Sports
Ministry To Spend N265m On Ibadan Stadium
The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, has put forward the sum of N265 million to be spent on several projects at the Obafemi Awolowo National Stadium in Ibadan in 2021.
The sum is contained in the ministry’s N181,104,352,458 proposed to the National Assembly for the 2021 fiscal year.
Tidesports source gathered that the breakdown of the sports ministry budget which was obtained by our correspondent showed that the sum will be spent on seven different projects around the stadium.
Two of the projects were listed as ongoing projects while five are new projects that are yet to commence.
Among the new projects to be worked on in 2021 are — rehabilitation of indoor sports hall, which will cost the ministry N60 million, while another N50 million has been set aside for the replacement of blown off roof of the main bowl.
Other new projects are: re-grassing of main bowl pitch which will cost N30 million, replacement of blown off roof portion of indoor sports hall will cost N10 million while the rehabilitation of borehole, treatment plant, storage tanks and reticulation of the Ibadan stadium will gulp N40 million.
The ongoing projects are replacement of vandalised electricity cables and connection to national grid (which will cost N50m) as well as maintenance and replacement of rusty water pipes and general cleaning of main bowl and offices at Ibadan stadium to cost N25 million.
Sports minister, Sunday Dare, in September 2019 had expressed displeasure at the state of the 60-year-old stadium promising to refurbish the structure.
The 25,000 capacity stadium was on November 12 2010, renamed the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium. It was previously known as the Liberty Stadium.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.