In North-Central Nigeria, the Kwara State Government said it is set to renovate the indoor sports hall of the state stadium at the cost of N2.06 billion to make it an ultra modern sports facility.
Speaking with sports writers under the aegis of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in Ilorin, the executive chairman of the state sports commission, Bola Magaji, said that previous administrations in the state had neglected the indoor sports hall for long, adding that the development led to its decadence.
Magaji, who said that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was determined to bring the stadium back to its pride, added that the renovation of the indoor sports hall would be completed in 12 months. He also said that the government planned to make the stadium house about 25 different sports when completed.
“Due to lack of maintenance reptiles were even attacking some of our athletes. However, the sports hall will be much better than before when fully renovated,” Magaji said.
“There will be many innovations that would be added. It will become a centre of tourism because local and international tournaments will be held in there.”
“There will be increase in sales among business outlets and offices in the stadium while hotels in the state capital and surroundings, would get improved patronage because athletes would converge in the state anytime sports events are organized inside the hall,” he added.
Magaji assured that both state and national sports festival would be held inside the sports hall after completion of the renovation works.
The executive chairman of the state’s sports commission said that target of the state government in sports development was to take youth out of the streets and make them have social value and benefit.
“The target is not aimed at financial gains or rewards really, but to make the youth shun drugs, thuggery and hooliganism and be more useful to the state and themselves,” he concluded.
