By Uzor Odigbo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accepted to grace N6 billion Chioma Ajunwa Foundation Sports Centre launch on October 8th, 2021 at the Muson Centre in Lagos.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Dr Chioma Ajunwa, disclosed this at a media briefing where she expressed delight that the former Nigerian leader welcomed the project and promised to honour the occasion estimated to cost N6 billion.
“Chief Obasanjo welcomed us and was happy that such projects targeted at the youth population of Nigeria is a worthy project that requires the support of Nigerians,” she said.
The Atlanta’96 Olympics gold medalist said the drive behind the project was in providing a credible platform for young athletes across many sports to horn their talents and become stars and breadwinners in future.
“When I visited US, Australia, Britain etc I saw huge sports facilities there but none in Africa. This made me start to think as to what could be done to have such facilities in Nigeria.
“Chioma Ajunwa’s Foundation desire to provide a facility where athletes would have the opportunity to train in an indoor environment, having all facilities for all sports are in one place. I think we are big enough to have these facilities in Nigeria,” she said.
According to her, “This would save athletes the time in running around the whole places searching for facilities to train and also further their education.”
She however appealed to Nigerians to join hands in assisting the talented youths through the project. She noted that only youths from Under 13 and 17 would be admitted to the facility across Eight sports.
TheNiche learnt that after completion, the project would have 5000 seat capacity stadium, 250 beds three-star hotel, a vocational centre, sports radio station and Journalism school, adding that this would make it possible for athletes to go for a second career choice after they had down their tools in sports.
She expressed delight that two acres of land have been secured for the facilities.
Some people according to her promised building materials and other incentives to actualise the project.
She said Nigerian youths must not be distracted but must be made to focus rightly on their future by building sports facilities that will engage them roundly away from dangerous societal vices.