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The Kwara State Government has spent over ₦2 billion to renovate the Pa Gabriel Ladipo Indoor Sports Hall at the George Innih Stadium, Ilorin, in what it described as its largest investment in sports infrastructure.
The information was shared on the verified Facebook page of the Kwara State Government, quoting the Executive Chairman of the State Sports Commission, Bola Magaji, during a media tour by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council.
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“This indoor sports hall alone has gulped over ₦2 billion,” Mr Magaji reportedly said. “Not many sectors have enjoyed much support like sports from His Excellency in the last six years.”
According to him, the George Innih Stadium now accommodates 32 different sporting activities within one complex. He claimed that no other stadium in the country houses as many sports facilities in a single location.
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“You can’t compare it to Lagos or Abuja stadiums. Abuja has packages A and B, yet neither has what we have here. Everything is concentrated in one spot,” he said.
The post further noted that the state government is rehabilitating the Offa and Lafiagi stadia to extend sports development to other senatorial districts.
Mr Magaji said the state’s ranking at the National Sports Festival had improved from 23rd to 5th in recent years, attributing it to financial incentives for athletes, including ₦1 million for gold medals, ₦500,000 for silver, and ₦300,000 for bronze.
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“Some of our athletes who left before are now eager to return because the Governor has changed the face of sports in the state,” he added.
The Kwara Football Academy (KFA) students were also quoted as commending the renovation of their hostels, dining, and clinic facilities.
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“I love football. I started playing at seven and chose KFA because it’s one of the best academies in Nigeria,” said Abdullahi Hassan, a student.
Another student, Saad Ahmad from Kano, was quoted as saying: “This is my sixth year here. They take good care of us. We have good staff, good rooms, water, electricity, and medicals.”
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