Kwara state Government targets sports tourism, service sector growth.

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has unveiled  plan for Kwara’s economic expansion into sports tourism and service economy.

This was made known to the general public through his Chief press secretary Rafiu Ajakaiye, and also stress that certain investment in sport are planned to foster  vast development 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 spoke at the Kwara closed table tennis competition, hosted at the state-of-the-art Tablen tennis arena in Kwara state stadium, a project completed under Gov. Abdulrazaq’s leadership.

“Governor Abdulrazak envisions positioning Kwara to rival Dubai,” Ajakaiye noted. “He sees Kwara as an economic center catering to the West, North, and North Central regions.”

Kwara’s sport investment is a key component of a comprehensive strategy to establish the state as a thriving economic centre, emulating Dubai’s success which was not only focus on oil but also through tourism services.

“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.

According to Coach Bola Mogaji, Executive Chairman of the Kwara sports commission, the governor’s investment in sports infrastructure is poised to bear fruit soon.

“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.