The Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has directed the immediate closure and renovation of Bako Kontagora Stadium to meet the specifications of the Nigeria Football Federation.
A member of the renovation committee, Malam Danjuma Mansu, disclosed this to newsmen in Minna.
He said the closure and renovation would last six weeks, after which they would be inspected by officials of the NFF to enable Niger Tornadoes FC to play their home matches.
“For the past five years now, Niger Tornadoes team have been playing their matches outside the state; now we want to avoid the stress they go through to travel outside the state to play.
“This will also reduce cost and risk, especially for people that travel with the team to watch them play as the governor believes that is the ideal thing to do,” he said.
He said the renovation committee was headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Abubakar Sadiq.
Mansu said other members of the committee were the Chairman of the State Revenue Board and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports Development.
According to him, the renovation is in fulfilment of the campaign promises of the governor to meet the yearnings of the people to watch the team play at home.
He disclosed that the maintenance would be done at a cost of N40 million, which would serve as an alternative before the completion of the ongoing new stadium.
