to promote campus sports. "In all, it cost over ₦65 million to host the award and purchase those equipment to support sports development in Gombe State," Yarma confirmed.
High-Profile Endorsements and Reactions
The event attracted a who's who of Nigeria's sports industry. The Vice-Chancellor of Gombe State University, Professor Sani Ahmed Yauta, commended the company's unwavering support and guaranteed the proper use of the new kits.
Dignitaries in attendance included representatives of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Emir of Gombe, Dr Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III. The gathering was also graced by former NSC DG Dr Al-Hassan Saleh Yakmut, Olympian Mary Onyali, veteran journalist Godwin Enakhena, and other notable figures from sports administration and media.
This massive investment by Prudential Sports underscores a growing private-sector commitment to identifying talent at the grassroots level and building a sustainable ecosystem for athletes' welfare and career development in Northern Nigeria.
