Governor Uba Sani has promised to transform Ahmadu Bello Stadium into a FIFA-standard sports facility that will host international competitions.
He noted that the stadium was built in 1965, so it has to be completely remodelled to meet the needs of modern times.
Governor Uba Sani disclosed that the stadium will be transformed into a 32,000-seat capacity venue upon completion of the remodelling, which will double its current capacity.
The Governor made this known when the National Institute for Sports, led by its Director General, Comrade Phillip Shuaibu, paid him a courtesy visit at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Tuesday.
Governor Uba Sani pledged that the upgraded Ahmadu Bello Stadium will be the second most spacious stadium in the country, after the National Stadium in Abuja.
He described the DG of NIS as versatile, adding that before Comrade Shuaibu came on board, the Institute was moribund, but he has started turning it around.
Recalling that he and the DG were in the trenches together for the restoration of democracy in 1999, he said that Comrade Shuaibu performed well as Deputy Governor of Edo State.
Speaking earlier, the Director General said that the mandate of NIS is to develop manpower for the sports ecosystem, including the training of coaches and paramedics.
Comrade Shuaibu recalled that he took steps to reposition the Institute when he assumed office by constituting a 32-member star-studded team.
According to the DG, the team came up with a 10-year work plan, conducted training and created six zonal offices for proper coordination.
He said that the Northwest zonal office will be located in Kaduna, while Yola and Jos will host the zonal offices of the Northeast and North Central geopolitical zones, respectively.
According to him, the South-South zonal office will be located in Benin, and the South-East and South-West offices will be at Enugu and Abeokuta towns, respectively.
Comrade Shuaibu thanked Governor Uba Sani for promising to provide a fully furnished office for the takeoff of the Northwest zonal office.
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