Gateway Games: "We are Adequately Positioned to Host the Best National Sports Festival Ever" Boasts Dapo Abiodun 

Olufemi Orunsola

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has revealed that the Gateway state is ready to host the best ever national sports festival in the history of the games considering the preparations for the successful hosting of the National Sports Festival which are at top gear, noting thst finishing touches are being put on all designated sporting facilities in the state.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that Abiodun made this known during an assessment tour of the M.K.O Abiola Stadium and the Alake Sports Centre, all in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The Governor of the gateway state said the construction of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, and a handball court behind the main bowl of the MKO Abiola Stadium was nearing completion, while the facilities at the Alake Sports Centre are at various stages of completion.

According to him, "The last time we visited the swimming pool site, it was at the foundation level, but there is a lot of construction in progress. The construction will allow us to make corrections; it will allow for inputs and suggestions.

"I am glad that starting from the MKO Abiola Stadium, where we saw the track is already in place, the field is about 80 percent completed. The warm-up hold, the main bowl, the handball courts, and the tennis courts are at advanced stages of completion.

"Coming to the Alake Sports Centre, it is like night and day compared to what was obtained the last time we came here. I would say that this facility is probably at about 95 percent completion, and I am confident that we are well prepared to host Nigerian youths. We are adequately positioned to host the best National Sports Festival in the history of the games."

He maintained that though there is still some work to be done, no stone would be left unturned in the provision of all the required infrastructure before the commencement of the festival.

He said the renovation of the sports facilities in the state has begun to yield benefits as the African Athletics Federation has chosen Ogun State to host the athletics competition in 2026 for the Under-20.

"So, you find that based on what we have done, Ogun State will now become home to other world-class competitions across the country, across Sub-Saharan Africa, and even internationally.

"For us, we are already excited that this investment has begun to yield dividends. This will be one of the legacies of our administration," he said.

Governor Abiodun also disclosed that his administration has chosen to construct a pavilion behind the MKO Abiola Stadium to cater to other non-sporting events, with the main bowl of the stadium dedicated only to sporting events.

He said: "Let me assure you that the stadium will only be used for sporting activities. To that extent, we've chosen to construct a pavilion somewhere behind the stadium, and that pavilion will now be used for rallies, parties, march pasts, October 1 celebrations, Labour Day celebrations, community days, and Democracy Day.

"All those events will cease to happen in the stadium; the stadium will be made available only for sporting activities."

Abiodun said that plans are underway to rename the stadium as the MKO Abiola Sporting Complex.

"Our MKO Abiola International Stadium has now gone beyond being just an MKO Abiola International Stadium; it is now an MKO Abiola Sporting Complex. We will soon be holding the renaming ceremony," he said.

The governor noted that 15,000 people are expected to attend the National Sports Festival, adding that his administration is working to get the Olumo Rock Tourist Center and other adjoining tourist centers ready for the games.

"The festival itself will allow us to host maybe 15,000 people in the city of Abeokuta. You can imagine that those people will be eating and drinking; they will be transported back and forth. They will be buying recharge cards and water.

"Where am I going? They will be visiting our tourist sites. We are getting Olumo Rock and other adjoining tourist centers ready for the games. There will be a lot of visitors sleeping in hotels.

"The economic impact of this festival on the economy of this state can best be imagined; the multiplier effect will be felt more after the games," he said.

He added that the National Sports Festival creates an opportunity for new talents to be discovered for both national and international sporting meets, noting that what his administration has done with the investment in sporting facilities in the state is the best across the country.