Abeokuta, Ogun State – The Commissioner for Sports Development in Ogun State, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, has moved to allay concerns regarding the allocation of National Sports Festival (NSF) venues, clarifying that the decision not to host a significant portion of the event in the Yewa part of Ogun State is neither deliberate nor politically motivated.
Speaking to journalists during a press conference held on Saturday at the June 12 Cultural Center, Hon. Isiaka stressed that the NSF is a national event orchestrated by the Federal Government, rather than a state-organized festival. He elaborated that the primary responsibility for determining hosting venues rests with the federal level, with the host state having limited input in these decisions.
“The reason why Yewa or Ogun West, one thing I want people to know is that this is national sport festival, it’s not state sport festival. You can invite them to come and show them all your facilities, the decision of where most of this thing will happen almost hundreds percent taken by the federal government. It is not a deliberate action and it’s not political,” Hon. Isiaka stated.
Regarding infrastructural development, Hon. Isiaka revealed the Ogun State Government’s commitment to ensuring the full utilization and long-term sustainability of sports facilities across the state. He highlighted ongoing improvements, citing the transformation of the swimming pool area from a mere bush to a thriving facility.
“The swimming pool side before now was just a mere bush and you can see what’s happening there now, there’s a lot of things that will still happen in the sport complex. We are going to have chalet, we want to define it in a way that we have section for sporting area, one for recreation area and the other for social activities. We want to ensure that all the space in the sport complex is fully utilized.”
He further added that Ogun State currently boasts four stadia – two in Abeokuta, one in Ijebu Ode, and one in Sagamu – with ambitious plans underway to upgrade all five.
“On plan for the sporting facilities, as of today we have four stadia in Ogun State, two in Abeokuta, one in Ijebu Ode, one in Sagamu. Presently we have developed two. We want to develop the five stadium and there’s no way we would develop five stadium and expect government to maintain the five, so the possibilities of public-private partnership is very high.”
Emphasizing sustainability and forward-thinking planning, Hon. Isiaka affirmed that technical facilities such as swimming pools would be managed by qualified professionals with the requisite expertise, thereby guaranteeing effective maintenance.
“I can assure you that none of the facilities will be allowed to rot again,” he affirmed with conviction. “We’ve invested heavily, and the government is determined to get value for money. Our facilities will not go to waste.”
Finally, on the critical aspect of talent development, the Commissioner reiterated the state’s unwavering commitment to nurturing discovered athletes. “Once we discover them, we don’t abandon them. We train, nurture, and support them, that’s our strategy.”
