NSC plans private sector take-over of sports facilities
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- Category: Sports
- Written by Joshua Odeyemi
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The Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Chief Patrick Ekeji has said there are plans for the commission to hand over all major sports facilities in the country to private investors.
According to him, the NSC is presently liaising with the Presidential Committee on Sports Restructuring to achieve the cause.Ekeji made this known in Abuja while reacting to the suggestion that NSC should no longer be allowed to manage major sporting facilities. The facilities include the six national stadia in the country.
“President Jonathan set up the committee to see how we can sustain these edifices with emphasis on maintenance and provision of funding for sports development. I have always been an advocate of Public- Private Partnership (PPP).
“Indeed, I was first, the chairman of the Technical Committee that started the construction of the Abuja Stadium when I was the Director of Facilities in 2002. Then, I had proposed that we engage private sports facility managers because I know the challenges.
“I know that government will not always have enough funds to manage these facilities.
“The plan which went through due process was for both the package A and B of the Abuja National Stadium as well as the Games Village but they did not go beyond that point,” Ekeji said.
According to him, factors, including gimmicks at higher political level contributed to the collapse of the initial takeover plan by corporate individuals and organizations.
He said that his meeting with the Bureau of Public Enterprise and other government privatising agencies was an indication of President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to restructure sports in the country.
The Director-General said that very soon, the stadia would be in good condition for private sector takeover.
Ekeji said he was confident that getting investors for the facilities would not be a problem
Articles
NSC plans private sector take-over of sports facilities
Category: Sports Written by Joshua Odeyemi Hits: 580
The Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Chief Patrick Ekeji has said there are plans for the commission to hand over all major sports facilities in the country to private investors.
According to him, the NSC is presently liaising with the Presidential Committee on Sports Restructuring to achieve the cause.Ekeji made this known in Abuja while reacting to the suggestion that NSC should no longer be allowed to manage major sporting facilities. The facilities include the six national stadia in the country.
“President Jonathan set up the committee to see how we can sustain these edifices with emphasis on maintenance and provision of funding for sports development. I have always been an advocate of Public- Private Partnership (PPP).
“Indeed, I was first, the chairman of the Technical Committee that started the construction of the Abuja Stadium when I was the Director of Facilities in 2002. Then, I had proposed that we engage private sports facility managers because I know the challenges.
“I know that government will not always have enough funds to manage these facilities.
“The plan which went through due process was for both the package A and B of the Abuja National Stadium as well as the Games Village but they did not go beyond that point,” Ekeji said.
According to him, factors, including gimmicks at higher political level contributed to the collapse of the initial takeover plan by corporate individuals and organizations.
He said that his meeting with the Bureau of Public Enterprise and other government privatising agencies was an indication of President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to restructure sports in the country.
The Director-General said that very soon, the stadia would be in good condition for private sector takeover.
Ekeji said he was confident that getting investors for the facilities would not be a problem