Paul Bassey
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Paul Bassey (born 9 July 1958) is a Nigerian sports journalist and sports administrator. He is also the Chairman of Akwa Ibom-based
Akwa United Akwa United Football Club is a Nigerian football (soccer), football club based in Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State. They play in the Nigeria Professional Football League, the first division of Nigerian football. The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium i ...
.


Personal life

Paul Bassey is married to Helen. He has three children. He is a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
and an ordained Elder of
The Apostolic Church Nigeria The Apostolic Church Nigeria is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in Nigeria with its national headquarters in Lagos and international headquarters in Penygroes, United Kingdom, UK. History The church has its origins in the founding of a pray ...
. On 28 March 2020, his second son, Enoabasi Paul Bassey, got married in Lagos.


Education

Bassey had his primary school education at Saint Gregory's primary School Ikot Ebok, Eket (1964 to 1967) and Salvation Army Primary School Iyun Road, Lagos (1967 to 1969). After his primary school education, he proceeded to Saint Finbarr's College, Akoka, Lagos, for his secondary school education in 1970 and obtained his Senior Secondary School Certificate in 1975. In 1983, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages and Linguistics from the University of Calabar. Two years later, he obtained a Masters of Arts degree from the
University of Grenoble The (, ''Grenoble Alps University'', abbr. UGA) is a Grands établissements, ''grand établissement'' in Grenoble, France. Founded in 1339, it is the third largest university in France with about 60,000 students and over 3,000 researchers. Es ...
, France.


Career


Sports journalism

Bassey began his sports journalism career as a reporter and writer for Nigerian Chronicle newspaper in 1977. He was promoted to the rank of sports editor four years later. In 1986, Bassey joined ''
The Punch ''The Punch'' is a Nigerian daily newspaper founded on August 8, 1970. Punch Nigeria Limited is registered under the Companies Act of 1968 to publish newspapers, magazines and other periodicals. The newspaper's aim is said to be to "inform, edu ...
Newspapers'' as a sports editor. Five years later, Champion Newspapers appointed him the group sports editor and he was later promoted to the position of deputy general manager. He left Champion Newspapers to establish a daily sports paper, ''Today Sports'', a publication of DP Communications Ltd., with its corporate headquarters and publishing house in Ikeja, Lagos. He was the editor-in-chief of the daily national sports newspaper, now defunct. Bassey anchored one of the popular Nigeria Television Sports programmes on NTA, ''Master Sports''.


Sports administration


Official assignments

Bassey has served as a member of the NFF Technical and Development Committee. He works as a lead resource person during the NFF Pre-season match commissioners' seminar. Bassey served as
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
Match Commissioner for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Algeria and Burkina Faso at the
Mustapha Tchaker Stadium Mustapha Tchaker Stadium (), is a multi-purpose stadium in Blida, Algeria. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 25,000 people. The stadium is the home of the Algeria national footba ...
, Blida on Tuesday, 19 November 2013. On 30 November 2013 Bassey was on duty as
CAF CAF or caf may refer to: Armed forces *Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces), the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy *Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force *Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China (Tai ...
General Coordinator for the second leg of the 10th CAF Confederation Cup final between TP Mazembe of Democratic Republic of Congo and Tunisian club, Club Sportive Sfaxien, at the
Stade TP Mazembe Stade TP Mazembe is a multi-use stadium located in the Kamalondo suburb of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since its completion in 2012, it has mostly been used for football (soccer), football matches and is the home venue of TP Ma ...
, Lubumbashi. In 2014, CAF appointed Bassey into a five-member expert committee to inspect the six countries who were bidding to host the 2019 and 2021
Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...
, following a decision reached by
CAF CAF or caf may refer to: Armed forces *Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces), the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy *Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force *Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China (Tai ...
’s Executive Committee at its meeting in Cairo, Egypt. On 5 February 2015, Bassey was designated by CAF as the security officer on duty in the second semi-final of the Equatorial Guinea 2015 Africa Cup of Nations involving Ghana and the host, Equatorial Guinea. In November 2015, Bassey was appointed by
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
to commission the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier involving Congo and
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
in Brazzaville. In 2016, CAF appointed Bassey as instructor on CAF Competitions Management System at the
CAF CAF or caf may refer to: Armed forces *Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces), the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy *Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force *Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China (Tai ...
Match commissioners seminar held in Cairo, Egypt, from 11 to 17 July. On 9 October 2016, Bassey was the
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
official in charge of Security for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Congo and Egypt in Brazzaville. On 23 October 2016, Bassey served as
CAF CAF or caf may refer to: Armed forces *Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces), the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy *Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force *Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China (Tai ...
General Coordinator during the second leg of the 2016 CAF Champions League Final at the
Borg El Arab Stadium The Borg El Arab Stadium (), sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Army Stadium or El Geish Stadium - Alexandria (), is a stadium commissioned in 2005 in the Mediterranean Sea city of Amreya; 25 km west of Alexandria, Egypt. It is the sec ...
, Egypt. In October 2016, CAF appointed Bassey and four other Nigeria sport administrators – including the LMC
chief operating officer A chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization (i.e. personnel, resources, and logistics). COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the C ...
, Salihu Abubakar, former NFF President,
Dominic Oneya Dominic Obukadata Oneya (26 May 1948 – 4 August 2021) was Administrator of Kano State, Nigeria from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha, then Administrator of Benue State from August 1998 to May 1999 du ...
, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Samson Adamu, a CAF Match Coordinator – as instructors for 2017–2019 cycle of
CAF CAF or caf may refer to: Armed forces *Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces), the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy *Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force *Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China (Tai ...
Club Licensing. On 13 November 2016, Bassey was appointed by
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
as Security Officer for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group A qualifying match between Guinea and Democratic Republic of Congo, at the 28 September Stadium in Conakry, but the contacted the World football governing body to excuse him from the tie so he could help his state,
Akwa Ibom Akwa Ibom is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state takes its name from the Qua ...
host Nigeria's fixture against Algeria smoothly. On 18 February 2017, Bassey was the CAF General Coordinator for the 2017 CAF Super Cup match between
2016 CAF Champions League The 2016 CAF Champions League (officially the 2016 Orange CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 52nd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 20th editio ...
winners
Mamelodi Sundowns Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premiership, the first tier of South African football league syste ...
of South Africa and
2016 CAF Confederation Cup The 2016 CAF Confederation Cup (officially the 2016 Orange CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 13th edition of the CAF Confederation Cup, Africa's secondary club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Foo ...
champions,
TP Mazembe Tout Puissant Mazembe, commonly referred to as TP Mazembe, is a Congolese professional association football, football club based in Lubumbashi. History Tout Puissant Mazembe, the first sports club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a ...
at the
Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby stadium situated in the suburb of Arcadia, city of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa, owned by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. The stadium can accommodate 51,762 spectators. The stadium is the ...
in
Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...
, South Africa. In March 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the NPFL Super 6 tournament sponsored by Dozy Mmobuosi.


Akwa United management

In 2016, Bassey was appointed by
Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...
Governor,
Udom Gabriel Emmanuel Udom Gabriel Emmanuel (born 11 July 1966) is a Nigerian politician and accountant who served as governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2015 to 2023. He contested for the office of governor in the April 2015 elections on the platform of Peoples D ...
as Senior Special Assistant on Sports and chairman, Akwa United Football Club. Within four years of his administration, the club has been transformed to a big sports brand. In 2017, under Bassey, Akwa United won their second domestic cup title and recorded their highest ever finish in the Nigerian topflight, placing fourth at the end of the 2016-17NPFL. The following season, the club looked on course to winning their first-ever
Nigeria Professional Football League The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) (formerly the Nigeria Professional Football League) is the highest level of club football in Nigerian football league system. The Nigerian Premier League has suffered like many others, from the financi ...
title, but the campaign ended prematurely. As of the time the league season ended, Akwa United were second on the log – just two points behind table-toppers, Lobi Stars.


MPN/NNPC Athletics Track and Field Championships

Bassey is the project consultant of the
Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...
MPN/
NNPC The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is a state-owned oil company in Nigeria. Still a fully-owned government company, it was transformed from a corporation into a limited liability company in July 2022. NNPC Limited is the o ...
Track and Field Championship for Secondary Schools, which began in 2001. The annual Athletics Championship has produced track and field talents for Akwa Ibom State, including Aniekeme Alphonsus, who emerged overall best female athlete in the 11th edition in 2011. In 2010, Bassey was the project consultant for the 21st edition of the AFN's All Nigeria Athletics Championship, which was sponsored by MPN/
NNPC The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is a state-owned oil company in Nigeria. Still a fully-owned government company, it was transformed from a corporation into a limited liability company in July 2022. NNPC Limited is the o ...
. The championship – which took place at U. J. Esuene Stadium,
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari, Cali and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language, as the Efik people dominate this area. The city is adjac ...
, from 24 to 26 June – served as a qualifier for Kenya 2010 African Athletics Championship and the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.


Honours and recognitions

Bassey has been honoured both locally and internationally. He, alongside select few sports personalities, were Nigeria's torch bearers at the
2004 Athens Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
. In 2007, he was a recipient of CAF Golden Jubilee Award in recognition of his outstanding performance in sports journalism and administration, and overall contribution to the growth of football in Africa, during the CAF 50th anniversary celebration in Cairo.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bassey, Paul Living people 1958 births Association football executives Nigerian sports journalists Nigerian sports executives and administrators People from Akwa Ibom State Sportspeople from Akwa Ibom State