Arena/Stadium: Nest of Champions Stadium, Uyo
Owners – Government of Akwa Ibom State
Chairman: Aniedi Dickson
Manager: Caleb Esu
Nickname(s): N/A
Founded: 2004
| History |
| Season | League | Rank | Played | Points | W/D/L | Goals | Players |
| 2019/2020 | NPFL | 8 | 26 | 34 | 8/10/8 | 26:26 | – |
Dakkada FC was established in 2004 as Akwa Starlets and joined the Nigerian Professional football league (NPFL) at the start of the 2019/20 season. The club is based in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom in South-South region of Nigeria and plays its home fixtures at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, which it shares with Akwa United.
In October 2019, the name Dakkada FC replaced Akwa Starlets to reflect the state’s policy philosophy, Dakkada, aimed at inspiring the people to the path of greatness through economic and social activities such as sports, recreation and entertainment. Akwa Starlets was set up by the vision of a former State Commissioner for Sports, Professor Chris Ekong to be the youth team of the State-owned Akwa United and created to be a transition channel identifying young talents and preparing them to feed Akwa United. The team’s first stint in the national domestic scene was in the Nigerian National Amateur League 1.
The vision paid off, producing the likes of Ezekiel Bassey (former Akwa United and Enyimba winger), Aniekeme Asuquo (former Akwa United and U-20 International) and a host of others who began their respective careers at the club. Dakkada’s continued push in the lower league paid off in the 2018/2019 season, when they won eight of their ten games all season and earned a place in the playoffs from which they picked a slot to play in the NPFL. Dakkada’s underdog tag in their first season in the NPFL motivated them to dominate the scenes in the early stages of the campaign, stunning the likes of Rangers International 2-0 away at the Cathederal, as well as Enyimba and Rivers United at home.
In the mix was also losses at home to city rivals, Akwa United FC, Kano Pillars, Nasarawa United, while Rangers restored some pride by also edging them 3-2 in Uyo. Asides the impressive performances recorded by the team’s technical crew led by Caleb Esu in their first sojourn in the elite division massive talents were added to the NPFL fray in the mold of: Moses Effiong; Isaac Bassey; Osimaga Duke; Imo Obot; Femi Ajayi; Alalibo Somian; Eso Archibong and a number of others, while the experience brought to bear by the likes of Aniekan Ekpe, Utibe Archhibong and Harrison Ibukun also gave the team an edge. Dakkada FC finished eight on the log after the Point per Game (PPG) classification after the 2019/20 campaign was brought to a halt following the lockdown occasioned by the dreadful Corona Virus pandemic
