By 
Godwin Bamigboye.

May 27 is Children's Day worldwide. Though in my early 60s, I still see myself as a Children's Day celebrant especially when I visit my mother who is in her 90s. I do hope my readers will wish me a happy Children's Day.

This is a day for children to approach their parents for one need or the other. Even those children not privileged to know their parent still look at some people as parents. They look unto them with expectation and in most situations, their requests are met.
As it is written in one of the Holy Books, "If your earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to you, how much more will your heavenly Father give unto you what you ask Him?".

The Federal Capital Territory is like a family that has a leader. Therefore, the political architecture of the Federal Capital Territory confers on the FCT Minister the status of father of the FCT. This is the reason I have always asked for the support of the FCT authority to provide the much needed sports infrastructure. We are beginning  to see some attention being given to sports in the Federal Capital Territory. Untill recently, it has not been so much visible and tangible but I believe we are already at the end of the dark tunnel especially with the physical development we are seeing.

Honourable Minister of FCT, His Excellency, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is beginning to make real some of the expectations of stakeholders in the Sports Family in FCT. I am beginning to see physical development at the Area Three pitch. I learnt that the addition to the work at the Area Three pitch will include other games like athletes hostel, dressing room, handball, basketball and probably volleyball facilities.

While celebrating this development, I have also seen reasons that has thrown some FCT Sports stakeholders into LAMENTATION. What is it? I arrived Area Three pitch yesterday (26/5/2025) and behold the entire parking area and the make shift dressing room are being fenced away from the football pitch and tightly to the wire gauze fence and to the extent that there is no convenient thoroufare between the football field fence and the new fence. With this development, the football field has been enclosed. It is without sitting provisions because I can see the space that will accommodate it, no parking area. Maybe the handlers of the project know what we don't know. 

I expected that fencing of the land for whatever project it's being taken for should leave out the parking area. 
Area Three pitch doesn't have the standard infrastructure it deserves but it is undoubtedly the main converging point of Football activities in the Federal Capital Territory. Area Three pitch is so important that it has hosted high level matches like the President Federation Cup, Nigeria National League matches, Nationwide League, FCT League, National Women Football League, International Football Scouting programmes by foreign scouts for Nigerian talented youths, it's the main training hub for FCT Football Clubs and Academies and other sporting engagements. The Area Three pitch is engaged from dawn to dusk. The capacity of the grass surface pitch at the Old Parade Ground cannot take Five percent of what Area Three pitch  accommodates daily.

Why is it that the Area Three pitch seem to have been jinxed? As an early comer to the FCT, I saw a large expanse of land earmarked for Area Three Stadium. Between 1989 and 1992, the same pitch had a Spectator stand built to a reasonable level but abandoned. Julius Berger PLC at a point in time took over the completion of the stadium, demolished the pavilion, completed the underground works and a lurch green turf comparable to any standard pitch anywhere. Sadly, the project didn't go beyond this level. The beautiful grass surface went bad after a while due to lack of maintenance. The current artificial turf was provided by FIFA for the Under 17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria in 2009 when Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi was President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The expanse of land, which now accommodates some projects bordering the pitch was earmarked for the construction of the Mini Stadium only but has now been decimated to only one Football pitch. It irks me to see that we are not making proper investments into the future of our younger generation. This is sad.

It is in my mood of lamentations like other football stakeholders that I am making another move with a plea to the FCT Minister to see the Area Three stadium as a project with Overriding Public Interest. In addition, the fence of the other portion of land should exclude the parking area. Leave the Parking Area to serve the Football Pitch or Stadium. This is a little more request and its my plea that the FCT Minister should oblige the youths of this Nation the opportunity to continue to benefit from the Area Three field.

I MUST commend the latest effort of the FCTA/FCDA  to provide befitting physical  sports structures at the Area Three Sports Centre, Old Parade Ground and other places in FCT. Though the Area Three space have been reduced by half, I see it as "a half bread better than none". The commencement of work on the sports facilities planned for Area Three will eventually serve as the light at the end of the dark tunnel when the project is completed.

While I commend the FCT Minister for this development, it is important  to remind everyone of us that MUST CONTINUE TO PROTECT the FUTURE of our YOUTHS.
Honourable Minister, these are my commendations and requests for the Children and Youths of Nigeria on this 27th day of May, 2025 which marks the annual Children and Youth Day globally.

 *I am Spectator.*