Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his vision for sports development in Nigeria through a statement on his X handle.
Emphasizing his belief that sports can lift millions of young people out of poverty while fostering national unity, Obi highlighted his visit to Kigali Sports City in Rwanda. He was accompanied by Nigerian-born Masai Ujiri, the President of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
The tour began with a visit to the arena, a state-of-the-art facility known for its innovative design and construction. This venue, which hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), is notable for generating sufficient revenue to sustain itself without government funding.
Next, Obi explored a newly built 45,000-seater stadium, but what truly captivated him was the ongoing construction of “Zaria Court.” This complex, developed by Ujiri, includes a hotel, a mini-game village, open areas for community events, and a sports bar. Ujiri named the project after Zaria, Nigeria, where he was born and raised, expressing his passion for replicating such facilities in Nigeria to harness the country’s vast potential.
Ujiri stressed the need for similar developments across Nigeria, suggesting that each of the six geopolitical zones should have such facilities. He lamented the deteriorating conditions of Nigeria’s National Stadiums in Lagos and Abuja, calling for their redevelopment and better management.
Reflecting on the visit, Obi highlighted the enormous potential of Nigerian youth in sports, entertainment, and other sectors. He noted that facilities like those in Kigali could unlock that potential, creating significant opportunities for development.
Ujiri also emphasized the importance of redeveloping and actively managing national stadiums, especially the one in Surulere, Lagos, to ensure they are financially self-sustaining, just as the facilities in Rwanda are.
Concluding his statement, Obi expressed his hope to initiate similar projects in Nigeria, believing that they could create jobs, reshape the sports and entertainment landscape, and contribute to building the new Nigeria that everyone envisions as possible.
