The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, has described the emerging Bariga football development project as the kind of private and community-driven investment Nigeria needs to strengthen the pathway from grassroots football to the national and international stage.

Adeboye spoke during a courtesy visit to the facilities of Bariga Stars Football Club, a grassroots football initiative founded by Hon. Alabi Kolade David (AKD), the immediate past Executive Chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area and the All-Progressives Congress candidate for Somolu Federal Constituency. Alabi emerged as the APC candidate following the party’s May 2026 primary.

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The visit allowed the Presidential aide to inspect the work already carried out at the facility, as well as equipment being assembled for what is envisioned as a development camp for promising young footballers.

Upon completion, the project is expected to provide a structured environment for the identification, camping and development of U-15 and U-16 male and female football talents drawn from different parts of Nigeria.

Adeboye, who inspected different sections of the facility, expressed satisfaction with the level of work and investment already committed to the project, describing it as an encouraging example of what can happen when individuals and communities deliberately invest in young people through sport.

“What I have seen here is impressive because this is not just about putting up a football facility. It is about creating a home where young talents can be identified, brought together, properly trained and given an opportunity to develop.”

The SSA said the proposed focus on U-15 and U-16 players aligns strongly with his Office’s grassroots development mandate, particularly the drive to establish clearer pathways through which talented youngsters can progress from communities and schools into organised competitive football.

Adeboye was particularly encouraged by the decision to make the project available to both boys and girls, stressing that Nigeria’s grassroots football development must deliberately create equal opportunities for talented young female footballers.

“I am happy that the vision here includes both male and female players. If we are serious about the future of Nigerian football, we cannot leave anyone behind. Somewhere in our communities today are the boys and girls who can become the next generation of Super Eagles and Super Falcons players. Our responsibility is to find them early and give them the right environment to grow.”

The Bariga project is not Alabi’s first intervention in grassroots sports. While serving as Executive Chairman of Bariga LCDA, he publicly identified inadequate sports infrastructure as one of the obstacles facing talented youngsters in the community and initiated sports-facility projects to address the problem. In June 2025, his administration commenced work on the CMS Primary School Sports Complex, planned with a football field, track, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, gym, changing rooms and other facilities.

Bariga Stars FC was subsequently publicly presented as a grassroots initiative established by Alabi to discover, nurture and promote football talents. Its 2025 trials attracted aspiring footballers and sports stakeholders, further demonstrating the project’s focus on talent identification.

Adeboye said such continuity was important because sustainable grassroots development cannot depend solely on occasional competitions or talent hunts.

According to him, identifying a gifted 15-year-old is only the beginning; the bigger responsibility is creating the coaching, facilities, education, competition, welfare and progression pathway required to ensure that the talent does not disappear.

“Nigeria has never lacked football talent. Our challenge has always been what happens after we discover them. Who trains them? Where do they stay? What competitions do they play? How are they monitored? How do they move to the next level? These are the questions a serious grassroots development system must answer.”

During the visit, Alabi indicated his desire to establish a working partnership between the Bariga football project and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, with the objective of identifying and producing young talents capable of representing Nigeria in the future.

Adeboye welcomed the proposed collaboration, saying partnerships between government, communities, private investors, clubs and development academies would be critical to building a sustainable national talent pipeline.

“The Office of the SSA cannot develop grassroots sports alone, and government cannot do it alone. We need people who are prepared to invest in facilities, coaching and young athletes. When we find genuine projects that share this vision, there is room to explore how we can work together within the appropriate framework.”

He added that the ultimate measure of projects such as Bariga Stars should not simply be the beauty of their facilities, but the number of young lives they are able to transform.

“I want to return here in the years ahead and see young players who passed through this facility wearing the colours of Nigeria. That should be the dream. When a boy or girl enters here at 15 or 16, there must be a pathway that can take that child as far as his or her talent and hard work will allow.”

Adeboye said the initiative reflects the broader grassroots philosophy being promoted under the sports agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, where sports development is increasingly viewed not only through medals and national teams but also through youth empowerment, talent development and sustainable opportunities.

For the Presidential aide, the Bariga visit ultimately reinforced a message he has consistently carried across the country: Nigeria’s next generation of champions already exists at the grassroots; what they need is the structure, facilities and opportunity to be discovered.

“The talent is already there. What we must build is the pathway. If projects like this are properly developed and connected to a wider national talent-development system, then we will not have to keep asking where the next generation of Nigerian footballers will come from.”

The Federal Government of Nigeria commissioned a three-megawatt hybrid mini-grid project and a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre at Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja) on Wednesday.

The project was commissioned under Phase 2 of the Energising Education Programme (EEP), which encompasses seven universities and two teaching hospitals, including institutions in Maiduguri and Calabar. The initiative is currently in the implementation stage of Phase 3.

The Yakubu Gowon University installation features a 3.3 MWp solar array with 3MW of AC output capacity and 2 MWh of battery storage to support critical loads after solar hours. It also includes a dedicated grid connection to serve non-critical demand outside daylight periods.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, praised the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Board, led by Ayodele Fayose, and its management, headed by Abba Abubakar Aliyu, for their leadership in driving sustained investments to improve Nigerians’ lives.

The minister commended the project, noting that it will benefit 58,726 students and that its 388 streetlights will enhance campus illumination and security.

He further observed that electrifying the university will strengthen research, reduce reliance on diesel generators, and ease pressure on institutional budgets.

“This connection between infrastructure and human capability is central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Under his leadership, investment in electricity is being directed towards services and productive activities that improve people’s lives.”

“This sustained investment is a testament to this administration’s constancy of purpose. Continuing a national programme through successive phases, bringing projects to completion, and preparing the next phase reflects the discipline that development requires. For the young people who depend on these institutions, that continuity matters. It means that the commitment to their future remains active beyond any single project or ceremony,” he said.

Addressing the sustainability of the facility, the Minister urged students to take ownership of the infrastructure and report any acts of vandalism.

He also disclosed that the government is establishing a national call centre to receive and resolve electricity complaints nationwide.

“The promise of this investment now places a responsibility on all of us to preserve it. I expect the student community to support our ongoing efforts to stem the tide of vandalism. I therefore charge all of you to report any such act whenever you see it, not just on this solar system, but on other power assets such as transformers and transmission towers.”

“My office is working on a call centre where electricity complaints across the country can be lodged and resolved. This initiative will provide sustainable job opportunities for our youth nationwide. In addition, we plan to provide a dedicated channel where vandalism of critical assets can be reported for immediate action and remediation. We are also working through a joint team of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the EFCC to curb the vandalism of electricity assets across the country,” the Minister added.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the REA, Abba Aliyu, stated that the true value of the EEP lies not merely in megawatts but in functional laboratories, reduced budgetary pressure, and safer learning environments.

He charged the University governing council to ensure the project remains productive and beneficial to the University community long after the commissioning.

“Over the years, the EEP has taught us that when you build, you have to think about what happens five years from now and whether the investment will continue to create value into the future.”

“The Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO) is our solution. We must now become rigorous about asking how we protect and preserve the value of what we have built. RAMCO addresses this sustainability challenge. It recognises that building and managing infrastructure are two distinct responsibilities, and that modern renewable energy is decentralised. The Federal Government has created a platform to manage, monitor, maintain and optimise assets over time. RAMCO cannot survive alone; it requires the support of all stakeholders in shared stewardship. The ultimate value of this project will depend not only on what we have installed, but on how well it is sustained,” the REA MD said.

Mr Aliyu added that beyond the mini-grid, the agency established a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre (WTC) to build local technical capacity.

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He encouraged the university to turn the facility into a research hub for distributed energy resources, challenging the institution to pioneer new academic courses, drive technological innovation, and push the technical boundaries of the installation.

He also revealed that the EEP has so far delivered over 100MW of power across 22 federal institutions and university teaching hospitals, while thanking the Minister for his continuous support in ensuring energy investments deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Akinwunmi Fawehinmi, emphasised that the institution cannot effectively teach, conduct research, or provide a conducive learning environment without reliable electricity.

He praised the Federal Government for its coordinated intervention, stating that the project directly addresses the university’s energy needs, and pledged that the management will ensure the facility is fully utilised and meticulously maintained.

Commending the REA leadership, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Enyinnaya Abaribe, hailed Abba Aliyu for the project, noting that it is critical to improving the quality of education nationwide.

He also applauded the establishment of RAMCO, stating that sustainability is key to ensuring that projects continue to benefit Nigerians long after commissioning.