Governor Alex Otti has promised to reduce youth unemployment significantly by engaging young people in the sports value chain.
Unveiling the Abia Supalig in Umuahia on behalf of the governor, the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwobilor Ananaba, said a key mandate of the ministry was the meaningful engagement of youth in ways that allow them to make a worthy living through the expression of their sporting and entertainment talents.
Ananaba said resolving this challenge requires that Abia significantly improve the utilization of its available sports assets, especially the two main stadia in Umuahia and Aba, which are mostly used for just 19 days out of 365.
The Commissioner said that, having looked at things carefully, the state saw it as the right thing to support the launch of the Abia Supalig, adding that its matches will be played at the Enyimba and Abia Warriors Stadia in Aba and Umuahia respectively.
Ananaba said that for the Supalig to achieve its goals, the state has entered into a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement with Fifty1 Alliance Limited, a sports and entertainment assets management company.
Ananaba said the LMC would soon release the timeline and procedure for the events leading up to the first Supalig match.
