Local tourney, global standard: Jigawa’s thriving native league where costliest player is N10,000

In this special report, ABIODUN ADEWALE writes on how a local football association, BALFA, in Babura, Jigawa State, is revolutionising local football with its transparent player transfer system and offering opportunities for emerging stars to break into bigger leagues Sometime in July 2024, a friend sent a message on the social messaging application WhatsApp. It