President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has approved the return of Ahmadu Bello Stadium to the Kaduna State Government and thus put the stadium in the full custody of the State, Sunday PUNCH reports.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, disclosed this in his office in Abuja when he received the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai in Abuja.
Dare stated that the Federal Government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Government in order to ensure more development of sporting infrastructure in the area.
Our correspondent learnt that plans to officially handover the stadium to Kaduna State Government will hold on Friday with a view to ensure more participation of the country’s teeming youth in sporting activities.
It was also learnt that a novelty match will be played to between the Governor and the Minister to commemorate the event in Kaduna.
“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,” Dare said.
“When we started the initiative, we approached two individuals from the private sector, Aliko Dangote and 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.
In his remarks, El-Rufai thanked President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and Dare 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 also assured that 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.
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.
