By Daily Sports on March 11, 2020

For some communities, hosting a multi-event championship tends to be less positive than anticipated. This is because most host communities end up in debt after the championship is done. This is especially so because, in some cases, no clear thought is given to live after the events. The facilities built for such events often become huge elephant projects and a strain in the resources of the host communities.

But that uncertain fate is not likely to befall Edo State after the 2020 National Sports Festival, which will hold from March 22 to April 1. Recently, the Edo State Government took a group of senior sports editors around the facilities being prepared for the festival and also outlined plans to make the festival an economic booster to the state. Led by the state’s Deputy Governor, Comrade Phillip Shaibu, who is also chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the editors were educated on the plans to make Edo State the hub of sports in Nigeria and leader in the economic exploitation of the country’s abundant human resources.

Comrade Shaibu explained that the festival has been planned in such a way that money spent on the construction and organisation of the event would be regenerated through the same facilities.

He adds: “Elsewhere, it is not the government that runs sports; the government just provides the facilities and enabling environment, which we have done. When we say the government has no business in sports but to provide facilities, infrastructure and enabling environment, it is true and that is what we have done in Edo State as far as sports is concerned.

“For me, sports is an industry, but I like to borrow my governor’s ideology: sports is another economy. And when you look at it truly, you are going to deal with a lot of issues. You are going to deal with insecurity because these young men and women will be engaged in the afternoon and they will be too tired to be the devil’s workshop.

“Also, those vendors that would sell jerseys, food vendors and engage in other different businesses would open up and once those businesses kick-start in the local government areas, the state’s GDP will improve and it will reduce unemployment and insecurity. It will also increase wealth. For us, it’s a whole economy on the rise and that is why we will not depend on the government to manage these facilities.”

He disclosed that the all-grass pitch in the new Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City has been structured such that it would serve as a nursery that would grow natural grass, which would, in turn, be sold to anybody desirous of having them in his facility. (The Guardian)

•PHOTO: Nigerian athletes 

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 11, 2020

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