I’m impressed, says Dapo Abiodun as he inspects renovation of facilities for sports festival

Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, has inspected ongoing renovation activities at key sporting facilities in preparation for the upcoming National Sports Festival (NSF).

The annual festival, tagged ‘2024 Gateway Games’, is scheduled to take place from January 12 to 26, 2025.

On Friday, the governor visited the MKO Abiola International Stadium and Alake Sports Centre to assess the progress of renovation work. Both facilities are slated to host games during the sports festival.

During his inspection at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abiodun expressed satisfaction with the level of work done, saying the stadium will “become one of the best in the country upon completion”.

The governor said the reconstruction marks the first major overhaul of the stadium in over three decades.

“It is in line with our Ogun standard, and I have no doubt that by the time the whole reconstruction is completed, this stadium will rank as one of the best in the country and will remain one of our legacies,” Abiodun said.

“I have come here today to see for myself the level of progress being made in the reconstruction work ahead of the Gateway Games 2025, which will start on January 12, 2025.

“I want to say that I’m impressed with the level of activities that I have seen at the stadium. I have been to the site where the Olympic-size swimming pool is being constructed, as well as the tennis court and the handball court.

“Now I’m here at the main bowl where the pitch is being removed, the surface is being prepared in readiness for concrete work, and eventually the turf.

“The track itself has been removed, and the drains have been opened. They are going to ensure that the pitch is canvassed so that when it rains, the water drains into the drains.

“The track is also getting ready, and I’m satisfied with the level of professionalism being demonstrated by the contractors.”

The NSF is a biennial multi-sport event organized by the National Sports Commission for athletes from the 36 states.

First staged in 1973 at the National Stadium, Surulere in Lagos, the game was conceived as a “unifying tool” to promote peace and cross-cultural affiliation in Nigeria after the civil war in 1970.