BY Stephen Kenechi
Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports, says the federal government would be partnering with the private sector for the management of stadia across the country.
Dare spoke on Tuesday while inspecting the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna ahead of the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup, hosted by Nigeria.
Speaking on the new managerial initiative, he said its public-private partnership (PPP) strategy would help salvage sports facilities across the country from their dilapidated state and ensure proper maintenance in the long run.
“We are working on a business model that would be enticing to investors and facility managers. Our approach will be public-private partnership venture. Our focus is on the upgrade, management, and maintenance of the facilities,” he said.
“I am here to look at the facilities, the main bowl pitch, the dressing rooms, training pitches, the gymnasium, the press tribune, the media centre because of the U-20 FIFA World Cup next year. I have the athletics tracks which are of international standard.”
The minister noted that a meeting between the commissioners of sports across the federation and other stakeholders would be held to chart out the way forward with respect to sports development in the country.
According to him, the PPP initiative would give a special focus to the ABS, National Stadium Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan, and Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, and transform them to a global standard.
“We will be meeting with the sports commissioners of all the states, sports federations, and the sports ambassadors for their input on how best to achieve sports development in the country. We are going to look at what worked and what has not,” he added.
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