Jikwoyi… Have you ever heard about this community in the Federal Capital Territory? It is town or settlement situated along Nyanya to Karshi expressway. It’s a big settlement adjoining Karu site, located within Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
I am unveiling a package to sports lovers in the FCT and beyond. This community has a mini stadium almost completed but work on the project has stopped. Sad news you will say but the narrative must change for good. We have been talking and writing about the dearth of Sports infrastructure in the Federal Capital Territory. These infrastructure is not entirely absent. The problem is that some are on ground but at various stages of completion. I don’t want to conclude that they are abandoned. Let’s take a roll call of Sports infrastructure in FCT. (Note that MKO Abiola Stadium is excluded).
- Abuja Sports Centre (Old Parade Ground);
- Area Three Football Field;
- Bwari Township Stadium which has been rehabilitated through the SDGs intervention;
- FCT Sports Centre, Ushafa, Bwari (Abandoned, though utilized by Football Clubs for their training activities);
- FCT Sports Centre, Orozo in Abuja Municipal Area Council (Abandoned);
- FCT Sports Centre, Kuje (Project abandoned but pitch utilized by Football Clubs);
- FCT Sports Centre, Gwagwalada (Abandoned);
- FCT Sports Centre, Kwali (Project abandoned but the football pitch utilized by Football Clubs);
- FCT Sports Centre, Agyana, Abaji (Abandoned);
- Nyanya Sports Centre (Constituency Project of FCT Senator started by former FCT Senator, Phillip Tanimu Aduda). Work on going. A functional sports centre despite on going construction.
Jikwoyi Sports Centre is the new revelation. The space has been there and youths in the Community converge for their Football training activities. One day something happened and there was a turnaround in the fortune of Sports in Jikwoyi community. Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, while in office, was honoured with a football match organized on his birthday by the Community and spearheaded by a number of Football Coaches namely Coach Love, Bob Oluwole, Kenny Owojori and Ifeanyi Ubah. Professor Osibanjo on his visit noted the absence of a standard sports facility in the Community. He immediately promised to provide a standard sports facility. Today it is a reality. The only sad part of it is that work has stopped and if urgent step is not taken, the project will be rated as abandoned. My visit to the project shows that it is being prosecuted through the Federal Ministry of Sports Development. Therefore, the hardworking and proactive Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh should classify the project on his priority list. In addition, “Mr Projects”, the FCT Minister, H.E., Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike can take over the project for completion for the benefit of the youths in particular and all sports stakeholders in general.
Jikwoyi Township Stadium is situated in a densely populated community and there is no gainsaying that the stadium will always record capacity crowd. This will translate to economic gains and social mobilisation. As soon as the hybrid synthetic pitch is laid, NPFL matches can be comfortably hosted in the stadium.
I am moved to bring this to the attention of my readers in view of the good number of Sports infrastructure in FCT which unfortunately are better described as abandoned projects.
As the FCT Minister is already giving attention to Sports Infrastructure under his jurisdiction, the legacy project of former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, should receive accelerated attention. I am talking about the completion of the Jikwoyi township stadium. It is a symbol of grassroots sports development.
Godwin Bamigboye, a former Chairman Nigeria Football Coaches Association, FCT chapter writes from Abuja.
