The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) will spend 1.2 million dollars on the establishment of a football technical centre in Kebbi, an official said in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.
Mohammed Sanusi, the General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said Kebbi was chosen for the project because NFF appreciated the zeal and commitment of the state government to sports development.
He spoke when he led an NFF delegation to the state to inspect and take possession of the four hectares of land for the establishment of the football technical centre.
The NFF General Secretary said the Kebbi state government did this by ensuring sports men and women received adequate training to compete at national and international levels.
“I think we need to commend Gov. Atiku Bagudu for providing the necessary support to the state’s Ministry of Youths and Sports to perform its functions efficiently.
“FIFA is aware of the efforts being made in the area of sports development in the state, and this motivated NFF to provide support to the state through the establishment of the technical centre in the state,” Sanusi said during a visit to Gov. Bagudu.
While responding, Bagudu welcomed the establishment of the centre by FIFA and said it would enhance the promotion and development of sports in the state.
“In the last four years, the state ministry of sports has done well and this enabled the state to host several national and international competitions. They also played host to former foreign-based professionals such as Peter Rufai and Tijjani Babangida,’’ the governor said.
He added that the state’s football team also emerged winners at a beach soccer competition held in Lagos.
“About 15 students from the state have been sponsored to receive training at the Kwara Football Academy in Ilorin in furtherance of efforts to promote sports to high standard,” Bagudu said.
He further expressed satisfaction with the performance of Kebbi United Football Club, urging the players to sustain the tempo.
Earlier, the Chairman of Kebbi State Football Association, Abubakar Ladan, had explained the mission of the team led by Sanusi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bagudu later presented to Sanusi a certificate of occupancy for the plot of land hosting the technical centre’s permanent site in Birnin Kebbi.
