The Federal Government is set to select about 740 young athletes from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for the maiden edition of the Nigeria Drone Soccer League, scheduled to commence in 2027.
The initiative is aimed at promoting technology-driven sports and equipping young Nigerians with practical skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The President of Nigeria Drone Soccer, Sam Gadi, disclosed this on Thursday during the league’s first national combine in Abuja, where applicants were screened for selection into state teams.
Gadi said the competition would feature 37 teams, with each state and the FCT expected to present 20 cadet athletes, bringing the total number of participants to approximately 740.
He noted that thousands of young people had applied to participate, adding that the selection process would be based on aptitude tests, statements of purpose and complex coordination assessments.
According to him, candidates who achieve the highest overall scores would be selected to represent their respective states and proceed to team training ahead of the competition.
“We have about 37 teams, each team representing a state and the Federal Capital Territory. On each team, you have 20 of the best cadet athletes representing the state,” he said.
Gadi explained that the league would be organised into six conferences corresponding to the country’s geopolitical zones. He added that a separate selection exercise was planned for Gombe to identify participants for the North-East Conference.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Drone Soccer League, Lieutenant Coopwood, described the initiative as an opportunity to combine sports with technology education and prepare young people for careers in emerging technical fields.
He explained that drone soccer originated in South Korea and involves players remotely controlling drones enclosed in protective spherical cages as they attempt to score goals against opposing teams.
READ ALSO: US Trains Nigerian Forces In Drone Warfare, Combat Casualty Care
According to him, the sport offers participants opportunities to develop teamwork, discipline, problem-solving skills and technical competence while learning to operate drone technology.
“Drone soccer is more than a sport; it is a pathway into science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” Coopwood said.
He added that participants could advance from learning to operate and repair drones to designing and building them, potentially opening career pathways in engineering, programming, design and aviation.
Coopwood said young people who begin with drone soccer could eventually become drone engineers, programmers, designers or professional unmanned aircraft pilots.
The planned 2027 launch is expected to mark a new phase in the integration of competitive sports and technology education in Nigeria, with selected athletes undergoing training and competing through the conference system before the national contest.