FCC partners with FCT FA to promote youth devt, talent discovery
FCC partners with FCT FA to promote youth devt, talent discovery
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) says it is partnering with the FCT Football Association (FCT FA) to promote youth development, social inclusion and talent discovery through sporting activities.
The Executive Chairman of FCC, Mrs Hulayat Omidiran, said this on Wednesday when the board of the FCT FA, led by its Chairman, Alhaji Abba Mohammed, paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja.
She said the partnership was aimed at strengthening grassroots sports development and creating more opportunities for young people to discover and develop their talents.
The FCC chairman pledged the commission’s support for initiatives that would encourage youth engagement and promote greater participation in sporting activities across the country.
She urged relevant authorities in the FCT to prioritise the development and rehabilitation of functional sports facilities to provide young people with conducive environments for training and competition.
Omidiran also called on the FCT Sports Department to pursue sustainable programmes that would strengthen grassroots sports and encourage young athletes to participate actively.
She said the Federal Capital Territory had the potential to become a leading centre for the discovery and development of sporting talents in Nigeria.
According to her, talent identification should not be restricted to football, as young Nigerians possess abilities that could be developed across various sporting disciplines.
“FCT should be an arrowhead in discovering sporting talents,” she said, stressing the need for deliberate and coordinated efforts.
Omidiran said stakeholders must be intentional and serious about sports development, noting that the sector could contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth.
She explained that sports should be viewed not only as recreation but also as an industry capable of creating employment, empowering young people and generating wealth.
The pioneer member of the FIFA Women’s Football Committee, however, expressed concern over what she described as Nigeria’s declining fortunes in women’s football.
She called for renewed investment, strategic planning and collective leadership to restore Nigeria’s position among leading nations in international women’s football.
“I am in deep pains seeing that Nigeria can’t even qualify for the Women’s World Cup,” she said.
Omidiran urged stakeholders to seize the present opportunity to introduce reforms and pursue positive changes in the development of women’s football.
She stressed that restoring the country’s football fortunes would require collective commitment, saying no single individual could achieve the desired transformation alone.
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The former Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said her passion for football started at a young age and later inspired her involvement in women’s football development.
She explained that her motivation had always been to use sports, particularly football, as a tool for improving the lives of young people and creating opportunities for them.
“I didn’t go into football to become an NFF board member or anything; I just wanted to use football to better the lives of some people,” she said.
Omidiran said she was satisfied that many of the girls encouraged to participate in football had experienced significant improvements in their lives.
Earlier, Mohammed commended Omidiran for her achievements and described her as a leader whose experience and influence could help advance sports development beyond football.
He expressed appreciation for her partnership in promoting youth development, social inclusion, talent discovery and greater participation of the six area councils in sporting activities.
“We are very grateful and honoured to partner with you in as many ways as possible. You are a leader, a pillar and someone who has sacrificed so much; you are a beacon of hope to many, not only in football,” Mohammed said.
The Acting Director of Sports, Mr Iyiola Ogundele, said the partnership would broaden talent discovery beyond football and create structured opportunities for young people across the FCT.
Ogundele noted that children in various communities possessed natural abilities that could be developed into talents in gymnastics and other sporting disciplines if properly identified and organised.
He said coordinated talent identification programmes would enable young athletes to receive the necessary training and support to develop their abilities and represent the FCT at national and international competitions.
