Benue to Commission McCarthy Stadium May 29

Benue State Government has said the ongoing reconstruction work on McCarthy Stadium, Makurdi is expected to be completed before May 29, 2025 for commissioning.

The assurance was given by the state’s Commissioner for Sports, Youth and Creativity, Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange, at an inspection of ongoing work.

He said the McCarthy Stadium is the second total sports complex work being embarked upon by the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration in less than one year.

He described Rev. Fr. Alia, as a sports loving governor, who is interested in unearthing talents and nurturing them to stardom.

He, however, lamented that this will not be possible without sports facilities. 

“You know that for football, particularly, you must have playing pitches before this can be done. A lot of people have come from outside the state and country who tried to scout for talents.

“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,” Ikyange said.

He also disclosed that aside Makurdi, the present administration will extend sports infrastructural development to the various local government areas of the state.

A Director with Pitch Perfect Construction Company, the firm handling the McCarthy Stadium  work, Olayiwola Ibrahim Bidemi, said the project is being executed with top quality materials in line with FIFA specifications and standard.

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 had to start all over by bringing down every part of the complex including regrassing of the pitch, remodeling of the pavilion – before now it was one pavilion but now we are expanding from VIP to regular seating arrangements”.