The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to leveraging sports as a tool for job creation and wealth generation.
Governor Oyebanji made this known on Friday during an inspection of ongoing renovation of Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado Ekiti.
He emphasised that sports in the state would no longer be regarded solely as a recreational activity, but as a strategic platform for empowering athletes.
The Governor, who expressed dismay at the poor conditions under which the athletes train, assured them that such a situation would soon become a thing of the past.
He said his administration is determined to revamp the stadium to meet international standards.
The Governor also hinted that his government has awarded over N7 billion contract for the construction of a state-of-the-art indoor sports hall, which is expected to be completed before the end of his administration.
While assuring the athletes that his administration would continue to provide enabling environment for them to thrive which include modern facilities and training programmes that would position them to compete effectively at national and international levels, he charged them to remain diligent and concentrate on their goals and take advantage of the opportunities his administration is creating to develop their talents.
Oyebanji said: “I came here this morning in continuation of what we started yesterday just to look at what is happening at the stadium.
“I recall that I was here last year, I went round and I did not like what I saw and I promised that we are going to revamp sports in Ekiti State.
“If you look at the six pillars of our administration, one of them is human capital development, that is where sport development is and I made a promise that we will use sport as an avenue to create job and wealth, that sport will no longer be a recreation activities, it will be a platform for sport lovers in sporting activities to make money and we can only do that if we put in place structures and building blocks that will allow you to exhibit your potentials.”
In her own remarks, the Technical Advisor on Sports Development, Dr. Olusola Osetoba, lauded the governor’s vision and proactive efforts in ensuring that sports are no longer seen as a mere recreational activity but as a platform for youth empowerment, job creation, and economic growth.
Speaking on behalf of the athletes, the Captain of Ekiti United Football Club, Makanjuola Ayodeji, who could not hide his joy, expressed his profound appreciation to the governor for his remarkable contribution to the welfare of the athletes in the state.
Ayodeji noted that since the inception of Oyebanji’s administration, they have witnessed unprecedented improvement in their condition of service with salary increment, uniforms, traveling allowance, bonuses, among others.
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