The Nasarawa State Government has put on measures towards the revival of its Sports Academy with the aim to developing the sports sub sector.
The State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Hon Yakubu Kwanta disclosed this at a ministerial media briefing organised to highlight the midterm achievements of the Governor Abdullahi Sule led administration, on Tuesday in Lafia.
He said the academy which was the first Sports Academy in the country, is to be revamped and a committee would be put in place to ensure its reactivation.
According to him, government has approved the reactivation of the academy and will mobilise contractors to the site soon.
“The Governor has approved the reactivation of the Sports Academy which used to be the only academy in the country.
” We will look at it in the coming weeks and contractors will be mobilised to the site and the Sports Academy will be back on track,” Kwanta said.
The Commissioner restated government’s commitment to youth development citing the renovation of the Lafia City Stadium and the Akwanga Youth Centre which have been upgraded to global standards as pointers in that regard.
Kwanta also disclosed that the government has approved the construction of mini- stadia in the North, South, and West Senatorial zones of the state with Wamba, Doma, and Nasarawa LGAs hosting the facilities/ zones, respectively.
The commissioner explained that government has also approved the reactivation of the feeder team to feed the main team, with categories including U-13, U-17, and those ripe for the feeder team.
“In the coming days, we are going to be unveiling them. We are speaking with our international and national partners, those that are scouting for players.
“The State has also recorded significant progress in football, with 80% of its football players owned by the state, generating Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“The Nasarawa United Football team, which was relegated last year, has been revived and is currently performing well.
“The female team has also made it to the federation cup, showcasing the government’s efforts to encourage women’s participation in sports.
He said the Sule- led administration has also invested in capacity building for its coaches and athletes, with six coaches and athletes benefiting from national and international trainings.
Kwanta said that the state participated in the just-concluded National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, ,Ogun State with the athletes camping for two weeks before the competition and winning medals in all the 18 games they participated.
He, therefore expressed gratitude to Governor Sule for his commitment to sports development in the state, saying, “We appreciate Governor Sule for his commitment and support to Sports development in the State.
On his part, the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Tanko said the state has rich cultural heritage and tourism potentials with plans to host cultural festivals and attract investors.
According to him, the state was endowed with diverse cultures, a museum housing artefacts and tourist centers, including the Farim Ruwa waterfall in Wamba Local Government Area.
“The government is committed to showcasing our cultural heritage and promoting tourism in the state.
“We have set up a committee in our ministry to ensure that investors and tourists come to invest in the state.
“We are working towards having Nasarawa Cultural Festival to showcase our cultural heritage,” he added.
The Commissioner explained that the state was poised to strengthen the Nasarawa Broadcasting Service (NBS), under the Ministry of Information to become a leading platform for information dissemination in the state.
Dr Tanko noted that the ministerial media briefing was part of the government’s programmes to showcase its achievements, adding that the administration is open to the people and wants to share its numerous achievements with them.
