Akwa Ibom Commissioner Urges Nigerians To Embrace Sports Facilities Maintenance

Hon. Paul Bassey, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, has called on Nigerians to adopt a robust culture of maintaining the nation’s sports facilities.

Bassey, a veteran Sports Administrator, Vice President of the African Clubs Association, and a CAF and FIFA Match Commissioner, made the appeal in response to Sportsville’s nomination of Akwa Ibom’s sports facilities for an award this year.

“First, let me thank Sportsville for this honour; we feel elated as a state that our stadium is the only one recognised and approved for CAF and FIFA tournaments,” Bassey stated. “That a big footballing country like Nigeria can only boast of one approved stadium by CAF and FIFA, where a couple of North African countries and South Africa have at least seven, calls for concern.”

Bassey credited the consistent quality of governance in Akwa Ibom, from Governor Godswill Akpabio, who initiated the stadium’s construction, to Governor Udom Emmanuel, who named it, and now Governor Umo Eno, who is ensuring its upkeep.

“The key word is maintenance. Governor Akpabio, in awarding the contract to Julius Berger in 2012, went for the best. Governor Udom made sure Julius Berger signed a ten-year maintenance contract, while Governor Umo Eno has kept faith with the maintenance culture.”

He emphasised that maintaining a stadium of such magnitude is costly, requiring dedicated, sports-loving governments. Bassey, a respected voice in African sports, added that a lack of maintenance culture is a significant hindrance to Nigerian sports.

“Here in Akwa Ibom State, we take maintenance of our facilities seriously, and that is exactly what I am recommending to other states. Let facilities managers come here to see what we are doing and replicate the same in their states. We must imbibe a maintenance culture in this country if we are to make progress in that direction,” he asserted.

Beyond the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Akwa Ibom boasts other credible stadiums in Uyo, Eket, and Ikot Ekpene. The ongoing Ibom Sports Academy will feature state-of-the-art facilities, and the iconic Ibom Arise Resort is also well-equipped with sports infrastructure. The recently opened Ibom Sports Gym further highlights Akwa Ibom’s ambition to elevate sports, supported by a dedicated Sports Ministry led by veteran administrator, Elder Paul Bassey.

To promote top-tier facilities for Nigerian athletes, Sportsville introduced a “best facilities” award category two years ago for both government and private sectors. This year’s nominees are the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo (government category) and Eagle Wings Sports Facilities in Utangba, Edo State. The awards ceremony is scheduled for March 28th, chaired by Dr. Larry Izamoje, Chairman of Brila Media Group.