Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Thursday said that the state’s level of preparation had further confirmed that it was ready to host the 22nd National Sports Festival scheduled for the middle of next month.
This is just as the sporting fiesta is also expected to attract at least 15,000 people from across the country.
Abiodun disclosed this while speaking with journalists after a tour of facilities being made ready for the successful hosting of the sports festival.
Some of the facilities inspected included the MKO Abiola International Stadium, the Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, and handball court behind the main bowl, as well as the Alake Sports Centre, all in Abeokuta.
He said that the facilities being put in place would not only be used for the upcoming festival but also for other competitions, national and international.
Abiodun explained that, “The track that we installed here has already begun to reap benefits. The African Athletics Federation, because of the quality of our tracks, has chosen Ogun State to host the athletics competition in 2026 for the U-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”.
Governor Abiodun also disclosed that his administration has chosen to construct a pavilion behind the MKO Abiola Stadium to cater for 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.”
The governor also revealed plans to rename the stadium.
“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.
