By: Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
The Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, has expressed the readiness of his administration to partner with serious private investors to build the proposed Abia Stadium City to create a better future and boost the economy of Abia State.
Governor Otti made this known when he received in audience a team of development partners led by the Managing Director, Irish Development Group (IDG), Mr. Nigel Neely, who came to present a master plan of the proposed Abia Stadium City in his office on Tuesday.
The Governor said that his administration has been on the stadium project and is looking for those who not only have the capacity to deliver but are willing to invest in Abia.
He said that he believes that with private sector involvement, such a gigantic project could be achieved while its sustainability would be guaranteed, even beyond his tenure in office.
“We’ve been on this stadium project, and we’ve pushed very hard because we know what we want to achieve. Listening to you, you clearly know what to do.
“So, just looking at these highlights (the presentation), it looks like something that can work. We have it out already, and I’m happy you have even gone ahead to inspect the site.
“So now, if it’s largely private sector-held, then even when I’m not here tomorrow, they will run well, because it also has to be sustainable,” Otti stated.
The Governor stressed that sustainability is key, said that the government could have 10% or 20% maximum investment, and allow the rest to be owned by private investors.
He said that what is needed is for both the government and the development partner’s team to sit and work out the details of the project.
“I think we’re now going to sit down and drill down on the real issues around the details. Like they said, the devil may be in the details.
“Where do we find the money? How much is it going to cost? In what tranches are they going to come? And, who is going to own it? As a government, we want to maintain a minimum shareholding,” Gov. Otti said.
Governor Otti appreciated the preliminary studies and spoke of the merits of the site.
“As you were making your presentation, I said, yes, that is exactly my impression about the place. We had a lot of options, but we chose that place. One, it’s not inside, it’s not too far. And then, the airport that we have just started is also not too far.
“And those are some of the attractions. You want to get to a stadium, or a stadium village, because there’s a stadium. So you have good accommodation, you can do your shopping, you can go on holiday,” Gov. Otti noted.
The Governor further assured that power would not be a problem for the project as his administration is concluding plans to buy the Umuahia ringed-fence of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, which would provide enough power to Umuahia and the entire Abia North zone.
Speaking while making a presentation of the master plan for the proposed Abia Stadium City, the development partner and Managing Director, Irish Development Group (IDG), Mr. Nigel Neely, said that the proposed Abia Stadium City, to be located on a 96-hectare expanse of land in Umuahia, represents a bold and forward-looking initiative designed to reposition Abia State as a premier destination for sports, tourism, business, and recreation.
He said that the project is anchored on the creation of a world-class, multi-functional sports and entertainment complex that would serve the region and attract global attention.
According to him, the structure for the proposed Abia Stadium City includes Stadium and Sports zone, Games Village and High-Performance Training Centre, Residential District (Smart Housing), Offering modern, tech-integrated living spaces for residents and visitors, Hospitality and Tourism zone with hotels, resorts, among others.
Mr. Neely expressed delight to be part of what he described as the transformative vision of Governor Alex Otti.
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