The Executive Governor of Niger State, His Excellency Mohammed Umaru Bago, has appointed Dr. Abubakar Abdullahi Kuso — Founder and President of Pape Academy — as Chairman of the Management Committee of Niger Tornadoes Football Club.

The appointment places one of Niger State's most passionate football developers at the helm of the state's flagship professional club, and it is a resounding endorsement of the work Dr. Kuso has done in grassroots and youth football development.

In just a few years, Dr. Kuso has taken Pape Academy from a local training ground in Bida to a structured football institution — inaugurating a full management committee and certified technical crew, completing official player registrations under NFF and Niger State FA supervision, and steering the club into the Nigeria League One, where it finished the first round of the 2025/2026 Bida Centre campaign with three consecutive victories.

The management, technical crew, players, parents, and the entire Pape Academy family warmly congratulate our President on this milestone. His appointment is a source of immense pride for everyone connected to the academy and to football development across Niger State.

We have no doubt that the same vision, discipline, and integrity that built Pape Academy will now be brought to bear at Niger Tornadoes FC, and we wish him a hugely successful tenure as Chairman of the Management Committee.

Dr. Kuso remains the Founder and President of Pape Academy, and the club's mission — creating pathways for the most talented young footballers in Niger State — continues with full momentum.

Congratulations, Mr. President. Niger State football wins again.