Idah Peterside, a former Super Eagles goal keeper, has urged the government to invest properly in football as it is a veritable source of economic development and unity of a nation.
“Football is a big business everywhere in the world and in this country we need smart people to take charge of the game for us to get the best out of it and it will help reshape a lot of things economically and politically,” he counselled.
“This means that the government must invest hugely in football, because it has a very strong unifying power.”
Peterside said certain structures must be put in place to drive the process of rebuilding the football industry in Nigeria.
“Again, we have to look inward, let’s go back to the grassroots – improve the local league; go back to schools sport – inter-house sport, NUGA, YSFON, that is the arenas where future stars can be discovered again.
“I don’t think foreign coach is the answer to our football, because they don’t understand the mentality of Nigerians. We need a local coach that basically knows how Nigerians think and do their things.”
He, however, acknowledged that Gernot Rohr has done well so far on the march ahead of Russia 2018 with the victories recorded so far.