Emma Nwaka in 2019, was the APC candidate for Ikwuano State Constituency, Abia State House of Assembly, and while he campaigned for that seat, his manifesto could be summarily stated as 'Better life  for all, plus Capacity building and Empowerment for Youths..

Though he didn't scale through, his campaign messages like a seed planted in a good soil has  already taken root in him.

Nwaka's programme of Capacity- building and Empowerment is that of lifting whole communities of Ikwuano's teeming youths out of the mire of poverty by equiping them with scalable skills or setting up micro-small-medium enterprises for them.

"I may be able to assist one or two youths set up shops, but it would  would be like a drop of water into the ocean. Only government has the capacity to do so much for so many simultaneously," Nwaka told DailyLedger.com.ng.

"But the idea that I, whether in government or not,   could do something for Youths, like a nagging headache refused to go away. Then, Open Sesame! like a thunderbolt it hit me: football!"

Nwaka explained that at first, he could not fathom how the idea could fly, but he continued nourishing the idea. Finally it came through when he visited the United Kingdom, home of the English Premier League which is very popular with youths.

Emma Nwaka at St James Park, home of Newcastle FC


"While in England, I visited the St. James Park, Newcastle Football Club's stadium in  Newcastle upon Tyne and I began to see my ideas like colour photographs take shape and life of its own.

One football star playing in England could literarily transform communities. And that is precisely why I am sponsoring the current edition of Ikwuano Super League, yes am putting my money where my heart is"

Emma Nwaka at St James Park, home of Newcastle FC


Nwaka explained that, he decided to sponsor the League so as to hit the ground running. "Am planning something elaborate because this is not just another inter-village football match, no, a thousand times no. This is just a sieving process, to get the best, give them that extra polish that could see them playing international football in Europe. 

"If this generation of Ikwuano youths can see one of their contemporaries who once played in the Ikwuano Super League playing as an international football in Europe or the English Premier League, I leave the rest of the story to your imagination.

" But that is my dream of taking youths to the next level coming through. If in my lifetime, I can see one youth who passed through the Ikwuano Super League become  star in England, or in Europe,that would be a great day of celebration for me", he affirmed.

"Thankfully we are fortunate to have fantastic players in Ikwuano in fact, one of my biggest regrets in life is that my childhood friend,  Chimaroke Osondu (Bullet) who was indeed a skillful  footballer of our time never played International football because of lack of sponsorship. 

" Even if  it is only one person that I can sponsor I know that person can sponsor another person that can sponsor another person by 2030, I can see Ikwuano approaching  its El dorado through foothball", he summed up

The current edition of Ikwuano Super League which took off Sunday, June 20 continues Sunday,  June 27,  and will last till first week of July 2021, and for this edition, all the matches would be played at Amawom Central School, Amawom - Oboro while the tournament is on, Nwaka is appealing all sons and daughters of Ikwuano to come out en masse and cheer up the players.