Nigerian filmmaker Pascal Atuma has officially launched Tabic Sports Agency, a FIFA-certified football talent management company, in a move he says will revolutionize how African football players are discovered, nurtured, and represented on the global stage. Speaking at the agency’s first press conference, Atuma emphasized the need to create opportunities for grassroots talents while ensuring ethical and professional representation for African players.
“We are here to change the narrative in African football,” Atuma said. “For too long, talented players have been left behind because they lacked proper representation. Tabic Sports Agency will bridge that gap and ensure that African talent gets the global recognition it deserves.”
The sports agency, which was recently re-licensed by FIFA, is one of the few certified in Nigeria to operate at the highest level of international football representation.
The agency has already signed three promising players from Nigeria: Chisom Onyenuforo (Abia State), Saheed Mumuni (Lagos State), and Jonathan Awun (Plateau State). These players, according to Atuma, were selected purely on merit and are being coached to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
Tabic Sports Agency will focus on scouting young talents across Nigeria and Africa while offering career management for established players, coaches, and clubs.
One of its first major projects is a collaboration with the Katsina State Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, set to begin in January 2024. This partnership will bring international scouts, including representatives from France’s Bondy Academy, to Nigeria to identify and mentor promising young players.
To ensure maximum impact, the agency is calling on governments at all levels, federal, state, and local to collaborate with them to support young talented footballers. Atuma emphasized that partnerships with government agencies and ministries are critical to building a sustainable framework for grassroots football development.