The government of Benue State has disclosed that the current renovation project at McCarthy Stadium in Makurdi is scheduled to conclude before May 29, 2025, ready for inauguration.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Youth, and Creativity, Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange, provided this assurance during an inspection of the ongoing construction work at the stadium. He stated that significant progress has been made, noting that the facility now boasts a fresh appearance due to the recently completed turf installation.
He mentioned that the McCarthy Stadium is the second comprehensive sports facility project undertaken by the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration within a year.
Our Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia, has a passion for sports and shows great dedication to fostering grassroots athletics. His aim is to uncover latent talent, guide these individuals, and help elevate them to prominence. However, achieving this vision cannot happen without proper sports infrastructure in place.
You understand that for football specifically, having dedicated playing fields is essential prior to proceeding with such plans. Many individuals have arrived from beyond the state and even foreign countries attempting to identify promising talent.
“But it was difficult in the state because we do not have pitches that will be played on. Playing on the sandy pitch cannot bring out the true potentials of the players. This is not just about football.”
He stated that with the significant investments being made in sports facilities within the state, Benue will quickly regain prominence.
The Commissioner further revealed that beyond Makurdi, the current administration plans to expand the development of sports infrastructure to all the local government areas within the state.
So far, the governor has allocated more funds in the budget towards sports and various aspects of youth development for the year 2025. His dedication stems from his belief that young individuals represent a significant part of our populace, signifying that they are the upcoming generation poised to drive change and achievement.
“Just, the governor revived the one of the major grassroots based football tournament known as the Governor’s Cup and lots of talents were discovered,” he said.
The director of Pitch Perfect Construction Company, overseeing the McCarthy stadium project, Olayiwola Ibrahim Bidemi, stated that the construction is utilizing premium materials adhering strictly to FIFA guidelines and standards.
He said, “We met the entire stadium in a very dilapidated state. When we came here to McCarthy Stadium, the pitch was just ordinary sand. In fact, the grass was dead and gone. We met only topsoil.
So, we need to begin anew by dismantling the entire facility, which includes resurfacing the field and renovating the pavilion — previously, it was just one pavilion, but now we’re extending it to include bothVIP and general seating areas.
We aim to finish the regressing work by next week, after which we’ll move on to other construction tasks. In the coming weeks, we should be completed.
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