Daily, people throng the Murtala Square, Kaduna from across the metropolis to exercise their bodies and keep fit, hence the name slimming zone being given to the historic field. Young, old, women or men who are worried about their physique, go to the arena to exercise.
A trader at the Abubakar Gummi market, Rabiu Hashim, said he goes to the centre because it is the only place that has all the necessary facilities for keeping fit.
“For years now, I have been going to the centre to keep fit and as well promote my business. It is a very good avenue for business and social interaction. I have met many customers through this place. They are now patronizing my shop, thanks to the Murtala Square. While we come here for exercises and business, others frequent the square for other reasons,” he said.
Like him, a civil servant with the Kaduna state government, Alhaji Abdullahi Yahayandi, said he frequents the arena in order to keep fit. His words: “If you go round the centre, it is like you have travelled two kilometres. We come here because it is conducive for exercise and yet, it is a very good place to make friends and to relax,” he said.
Swimming pool
Mukhtar Kabir, 12, goes to the Murtala Square Olympic size swimming pool daily. His ambition is to become an excellent swimmer. To actualise his dreams, he said he has joined the Kaduna State swimming association. Mukhtar is one of the patrons of the swimming pool, who spoke to our correspondent during a visit.
Unlike other facilities at the Murtala Square that are free, patrons of the swimming pool pay between 200 and 500 naira before they are allowed to make use of it, hence the low patronage. The major challenge of the management of the pool is the weekly treatment and washing of the pool. They need between 15, 000 to 20,000 naira weekly for it. The management of the pool makes more money on weekends and during festivities.
Delving into the historical background of the spot, the Madawaki Keffi, Alhaji Abdul Abubakar, who was then the Assistant Secretary of the Northern Nigeria Sports Council, said the centre was turned around when it was handed over to the Kaduna State government, following the inability of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, to manage it effectively.
“It was established for the purpose of encouraging sports in the region. The aim of establishing it has been achieved. It started from just an open space, to an edifice constituting all the major sporting activities in this country. I don’t think there is any place in this country where you will find facilities put in place in one complex like this. It is a pride to Kaduna state. It is a pride to those who want to develop sports at its best,’’ he said.
According to the veteran sports administrator, “the centre has a long story. It has undergone various changes. First, it was a race course for horse racing and it was later used for the Queen’s visit in 1956. The northern top club started the initiative of upgrading the facilities after her majesty’s visit”.
The veteran sports administrator, who is popularly known as Abubakar Senior, recalled that after FESTAC, the complex was handed over to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports. Afterwards, he said the centre was given to the Kaduna state government.
“I’m delighted to have been involved from the beginning to the end. We suggested the idea that the facility be handed over to the state government for effective management, but this did not happen until the 1990s. The development at the square occurred after the taking over of the site by the state government, especially when Namadi Sambo was the state governor,” he added.
Corroborating the account given by Abubakar Senior, Dangaladima Zazzau, Alhaji Umar Idris who was then the Director of Sports of the North Central State, said the aim of establishing the centre by the late Sardauna has been achieved.
“It was first called Kaduna Race Course and after the historical revolution, it was taken over by the federal government under the military era. It was at this time that the centre was renamed after late Murtala Mohammed, the late Head of State. The place was developed for horse racing and polo,’’ he said.
Speaking on the challenges being faced in managing the arena, the commissioner of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, said arrangements are almost complete for the handing over of the facilities to managers, as part of efforts to address the challenges facing the arena.
“It has not been easy managing it, but to ensure that the huge amount the state government has invested in it is not wasted, the state governor has directed that we should put up a bidding to get managers for the structures and we have reached an advanced stage on this,” he said.
On whether the aim of establishing it by the late Sardauna has been achieved, he says, “the aim of establishing the centre has been achieved, because it is the only sporting arena that has up to date facilities in the whole of this country and we are proud it is located in Kaduna. For example, it is only here in Kaduna that we have a cricket pitch with a score board. To be frank, all the facilities here are standard ones and are of international dimensions,” he said.
He said the state government has put in place all necessary measures to ensure that the centre is secured, so that it will not become a hangout for hoodlums.
history of Murtala Square
Before the visit of Queen Elizabeth II on February 2, 1956, Kaduna Race Course was just an open field with two huts and toilet facilities for the convenience of special guests of honour. Since her visit, the centre, which was conceived by the late northern icon, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, to promote sports activities in the then Northern region, has blossomed to become a complex housing numerous sporting facilities of Olympic standards.
It was also used for the Second World Festival of Black Arts and Culture of 1977, otherwise known as “FESTAC 77”, for the durbar which featured prominently during the events. Centrally located in the heart of the city, Murtala square is accessible from all parts of the state. The centre is also fenced and has strong gates for effective crowd control.
In January 1993, the Federal Government handed over the Murtala square to the Kaduna state government, following their inability to address the dilapidation of structures. The centre was given a facelift when Kaduna state hosted the 16th National Sports Festival tagged “KADA Games 2009” and over two billion naira was expended on it.
At the moment, the centre houses a standard olympic sized swimming pool, hockey pitch, volley ball court, handball court, basketball court, cricket pitch, traditional sports venue, foot ball field, pavilions, race course, and an auditorium for multipurpose sports. In addition to these, the arena also houses four famous clubs, namely Crocodile, Rugby, Civil Servants night clubs and the popular elite polo club.
If you visit the centre at any time of the day in the morning, afternoon or at night, you will see people in great numbers. Its patrons cut across all strata in the society. While those who frequent there for daily exercises or other sporting activities, go there between 6am and 5pm. Those who club there go there from 7.00pm till daybreak, as there is no restriction of movement.
