Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has directed immediate closure and renovation of Bako Kontagora Stadium, to meet the specifications of the Nigeria Football Federation.
This was disclosed by a member of the renovation committee, Malam Danjuma Mansu while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna, Niger State capital city.
Mansu disclosed that the closure and renovation of the facility would last six weeks and would also be inspected by officials of NFF, to enable Niger Tornadoes FC to play their home matches.
“For the past five years now, Niger Tornadoes team have been playing their matches outside the state; now we want to avoid the stress they go through to travel outside the state to play.
“This will also reduce cost and risk, especially for people that travel with the team to watch them play as the governor believes that is the ideal thing to do,” Manzu said.
According to him, the renovation committee was headed by Mr Abubakar Sadiq, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor.
The committee member said other members of the committee were the Chairman of the state Revenue Board and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports Development.
Mansu maintained that the renovation is in fulfilment of the campaign promises of the governor, to meet the yearnings of the people to watch the team play at home.
According to him, the maintenance would be done at the cost of N40 million which would serve as an alternative before the completion of the ongoing new stadium.
