Monday, January 10, 2005

Akeem Olajuwon's N3.5b basketball academy for Abuja
From Chris Garba, Abuja

NIGERIAN born American basketball legend, Akeem Olajuwon, is to establish a N3.5 billion basketball academy in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja.

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Disclosing this to journalists in his office in Bwari recently, the Executive Chairman of the Bwari Area Council, Isah Dara Bwari, said that Olajunwon's proposal was already receiving attention of the area council and that the authorities of the FCT were being contacted in order to make land readily available for the project
"A site has already been proposed and we are now only waiting for the FCT Minister's approval for the land on which the academy would be built. Akeem wrote us some months back and we replied that we were prepared to co-operate with him with a view of seeing the proposal come into reality," the chairman pointed out.

Bwari said that it was a pride for the people of the area council to have the project sited in their area and assured the U. S.-based former basketball legend of his council's full cooperation to see that the proposal became a reality.

He called upon both the FCT Sports Council and the Social Development Department to liaise with his council to ensure that the proposal did not end up on the drawing board.

Bwari also said that his council was taking the issue of sports development in the area council very seriously, and as such, a mini- stadium was to be build for the area council in 2005.

"I wish to assure our youths that everything is being done to enable them have access to sporting facilities in Bwari Area Council and I am telling you that come 2005, Bwari Area Council would be the council to watch, as we are leaving nothing to chances to come out on top," he said
The chairman said that his council was taking a step in sports development by sponsoring both male and female athletes to attend championships in handball and basketball.

He disclosed that a football club would soon be formed by his council next year with the aim of putting the Bwari Area Council's name on the soccer map of Nigeria.

"Sporting activities help to check youths restiveness and as such, my administration is doing all within our limited resources to promote sports among our youths, and the coming of the Akeem Olajunwon Basketball Academy would be an additional boost to sports development in Bwari Area council," he said.`