UI Sports Academy begins construction of 534-room accommodation facility

The University of Ibadan (UI) Sports Academy has commenced the construction of a 500-bed hostel and a 34-room luxury apartment in a move aimed at strengthening sports development and accommodation facilities for athletes and other members of the academy community.

The groundbreaking and turning-of-the-sod ceremony for the project was held at the University of Ibadan, with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. K. O. Adebowale, leading members of the university management and other stakeholders in witnessing the commencement of the development.

The project, being undertaken by MacPrime Properties and Investment Company, comprises two three-storey buildings designed to provide accommodation for athletes, students, coaches, visiting teams, officials and other stakeholders of the Sports Academy.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the University of Ibadan Sports Academy, Prof. Olufemi Adegbesan, described the project as a major milestone in the institution’s efforts to develop sports infrastructure and nurture young talents.

Adegbesan said the ceremony was not merely about commencing another construction project, but represented the gradual transformation of a long-term vision for sports development into reality.
He said, “Today is a significant day in the history of the University of Ibadan Sports Academy. We are not simply gathering to witness the commencement of a construction project; we are here to celebrate a vision that is gradually becoming reality.”
According to him, the 500-bed hostel would provide modern, secure and conducive accommodation for athletes, students and other members of the Academy community, while the 34-room facility would cater for distinguished guests, visiting teams, coaches, officials, partners and other stakeholders.
He noted that the facilities would complement the existing sporting infrastructure of the Academy and strengthen its capacity to serve as a centre for sports development.
Adegbesan said the project demonstrated the potential of collaboration between institutions and the private sector in addressing infrastructure needs in the sports sector.
“Your involvement represents not only an investment in physical infrastructure but also an investment in the future of sports, education and our young people,” he told the project’s promoters.
The Chairman said the Sports Academy’s ambition was to develop into an institution capable of competing with leading sports establishments in Africa and eventually on the global stage.
He added that the Academy sought to provide an environment where young Nigerians could combine quality sporting training with education, discipline and character development.
According to him, the accommodation project could also generate wider economic benefits through employment opportunities, attraction of sporting competitions and events, tourism and increased patronage of local businesses.
Earlier, in a technical presentation on the project, the project representative explained that the development, located along Water Works Road near the University of Ibadan, consists of a main hostel with a capacity of 500 beds and a luxury hostel containing 34 rooms.
He said both buildings would be three-storey structures supported by reinforced concrete frames and pad foundations.
The structural design, he explained, provides a continuous load-transfer system through the slabs, beams and columns to the foundations and ultimately to the supporting soil.
He said the foundation design followed geotechnical investigations which established an average allowable bearing capacity of about 340kN/m², adding that the site was considered suitable for the proposed development.

The technical presentation also highlighted the need for strict quality control during construction, including proper reinforcement placement, concrete quality, foundation dimensions, curing, formwork stability and alignment of structural elements.
The representative stressed that any modification to structural components must receive prior approval from the structural engineer to ensure the safety and integrity of the buildings.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Registrar, Public Relations Officer, Director of Sports, Dr Olawale Adisa, representatives of the National Sports Commission, members of the university community, sports organisations, private-sector partners and other stakeholders.
The University of Ibadan Sports Academy said the project was expected to provide a lasting infrastructure base for its programmes and contribute to the development of young athletes beyond individual training camps.
The development is also expected to strengthen the Academy’s capacity to host athletes, sporting events and related programmes while deepening the relationship between sports, education and youth development.