Latest News
Federal Government hands over Ahmadu Bello Stadium to Kaduna Government
By Wale Mustapha
The Kaduna State Government has been granted approval to manage the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna with the aim of encouraging more youths to participate in sporting activities.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare disclosed this on Friday when received the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Elrufai in his office in Abuja.
Mr. Dare said President Muhammadu Buhari granted the express approval for the state to ensure more development of sporting infrastructure in the area, adding that the a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed on January 27, 2023 with a view to ensuring more participation of the country’s teeming youth in sporting activities.
“With the formal handover of the Stadium to the State, Kaduna will now be a muster point for the 19 Northern States to showcase their budding talents as sports in the Zone is now been given a new lease of life”, he said.
“When we started the initiative, we approached two individuals from the private sector; Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Chief Adebutu Kessington. The third person we went to was the Governor of Kaduna State, who directed his Commissioner of Sports Development to look into all the aspects of renovation needed at Ahmadu Bello Stadium and undertake the necessary renovation, and that was the starting point”, he said.
A novelty match between the Kaduna State Governor and the Minister has also been organised to motivate young footballers who have chosen to develop the game as a career.
The Sports Minister applauded Mallam Elrufai for leading the trajectory of development in the country through various programmes, projects and initiatives, adding that under the leadership of Mallam El-Rufai, Kaduna has become both the center of political articulation, developmental growth as well as the economic hub for northern political discuss.
The Minister stated further that the Adopt-a-Facility initiative of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration through the Sports and Youth Development Ministry was aimed at leveraging on private investors to renovate and maintain sporting infrastructure across the country.
Dare urged other State Governors without a Federal Government owned sporting infrastructure and Stadium to invest in sporting facilities and athletes, stressing that the move will engage about 65 per cent of Nigerian youth who will in no small measure contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
The Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in his remark, appreciated the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare and President Muhammadu Buhari in particular, for taking the critical decision of giving Kaduna State the opportunity to be the custodian of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium which he described as a national asset capable of generating huge investments and revenue due to its location in the river bank of the country.
The Governor assured that subsequently, the Stadium will not only be upgraded to a world class standard but will also serve as a developer of key economic and social opportunities for the State and budding athletes.
He explained further that Kaduna State has had a history of producing football talents for the country like Rasheed Yekini, Daniel Amokachi and Tijani Babangida who have done the nation proud at various international competitions.
Continue Reading