10 Best Football Academies in Nigeria

This blog post provides concrete details on the football academies in Nigeria including the application and/or registration fees, admission requirements, location, and application procedures of each of these football academies.

Football, just like attending a higher institution to pursue an academic degree, also has academies that train aspiring footballers in excellent football skills. It is also similar to pursuing an academic degree if you are talented in, let’s say, electrical engineering, that doesn’t make you electrical engineering yet until after you have attended university or college and earned a degree in that field can you now be addressed as a full-fledge electrical engineer.

Also in football, if you are a talented footballer and didn’t enter a football academy, you may never be known as a footballer and your chances of making it to the top are tightly slim to zero. So, you have to – no matter how talented you are on the football field – attend a football academy. And just like how a university or college will train you in your preferred field and equip you with valuable life skills to help you kick start a career in that field, football academies are also doing the same to rising football stars but this time, on the football pitch.

Football academies will train and develop your potential to maturity and also teach you to work with other teammates. So, even if you are a naturally talented football player you need a coach, a guide to train,, and show you how to put things right just at the right time. The knowledge you will gain from a football academy as an aspiring athlete is what will catapult you to glory and not fully your talents.

You will learn dedication, hard work, teamwork, and other things that make you excel in the sports industry, talent alone won’t get you there.

The sporting industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and many people are clamoring to get into it one way or another.  But the simple way to get in is by joining an academy, all sports have academies that are designed to train you and make your potential known to top clubs, companies, and the world at large.

Now back to football. This sport alone is worth billions of dollars and is one of the sports with the highest generating revenue and it is also the second-highest paid sport with basketball at the top of the list. As a star footballer, you get to be wealthy, famous and enjoy many other benefits.

To even dream of getting to that point you will firstly start with enrolling into a football academy as it is very essential for the grooming of young footballers. In Nigeria, there are a number of these academies that offer this training but to get the best training and exposure to the best facilities you should consider enrolling in one of the best football academies in Nigeria.

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What is a Football Academy?

A football academy is an institution with facilities specially designed for the grooming, training, and development of young or aspiring footballers. It is just a training school to teach young players how to play football. Football academies are set up by football clubs to develop these aspiring players for their team which they will be trained to play for when they eventually meet the standards set by the coach.

How to join Football Academy in Nigeria

Interested in grooming your talent by joining one of the football academies in Nigeria? Here is how to go about it.

Some football academies in Nigeria have websites where you can download the application form, then complete it, and print it out in person at the provided training venue. Some football academies do not have websites where you can download the application form but will be provided with a venue where you can get the application form.

When submitting the application form, many of these academies often require applicants to provide the following:

  • Photocopy of your birth certificate
  • Passport photographs of you and your parent or guardian
  • Copies of your school results
  • If you completed secondary school education, then provide copies of your WASSCE or GCE, or NECO results
  • Copies of your medical report
  • Eligible applicants must come with their parents or guardian upon registration.

While the registration fees of some of the football academies in Nigeria are free others aren’t, and while some academies will provide you with training kits, others will ask you to provide them yourselves. Without further ado, let’s dive into the main subject matter.

Best Football Academies in Nigeria

Below is an outline of the 10 best football academies in Nigeria:

  • Pepsi Football Academy
  • Kwara State Football Academy (KFA)
  • Barcelona Football Academy
  • Abuja Football College (AFC)
  • Midas Football Academy (MFA)
  • Papilo Football Academy (PNKFA)
  • The International Sports Academy, Edusko
  • Little Tigers FC
  • Siaone Soccer Academy
  • Ayicrip Football Academy

1.      Pepsi Football Academy

We can’t call the top 3 football academies in Nigeria without adding the Pepsi Football Academy to the list. It is among the top best football academies in Nigeria with broad national and international connections. It was founded in 1992 and it is from here that Nigeria’s top footballer and Chelsea’s former midfielder, Mikel Obi was groomed before going international.

The academy has over 2,500 students and 13 training facilities in the country. Boys and girls alike from the ages of 5-16 years old are considered to join the academy. To join the academy, go to any of the centers near you and identify with the coaches who will test your abilities in areas such as speed, physical fitness, football skills, etc.

If the coach finds your ability suitable, you will be given an application and registration form to fill and if you become eligible, you will come to the pitch with your parent(s) or guardian to submit the application form. Alongside the application, you will provide all of the documents listed above. You will also need to pay a registration fee which varies by age.

Applicants from the ages of 5-14 years old pay N6,000, and if you are above 15 years old, you will pay N12,000. The locations of the training centers are Lagos, Orile-Imo, Sagamu, Ibadan, Illorin, Aba, Enugu, Owerri, Benin, Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, and Kano.

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2.      Kwara State Football Academy (KFA)

The Kwara State Football Academy was established in 2005 by the Kwara state government, owned and operated by them. It is recognized among the best football academies in Nigeria and its establishment was initiated by Bukola Saraki, the former governor of Kwara State. Some Nigerian international players have coached here as well as foreign coaches.

The academy has over 150 students and grooms potential players from age 13-21. The facility is located at Kwara State Stadium Complex in Illorin. The academy provides students with a complete on-campus boarding experience to ensure student’s concentration and full engagement while in school. The academic training also includes exposing students to a range of study areas which include:

  • Natural sciences
  • Technical and vocational studies
  • Creative
  • General and applied math
  • Humanities and social sciences
  • English language

The form fee for new players is N7,500 while the school fees range between N41,000 to N106,000 depending if you are a day or boarding player.

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3.      Barcelona Football Academy

Yes, this is the Barcelona Football Academy you already know and it has a facility in Lagos, Nigeria that trains young footballers between the ages of 5 to 18 years old. The registration fee is N13,500 only, the registration center is at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Center, located in Surulere, Lagos.

If you have always felt intrigued by the football method and tactics of the Barcelona football club, joining this academy will offer you insight into how things are done at the international club level. It is one of the best football academies in Nigeria and offers you a real chance to see and learn how Barca’s DNA works.

FCBESCOLA LAGOS contacts in case of inquiries:

Phone: +2349062259436, +2349030000931

Email: info@fcbescolalagos.com

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4.      Abuja Football College (AFC)

The capital of Nigeria, Abuja houses one of the best football academies in Nigeria known as the Abuja Football College of AFC. The football college or academy is one of the best football academies in Nigeria. It was established in 2012 by the former FIFA Licensed Instructor in partnership with Haruna Abba.

The training center is located at Wuse, Abuja Municipals Bwari with accommodations to easily house 120 students. The educational curriculum runs in the USA. The application fee here is N20,000 only.

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5.      Midas Football Academy (MFA)

The Midas Football Academy is renowned for its excellence in grooming aspiring footballers to become skillful, physically fit, fast, and overall make their football performance get better. The school was founded in 2006 and located in Ipaja, Lagos, and has produced several footballers that have gone on to play for USA, UK, and other European clubs.

The academy is aimed at committing to the growth of Football in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. The total cost of everything for the standard registration is N77,000 only, and it covers everything from registration and medical fee to coaching fees and training jerseys.

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6.      Papilo Football Academy (PNKFA)

Papilo is a popular name in Nigeria or even in Africa as a whole, you guessed right if you’re thinking it is the nickname of popular Super Eagles star, Kanu Nwankwo, and this club are also owned by him. The Papilo Football Academy was founded in 2001 by the former Inter Milan star and has produced excellent players who went on to play for top football clubs in Europe.

The academy is no doubt one of the best football academies in Nigeria, it is located in Kanu Nwankwo’s private estate at Egbu, Owerri, Imo State. Top coaches like Gary Smith and Bryan Robinson have been at this academy to train rising footballers. The application fee to enroll in the academy is N12,500 only.

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7.      The International Sports Academy, Edusko

Established in 2007 by Chief Segun Odegbami, The International Sports Academy is one of the best football academies in Nigeria. If you want to be acquainted with professional football games then this is the place for you. It is a sports academy, therefore offers training in other sports aside from football just in case you are interested in taking up other sports aside from football.

The academy has two locations in Lagos and Ogun State. The academy also offers full-time, fully residential, SS1 to SS3 classes in science, art, and commercial subjects, facilities such as laboratories, libraries, etc. to improve learning are also provided. The football academy accepts only 20 boys.

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8.      Little Tigers FC

Little Tigers accepts aspiring footballers from the early age of 3 to 15 and grooms them for professional football. It is among the best football academies in Nigeria and is reliable at training young, talented individuals. It was established in 2012 in Lekki and accepts both boys and girls and now has more than 200 students.

The application form is N15500.

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9.      Siaone Soccer Academy

Established by former Nigerian Striker and Coach, Samson Siasia in Abuja and recognized among the best football academies in Nigeria. The academy train and develop both team and individual skills of talented footballers from a very young age, so by the time they are older, they would be professional football players.

The academy also aims to keep developing players and individuals to understand the technical and tactical aspects of football as played at the highest level of the game. The accepted age range is 2-15 years old.

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10. Ayicrip Football Academy

Ayicrip football academy is on the final list of best football academies in Nigeria intending to raise models, mentors, and top football stars in the country. It is also established to offer the youth a platform to identify and develop their football potential as well as launch and managing their professional careers locally and internationally.

This football academy is located at Aguda, Surulere, Lagos.

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These are the top 10 best football academies in Nigeria, application details, location, and website links and contacts have been provided for each of the academies for you to easily reach out to them for further inquiries.

FAQs on Best Football Academies in Nigeria

The following are the frequently asked questions relating to the best football academies in Nigeria.

How much is the football academy school fee in Nigeria?

The cost of attending a football academy in Nigeria varies by academies and I have tried to give details of the fees of the academies listed above. The best way to go about it is to actually go to the academy itself or contact them and ask how much it costs.

Can I join a football academy at the age of 18 in Nigeria?

You can join a football academy at the age of 18 but you can’t start a football academy in Nigeria at the age of 18, you have to start getting groomed from an early age.

Which is the most outstanding football academy in Nigeria?

Of all football academies in Nigeria, the most outstanding is the Pepsi Football Academy.

Is there a free football academy in Nigeria?

There aren’t any free football academies in Nigeria, you must pay for one thing or the other.

Is there any female football academy in Nigeria?

Yes, there is a female football academy in Nigeria known as De Deacon that focused on developing young, talented female footballers.

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One comment

  1. Extraordinário.
    As crianças adoram futebol, então devemos proporcionar~lhes todos os meios pedagógicos, empíricos e científicos para elas poderem desenvolver a estrutura psicossomática de forma equilibrada e integral.
    É fundamental que os formadores dessas crianças sobretudo entre os 5 e os 11 anos de idade ( fase de desenvolvimento da inteligência cognitiva e emocional), tenham conhecimentos suficientes para prescreverem o treino psicológico, físico, técnico e técnico-táctico e que tenham capacidade de liderança no campo social, cultural e dos afectos.
    Obrigado

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