Kwara State Government has stated plans to diversify its economy beyond agriculture, focusing more on sports tourism and a service-based economy.
Rafiu Ajakaiye, Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq made this known, and emphasized that significant investments in sports are intended to complement other infrastructure developments in the capital.
“The Governor’s vision is to transform Kwara from its agrarian image into a service-oriented economy and sports tourism hub,” he stated recently.
The goal is for Kwara to meet the demands of the South West, North, and North Central regions of Nigeria.
Ajakaiye made these comments during the recent Kwara Closed Table Tennis tournament held at the newly constructed Table Tennis Arena at Kwara State Stadium Complex, built under Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration.
The tournament was organized by SUIO Stainless & Steel, a sports promotion company, and De-Wise, an educational consulting firm, marking the first use of the well-equipped arena since its completion.
“Governor AbdulRazaq envisions positioning Kwara to rival Dubai,” Ajakaiye noted. “He sees Kwara as an economic center catering to the West, North, and North Central regions.”
The investment in sports is part of a broader initiative to transform Kwara into an economic hub similar to Dubai, which thrives on its service and tourism sectors rather than oil.
“Kwara has the potential to excel in sports, with many Nigerian sports legends being Kwarans or having trained in the state. Five years ago, our infrastructure was nearly non-existent, but now we boast some of the best facilities in West Africa.”
He highlighted the significance of the Table Tennis Arena—the largest in Nigeria—as part of an evolving sports tourism destination, along with the renovation of the Indoor Sports Hall, after over 30 years.
Coach Bola Magaji, Executive Chairman of the Kwara Sports Commission added that the Governor’s investment in sports infrastructure will soon yield benefits.
“We expect to host sports events with national and international significance in Kwara soon. The Table Tennis competition was a deliberate test-run for larger plans we have this month,” he said.
