FG to assist ABU in sports development – Minister

Mr Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, said the Federal Government would extend all the needed support to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, for sports development.

This is contained in a statement issued by Malam Auwalu Umar, ABU’s Director of Public Affairs Directorate, on Thursday in Zaria.

The minister made the pledge when he received the institution’s management team led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabir Bala, on a courtesy visit.

Dare said that he would arrange a visit to the university to assess the state of its sporting facilities.

The minister described the visit to the ministry by the Vice-Chancellor and his management team as “historic”.

He said that ABU sports facilities should be upgraded given the huge population of students on the campus.

The sports minister, who is an alumnus of the university, said that ABU could compete favourably with its counterparts in Europe and America.

He described ABU as a great institution with a large population of influential alumni spread all over the country and beyond, saying that a good number of members of the Federal Executive Council, are products of the university.

“The minister expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor and his team for the visit, to connect with him as an alumnus of the great institution,” the statement said.

The Vice-Chancellor had earlier said that the decision of the institution to connect with its alumni remained a top priority towards enhancing its excellence in teaching and research.

Bala believed sports development was one of the major steps towards addressing youth restiveness and that ABU would work hard towards achieving that goal.

He expressed appreciation to the minister for the warm reception accorded him and members of his team.

He also told the minister that ABU Football Workers’ Club had registered for participation in the country’s football league.