Utaka, The Kind-Hearted   

Touched by the plight of youths around the world, Super Eagles striker, John Utaka, sets up a foundation to provide vocational education, training in music and arts for less privileged kids

•John Utaka.

As a child, Super Eagles striker, John Utaka, went to school holding a football and his books. These days, the books are gone; long gone. Football may have taken over, but Utaka, recently released by England’s Portsmouth Football Club, wants it back–in the lives of youths in Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.

Utaka, who is on the verge of joining Sunderland Football Club, has set up the John Utaka Foundation, with the aim of helping youths through education, music and art. The foundation will establish vocational training schools in some cities in Nigeria. The first centre will be in Enugu, where he grew up.  He believes that education is vital to the success of every child.

Using himself as an example, Utaka said if he had not gone to school, he would have found it difficult, if not impossible, to interact, grant interviews and sign football contracts.

The John Utaka Foundation is  solely funded by Utaka. It will raise funds through the sale of customised iPods with crystallised diamonds and autographed by the player. The money raised from the sale of the iPods will be spent on building structures and acquiring materials and equipment for the vocational centres. The foundation will be officially launched in September.

It will be headed by Dame Comfort Ani, a recognised humanitarian. The foundation will operate in Ghana, where it will work with the country’s former president, Samuel Kufuor, before visiting other West African countries to establish more centres. Utaka explained that he is not doing it for publicity. “This is not a means of publicity. It is something I am very passionate about. I believe the youths deserve something better than what they get. It is time we change the world starting from here,” he said.

The foundation also intends to work with community leaders and the government in a bid to achieve its set goals. The foundation, he added, will meet with the community with a view to finding out what the people want before setting up centres. Though the focus of the foundation will be on education, music and the arts, it will support youth with health predicaments.

Utaka said he is delighted to have played for the national team at the African Nations Cup and World Cup, but doing charity work gives him more joy. He believes that the project can attain continuity if the beneficiaries help others.

Utaka is also an ambassador for 1Goal, a programme designed to provide education for over 72 million children around the world by 2015. The former Rennes striker says he was also inspired by the works of other football stars, actors, actresses and musicians. Utaka speaks French and Arabic fluently.

Born in Enugu on 8 January 1982, he started his career at Enugu Rangers in 1997 as a 16-year-old. Since then, he has played for six clubs in four countries. From Rangers, he moved to Egyptian giants, Arab Contractors, in 1998. After two seasons, he was snapped up by another top Egyptian side, Ismaily, where his 17 league goals in the 2000/2001 season made him the top scorer. In 2001 he joined Al-Sadd of Qatar, spending one year before landing in Europe with Lens of France. He scored 24 goals in his two seasons at Lens and then moved to Rennes, where he continued his scoring heroics. In February 2006, he scored two consecutive hat-tricks against Lens and Lyon and was named player of the month by L’Equipe, the influential French football magazine.

In July 2007, he joined Portsmouth for a club record of  £7 million. He won the English FA Cup in 2008.

—Seun Bisuga