Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has ordered the immediate closure and renovation of the Bako Kontagora Stadium to meet specifications of the Nigeria Football Federation. .

A member of the renovation committee, Mallam Danjuma Mansu, disclosed this in Minna

He said that the closure and renovation would last six weeks after which it would be inspected by officials of NFF to enable Niger Tornadoes FC play their matches at home.

“For the past five years now, the Niger Tornadoes team have been playing their matches outside the state; now we want to avoid the stress they go through in travelling outside the state to play. This will also reduce cost and risk, especially for people that travel with the team to watch them play as the governor believes that is the ideal thing to do,” he said.

He said the renovation committee was headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Abubakar Sadiq.

Mansu said other members of the committee were chairman of the state revenue board and permanent secretary of the Ministry of Sports Development.

According to him, the renovation is in fulfilment of the campaign promises of the governor to meet the yearnings of the people to watch the team play at home.

He disclosed that the maintenance would be done at the cost of N40 million which would serve as an alternative before the completion of the ongoing new stadium.

(NAN)