Akwa Ibom Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has assured the visiting Fifa delegation of the state’s readiness to host the 2020 Women under-20 World Cup tournament.
Emmanuel gave the assurance when the Fifa delegation paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Uyo on Wednesday.
He pleaded that Akwa Ibom be given the right to host both the opening and the closing ceremonies of the Mundial.
The governor noted that the choice of Uyo as one of the stadia earmarked to host the Mundial is a mark of appreciation for the State’s contributions towards the development of football in Nigeria.
He informed the visitors that the state has three teams currently in the Premiership.
He remarked that Uyo has a functional airport and good network of roads for easy air and road transport operations.
The governor also intimated the Fifa delegation that Akwa Ibom is the only state in the country that runs a commercially viable airline with a business model that allows visitors from outside to come in, transact business and return same day.
Besides, Emmanuel told the delegation that the state has good medical facilities that can cater for many teams and visitors expected in Uyo during the tournament.
In terms of security, the governor stated that Uyo isw the first city to have a safe security system in Nigeria expected to be operational from the end of this year.
Earlier the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick had told the governor that they were in the state to inform him on the choice of Uyo by Fifa as one of the cities that will host the under 20 Fifa women World cup tournament in 2020 in Nigeria.
The Fifa delegation comprising Christopher Exley, Sara Jane Booth, Kliment Taseski, Rhiannon Ceirwen Martin and Heyral Kaj Jurgen arrived Nigeria on Monday, August 5 had inspected the stadia in Asaba, Lagos, Benin, and Uyo.
While in Uyo, the five-man delegation inspected facilities in the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (match venue), Ikot Ekpene Stadium and Godswill Akpabio Training Pitch (training sites) as well as Ibom Specialist Hospital and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (referral hospitals).
