By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barr. Nyesom Wike has flagged off construction of a multi sports event centre in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Wike, during the flag off ceremony of the Sports Centre sited in Kafe District on Monday explained that the construction of the facility is in line with President Tinubu’s eight- point agenda which bothers on empowerment of the youth, aimed at ensuring they are active, generate employment, generate revenue- making for themselves.
The Minister disclosed that other areas of the territory including the six area councils would also have such facilities
been constructed there.
” Today, sports is one of those things that’s kept many countries going. Brazil exports so many players to the world and they make a lot of money from it. And you cannot do that if you have no facilities that will encourage and bring out the talents of our youth. In fact, I was surprised that when we came here, we didn’t have such facilities of government.
“As one of the President’s eight-point agenda, is to empower the youth, is to make sure that the youths are active, generate employment, generate revenue-making for themselves. If you look at the concept, it’s very holistic. That’s why we call it multi-sports events it has everything you can talk about, any kind of sports and so we encourage our youth to take advantage of this.
“You want to be a basketballer, you want to be a volleyball, football, long tennis, squash, table tennis, whatever you think, we’re going to make it available here and to the international standard. This is not the only one we’re going to construct. I’m sure the other one has been awarded to the same company. We’re going to make sure that at least next year we will go to other area councils to make sure we encourage our youths in those area Councils.
“Although, government will not run it. We’ll go into partnership with private individuals to see how we can run and maintain it because you know the moment it goes to the hands of government obviously give it two weeks, you will see that it will be getting to another thing and we don’t want that, ” Wike stated.
He appealed to the contractor handling the project to ensure its completion atleast June next year so that it could be part of the third year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, assuring that money would be made available for the project.
END.
