The proposed new stadium in Bayelsa State has received a significant boost as excavator clearing activities at the site have reached an advanced stage.
During a routine monitoring tour of the site in Yenagoa on Monday, the Honourable Commissioner for Sports Development, Daniel Igali, commended the progress made so far.
Igali emphasized that the accelerated work rate is driven by Governor Douye Diri’s commitment to providing talented young athletes with a world-class facility to fully realize their potential in various sports.
The World and Olympic champion noted that the new 25,000-seater multipurpose stadium will mark a new chapter for the state, taking sports to the next level.
“As you can see, we’ve started clearing the site for the stadium. It covers a total area of about 40 hectares, and we hope to complete the project within 24 months,” Igali stated.
“It’s a multipurpose stadium with two practice pitches, a main bowl, swimming and diving pools, basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, and various halls for other sports.”
“The stadium will be VAR compliant, and we thank His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri, for his passionate drive and massive support for sports development, especially the upgrading of sports facilities in the state,” Igali added.
Ama-Ebi Stow, Chairman of Ama-Ebi Consultants Ltd, who is handling over 50 percent of the site clearance, expressed satisfaction with the smooth progress of the early-stage clearing. “The environment is very suitable for a project like this. Today marks the 8th day on site, and we’ve cleared about 16 hectares out of the 25 contracted to us. I’m confident we’ll finish by next week,” Stow noted.
In their separate remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports Development, Mrs. Grace Alagoa, and the Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi, praised the state government under Senator Douye Diri’s leadership for implementing such an iconic project. They highlighted that the stadium would provide a platform for the state’s budding athletes to practice and showcase their skills.
The tour was attended by the ministry’s Director of Human Resource Management, Michael Alakere, and Director of Finance and Accounting, Mrs. Funke Ayah, among other high-ranking Ministry and Sports Council staff.
