Yemi Idowu

Yemi Idowu

Entrepreneur | Philanthropist
Nathaniel Idowu Foundation

Yemi Idowu has over 25 years’ experience in finance, real estate and property development industries, serving in multiple capacities, including business development, asset management and finance. He founded Aircom Nigeria Limited in 1992, and currently serves as the founder and CEO.

Until July 2014, Yemi Idowu served as a Non-Executive Director with Sterling Bank (Nigeria) PLC from its inception in 2005 and was a onetime Chairman of Sterling Capital as well as being the Vice Chairman of NBM Bank between 1999 and 2005.

In addition, he sat on the governing council of the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN) as its General Secretary between 2009 and 2014. Amongst his accomplishments was his Chairmanship of Leyland Nigeria (Nigeria’s largest indigenous automobile assembly plant).

In the field of sport, Mr. Idowu conceptualized and established the Nathaniel Boys Football Club where the likes of Leicester City F.C. midfield maestro, Wilfred Ndidi who played for Genk in the Belgian Pro League started his career. Nat Boys F.C., as the club was popularly known, won the Lagos Junior Football (Soccer) League Championship severally. As Chairman of Nathaniel Boys, he was a pioneer director of the J League. He also sits on the Nigerian Football Federation Youth Committee and the influential NFF Reform Committee.

Yemi Idowu was appointed Chairman of the Nigerian Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM) in November 2012. In his capacity as Chairman of the board of NASCOM, Mr. Idowu was instrumental in initiating the Rhythm N’ Play campaign – a grassroot sports mobilization campaign targeted at bringing an additional 2 million Nigeria school children into sports within a two-year period. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan launched the campaign in Abuja on 6 June 2013.

Yemi Idowu was involved in infrastructure sustainability and security as tools to developing and sustaining Mega cities in Africa and on 10 November 2015 he was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund alongside Herbert Wigwe, Opeyemi Agbaje, Gbolahan Lawal and Phillip Oduozua by his Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode the Lagos State Governor.

Mr. Idowu holds BSc degree in Accounts and Financial Analysis from the Newcastle Upon Tyne University in England, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School Executive Education Program.

 

Nathaniel Idowu Foundation

Yemi Idowu is the Trustee, Nathaniel Idowu Foundation. At a recent Primary Healthcare Summit held via Zoom in Lagos, he urged individuals and corporate organisations to support government’s efforts in providing quality health service delivery for Nigerians. https://guardian.ng/features/government-cant-do-it-alone-support-of-individuals-corporate-organisations-is-vital-yemi-idowu/

 

 

The Maracana Project

The new Maracana made in Ajegunle for grassroot football in Nigeria.
 
The Maracana Stadium is a 19-football pitches built in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria. The project was funded by Yemi Idowu, a keen advocate of grassroot football in Nigeria, under the banner of Nathaniel Idowu Foundation. The Maracana is the first of its kind in Nigeria. The new facility boasts 10-five aside football pitches, 8 for 7 aside football and one standard football pitch.
 
In May 2022, over 4000 (four thousand) school children from across the Nigeria were at the Maracana to put to test the 19 (nineteen) football pitches. This gave a rare exposure to modern facilities of the Maracana in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria.
The multi-pitch arena is designed as a template for the emerging Nigerian football culture. The facility is a place for children to play and hone their skills in football from early age. It accommodates more than 4,000 children playing at the same time on different pitches. Yemi Idowu described it as: “This centre has 19 playing fields with the capacity to contain up to 100 teams and 4,000 children on a given competition”. https://guardian.ng/sport/new-maracana-stadium-will-help-create-football-culture-for-nigeria-says-idowu/

 

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Nathaniel Idowu foundation pitch donated to the community at Unity school Ajeromi

 

Football Development Master Plan Committee

The Master Plan Committee was inaugurated by the Minister for Sport (Sunday Dare) in November 2021 on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari with the mandate to prepare a 10-year development plan for Nigeria Football.

Yemi Idowu was the Vice President, and part of  the delegation that went to present the 10yrs Football Development Master Plan to President Muhammad Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Nigeria.

The Photos below showed the President received report of the Ministerial Committee on the ten-year Football Development Master Plan. The plan laid the foundation for the development of number one sport, Football, in the country.

Nigerian Government Receives Report of Ministerial Committee on Football Development Masterplan.

https://globalnewsnetwork.online/nigerian-government-receives-report-of-ministerial-committee-on-football-development-masterplan/

FG Receives Ministerial Committee Report on Football Development Master Plan

https://emergencydigest.com/2022/07/15/receives-ministerial-committee/

Sports Minister Sunday Dare: Master Plan Report Amazing, Bold

https://www.insideglasshouse.com/2022/07/27/sports-minister-sunday-dare-master-plan-report-amazing-bold/

The photos slide automatically but you can press next or previous button to see the presentation  of the 10 Years Football Development Master Plan.

 

Yemi Idowu engaged and discourse with the press on the importance of the 10yrs Master Plan to the development of football nationwide.