Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state has assured the safety of participants and visitors coming to Lagos State for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2020, Igbere TV reports.
The governor gave the assurance on Wednesday when he received a delegation from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) after Akwa Ibom was named as a potential host city for the competition.
President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, led FIFA officials on the visit to the Government house, Uyo, Igbere TV reports.
Igbere TV gathers that Mr. Emmanuel also solicited for Akwa Ibom to be given the right to host both the opening and the closing ceremonies when the mundial commences.
The governor noted that he was elated by the choice of Akwa Ibom as a host city of the sporting fiesta; a development that followed FIFA’s inspection of sporting facilities in the State.
He informed the visitors that the state has two teams currently in the national professional league and another in the female elite division.
He remarked that Uyo has a functional Airport and a good network of roads for easy air and road transportation.
The governor also intimated the Fifa delegation that apart from owning an airport, 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 also assured that the state has good secondary, tertiary and quatenary medical facilities that can cater for all the teams and visitors expected in Uyo during the tournament.
In terms of security, the governor disclosed that Uyo will be the first city to have a safe city security system in Nigeria which is expected to be operational from the end of this year.
Earlier the President of the Nigeria Football federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick told the governor that they are in the state to inform him on the nomination of Uyo as one of the cities proposed for the under 20 Fifa women World cup tournament in 2020 in Nigeria.
