By Peter Adelowo
The Chairman National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko says the agency is partnering state governments and other relevant ministries to put sports facilities in standard forms.
Dikko stated this when he hosted a delegation from the “Emerging Abuja Projects” led by it Chairman, Dr. Kenneth Ibe-Kalu at the National Sports Commission Complex in Abuja.
He added that the already existing stadiums have the capacity to additional infrastructures to upgrade it’s standards to compete globally.
“We are working hard to modernize the place to see if they can be entertainment, sports, amusement parks, hotel facilities and also turn the main bowl not just for football but to be a place to host other kinds of events” he stressed.
“We are working on the procurement of the necessary facilities to put proper grass in the arena”
“Our mission is not just in Abuja, we are also working to turn our facilities in Lagos, we are talking to the primary sector, we are also working with the Kaduna State government and some private sector to convert some of our facilities in Kaduna” Dikko emphasized.
“We are also working with the Oyo State government and some private sectors to turn Obafemi Awolowo stadium because they all have the capacity to accommodate additional infrastructures and we will deliver on that”
Dikko further added that the commission will be signing a memorandum of understanding with ministry of Arts and culture to facilitate the vision.
Earlier, the Chairman “Emerging Abuja Projects” Dr. Kenneth Ibe-Kalu said Abuja is set to undergo rebranding.
Dr Ibe-Kalu who is also the Director General of the Forum of Former Deputy Governors explained that the projects is aimed at rebranding the federal Capital Territory FCT to a model city that will accommodate up to 20,000,000 tourists in the next three years annually.
“The emerging Abuja programme, we made a proposal to the minister of federal Capital Territory FCT, that Abuja needs rebranding and we have the approval to commence the rebranding” Dr. Kalu stressed.
“The rebranding of the FCT to a model city that will accommodate up to 20,000,000 tourists in the next three years annually has four stages, first social engineering of the residents of Abuja, we have created identity because we don’t have identity as it is in places like Lagos” he stated
“The revamping of new tourist destinations within the existing Abuja, which is a new city and it is called Abuja green city and it will be launched by next month by the FCT minister and will be functioned 90 percent tourism, culture and entertainment which will be the first of it kind in this country”
“We developed the groovy December, it has lots of activities of about thirty-five plus events that will take place beginning in this December and it is going to run for sixteen days from the 15th of December to the 31th. The activities with be ranging from culture, entertainment and tourism and it will attract alot of Nigerians both the ones in diaspora.
“We will be having traditional wrestling match, language, dancing competition and others.
“We want to appeal to you to avail us the national stadium for the sixteen days event, most of the event will be held here because this is the only place that have the facility to accommodate the activities” Dr. Kalu added.
