Football is arguably the most-loved sport in the world. Once upon a time, parents didn’t want their kids to play football. Today, the tide has turned and everyone wants their kids to play football because of how lucrative the sport is.

For you to have a chance of playing in Europe and other top leagues, you need to pass through a football academy. Many of the football clubs abroad come to scout talents in the best football academies in Nigeria.

How much does it cost to enroll your child in a football academy in Nigeria? We will tell you all about this in this post. Also, we will shed some light on the best football academies in Nigeria.

Registration Costs of the Best Football Academies in Nigeria

Before we go ahead to discuss the top football academies in Nigeria, let’s quickly look at their registration costs. The registration cost is a major determinant of which academy you choose for your child. We understand how difficult it might be to find out these prices. As such, we have researched on your behalf. Check out the list below to find out the registration costs of the best football academies in Nigeria:

• Pepsi Football Academy: N6,000 (players between ages 5 and 14 years), N12,000 (players from 15 years upward)
• Kwara State Football Academy: N7,500
• Midas Football Academy: N77,000
• Papilo Football Academy: N12,500
• Barcelona Football Academy Nigeria: N13,500

Note that these prices are subject to change depending on several factors. However, football academies hardly change their registration costs. If there is any change, we will update this post so that you can be aware.

The Best Football Academies in Nigeria

There are several football academies in Nigeria. However, we will tell you about those we consider to be the best. Check out some of them in this section.

Pepsi Football Academy

This football academy has been around for quite a while as it was established by Kashimawo Laloko in 1992. It was only in 1994 that the academy gained the full backing of Pepsi. Since then, it has become “Pepsi Football Academy.”

The academy has grown its reputation over the years for growing top football talents. It is determined to help young and talented football players on their journey to becoming professionals. Today, the academy has over 3,000 players between 6 years and 18 years old. It also has about 54 coaches to help these players achieve their dream of becoming stars in the future.

Below is a list of some of the famous Nigerian players to have passed through the Pepsi Football Academy:

• Adeola Lanre Runsewe
• Ambrose Vanzekin
• Babajide Ogunbiyi
• Derick Amadi
• Echiabhi Okodugha
• Edward Ofere
• Emeka Opara
• Ezekiel Bala
• Femi Joseph
• Isaac Promise
• John Obi Mikel
• Joseph Akpala
• Kola Anubi
• Onyekachi Apam
• Rasheed Olabiyi
• Soga Sambo
• Solomon Okoronkwo
• Yinka Adedeji

While the Pepsi Football Academy was set up in Lagos originally, it now has 14 centers scattered around Nigeria.

Kwara State Football Academy

The KWFA, as it is fondly called, was established by the Kwara State Government in 2005. It is a brainchild of Dr. Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State. At the time of the academy launch, Clemence Westerhof, a former technical adviser of the Super Eagles, was invited to manage the academy. Currently, the academy is managed by Paul Ashworth, a Swedish technical director.

Ashworth has served as a manager to several top teams in European top-flight football. Some of them include FC Peterborough and Dynamo Kyiv. The KWFA also has 7 other coaches as well as 150 students. This academy accepts young footballers between ages 13 and 21.

Midas Football Academy

The academy was established in November 2006. It aims to discover soccer talents within Nigeria and help them develop their skills. Midas Football Academy doesn’t just seek to discover Nigerian talents but those on the African continent.

The academy boasts of several academy graduates that are playing for top clubs in Europe and other parts of the world. Midas Football Academy is one of the most equipped in the country. As such, it isn’t a surprise that the registration cost is on the high side. Upon registration, the player receives the following:

• Midas Academy Application Form: N5,000
• Compulsory Medical Fee: N15,000
• Compulsory Yearly Coaching Fee: N35,000
• Compulsory Midas Football Academy training Jersey: N5,000
• Compulsory Midas Academy Uniform/Ceremonial Dress: N5,000
• Compulsory ID Card: N2,000
• Project Fee: N10,000

Papilo Football Academy

Papilo is the nickname of Kanu Nwankwo, arguably one of Nigeria’s brightest soccer talents. He set up the Papilo Football Academy in 2001 as one of his ways of giving back to society. Kanu Nwankwo was the captain of the Nigerian Dream Team that won the Gold Medal at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics. He also played at top clubs like Ajax FC, Inter Milan FC, and Arsenal winning the UEFA Champions League, English FA Cup, and English Premiership.

Papilo Football Academy has mentored several bright talents that have represented Nigeria on the international stage. Some of them include Kelechi Iheanacho, Stanley Okoro, Joel Obi, and Chidiebere Nwakali. The academy has invested in top coaches to ensure that its players get the best training possible.

Barcelona Football Academy Nigeria

Barcelona Football Academy Nigeria is an offshoot of one of the biggest football clubs in history, Barcelona FC of Spain. It is no secret that Barcelona FC has one of the best training academies in the world. The club has extended the frontiers of its training system to different parts of the world including Nigeria.

Today, Barcelona Football Academy Nigeria is one of the best in the country. They boast an efficient training system with some of the best coaches around. This academy only admits players between ages 5 and 18 years old. It is located in Lagos State and aims to develop talented youngsters into top soccer talents.

FCBEscola, as the academy is fondly called, has about 400 young players in its system. These players are drawn from different parts of Nigeria.