The Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Bola Magaji, has lauded Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his administration’s huge investment in sporting facilities in the State, noting that the administration had committed over ₦2bn in the past six years to the renovation of Pa Gabriel Ladipo Indoor Sports Hall alone.
Magaji gave the commendation during a media tour of facilities at the George Innih Stadium Complex, Ilorin, by the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, Kwara Council.
He added: “This indoor sports hall alone has gulped over N2bn. Besides, Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration has also invested in the football field, tennis court, squash court, etc. Not many sectors have enjoyed much support like sports from His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the last six years.
”If he’s not leaving any legacy, but for what he has done here, it’s a legacy that anybody who wants to beat it will have to work harder. Just like his predecessor Major George Innih. They were the ones who built this place. I don’t think there can be any government in Nigeria that can put up this type of edifice again because of the cost.
”His Excellency has done a lot for us here. Right from the road, the field, the buildings and the paintings. He did not only do that, a lot of our athletes have been sponsored to travel outside this country. There was a six-year-old boy from Offa who has done wonderfully well. You can imagine a six-year-old boy went to play Scrabble in Nigeria and he won among 180 other athletes. That’s not going to be possible if not for what the governor has done.
”We have among us as well that had gone to represent Nigeria in Cairo in squash. We have among us that had represented Nigeria in Olympics and won Olympic medals. It had not been so very easy before. That is the first medal in badminton in the whole Africa which is coming from this state.”
Magaji noted that the state stadium complex stands out nationally and surpasses other stadiums, including in Lagos and Abuja, in scope and functionality.
”The entire sports complex now supports at least 32 different sports, all housed within a single facility except golf. No stadium in Nigeria has all these in a single location.
”I’ve been doing sports, representing Kwara State as far back as 1965. There’s no stadium I have not been to. You can’t compare it to Lagos Stadium. You can’t compare it to Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan or national stadium in Abuja.
”Abuja has package A and package B. The package A and package B do not even have what we have here. Our own is concentrated on a spot. You can do all the sports here apart from golf that you have to do outside,” he said.
Magaji noted that the government is extending investments beyond the city-centre with ongoing reconstruction of Offa and Lafiagi stadia in the southern and northern senatorial districts in order to create a more inclusive sports ecosystem.
On the impact of the government’s investment in sports sector, Magaji insisted that the investments have translated into dramatic improvements in national competition rankings and performance of the state athletes, saying the state has moved from 23rd to 5th place in the National Sports Festival standings over recent years, marking an unprecedented rise.
”The Governor has given us all the necessary encouragement, financially, morally and that’s why we are doing this. So once again, I thank His Excellency for considering this. Some of our athletes who have left the state before are now eager to return to Kwara because the Governor has changed the face of sports in the state.
The Governor’s policy to reward athletes with ₦1 million for gold, ₦500,000 for silver, and ₦300,000 for bronze medals has enhanced athletes’ performance. Coaches and team officials also received bonuses and brand new cars were gifted to top athletes, including those with disabilities. These incentives have encouraged athletes who previously left the state to return,” Magaji added.
On Kwara Football Academy, Coach Magaji praised AbdulRazaq for the renovation of the academy’s hostel, dinning and clinic to meet the needs of the students.
Students of the academy, Abdullahi Hassan, Saad Ahmad from Kano and Adnan Muhammad-Akanbi, expressed delight over the school’s structured daily schedule which they said balances academics and physical training for holistic growth.
They said the recent renovation of facilities at the Academy has made the school environment more conducive for learning.
Hassan said: “I love football. I have started playing football from the age of seven and I chose KFA because it is one of the best academies in Nigeria. That is why I here.”
Ahmad said: “KFA is one of the best in West Africa. This is my sixth year here and they take good care of us. They have good staff. Good rooms. We have good water system, electricity and medicals.”