Olopade Hails Wike’s Plan for Gwagwalada Mini Stadium Ahead of African School Games

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for plans to construct a mini stadium in Gwagwalada, describing the project as a boost to grassroots sports development.

Olopade said the proposed facility would provide young athletes in the FCT with better opportunities to discover and develop their talents, while also serving as one of the sporting venues for the 2027 African School Games scheduled to take place in Abuja.

In a statement issued on November 3 by his Special Assistant on Media, Kola Daniel, the NSC chief said the project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on improving sports infrastructure across the country.

He noted that access to quality facilities was essential for identifying young talents, improving athletes’ performance and preparing them for national and international competitions.

Olopade also disclosed that more than 30 contractors had been mobilised to different sites across the country to work on sports facilities and infrastructure for both grassroots and elite athletes.

He praised President Tinubu for what he described as strong support for sports development, saying the Federal Government had committed over ₦200 billion to the rehabilitation and development of sports infrastructure nationwide.

According to him, the investment would help make quality sporting facilities more accessible, particularly to children from less privileged backgrounds who may otherwise struggle to access the resources needed to develop their abilities.

The NSC director-general described Wike’s proposed Gwagwalada project as a welcome development and applauded the minister’s efforts in improving infrastructure across the FCT.

He said the commission remained committed to working with relevant stakeholders to expand access to sporting facilities, encourage grassroots participation and strengthen talent discovery across Nigeria.