ABSTRACT
Mega events and their impact on the development of host
cities have drawn increasing interest as they have become part of a wider city
development strategy. Over the past twenty years, investment in sporting
infrastructure nationally had not been focused at getting the local community
involved in sport, but was instead aimed at attracting tourists, encouraging
inward investment and changing the image of the city. The study sets out to
investigate the extent and pattern of patronage of the sports facilities
provided for the COJA games and the implications on sports tourism development
in the Federal Capital City Abuja Nigeria. The survey was conducted to the
management staffs, Sports Federations and patrons who patronize the facilities.
The study made use of questionnaire, interview and physical observation to
collect data from the respondents. Questionnaires were administered within the
facility. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in administering a total of
200 questionnaires. The findings revealed that five different types of events
were organized within the facilities ranging from sporting events, religious
events, political events, entertainment and educational events with the
sporting events been the highest (96%). The findings further showed that the
Basketball Federation organised the highest number of events with 161sporting
events (20.86%), followed by Tennis Federation with 147 sporting events
(19.04%) and Crickets Federation 108 events (13.99%), while Cycling, Softball
and Boxing Federations did not host any event. The findings also showed that
the gymnasium had been the most utilised facility for events organised within
the complex (46%), followed by the Tennis court with (19%) and the Cricket
stadium with (14%), while the Softball and they were not utilized after the
COJA games. The findings also revealed that the sports tourism events organised
within the facilities is lower than expected (38%). The findings also showed
that majority of the patrons of the complex (84%) are not tourist and that only
(16%) of them are tourist. Also majority of the users are of the view that the
standard of the facilities is bad (42.11), also (46.86%) are of the view that
the facilities are poorly maintained. One of the implications is that the
facilities are underutilized and so the huge investment of public funds is not
justified. Also the dream of making Nigeria a sports destination was not met
due to its inability to attract high number of sports tourism events. Based on
these, the study made some recommendations which include the Government
relaxing the regulations that prohibit the use of the complex for other events,
ensure that the sustainability plan of the facilities is implemented,
privatization of the complex, attracting more international competitions within
the sports facilities and also dismantling facilities that are not been
utilized after COJA. These will enhance the level of utilization and patronage
of the COJA sporting facilities for sports tourism.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF
STUDY
Tourism to date is rated among the fastest and largest
growing economic sectors in the world. The sector contributes about 9% to the
global GDP and a record of US$1.075 billion is acknowledged as international
tourism receipts (World Tourism Organization, 2013). Sport is regarded as the
world‟s largest social phenomenon, while tourism is predicted to become the
world‟s biggest industry by the year 2020 (Kurtzman and Zauhar, 2010). Sport is
an important activity within tourism and tourism is a fundamental characteristic
of sports. Sport tourism is the temporary movement of sports men and spectators
outside their home for the purpose of active or passive participation in
sporting events in a familiar or unfamiliar locality or environment. Sports and
tourism are distinct but interrelated socio-cultural events and experiences of
a society. Sports unify and integrate people from different parts of the
society who temporarily leave homes for active or passive participation in
sports. Higham (1999) stated that sport tourism can range from professional
sports such as football, soccer, baseball, basketball and hockey, to collegiate
level and even high school level sporting events, and mega sporting events such
as Olympics, the Super Bowl and World cup soccer. Tourism is a trillion-dollar
industry, while sport is a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide and has
become a dominant and defining force in the lives of millions of people
globally (Martin, 2007).
Travelling for the purpose of sport and sports related
events could be traced to Ancient Olympic Games. People worldwide are
participating more in sports and events, and travelling to certain
destinations, for the pleasure and enjoyments of physical events, amateur and
professionals. These sports tourists include athletes, coaches, fans, media
personnel, technical crew personnel, peers, friends, spectators, parents, siblings, relatives,
among others (Zauhar, 2004). Mega sports events are short term events with long
term consequences. The long term developmental expectations (economic,
political, social, cultural, and infrastructural) make cities and countries to
strive to host the mega sports events, not minding the associated cost of
hosting such events.
Mega sports can be described as events which are large in
scale. They have the ability to affect the host city or a region‟s whole
economies and reverberate throughout the global media. Events such as these are
usually identified as global sporting events for example; FIFA World Cup and
the Olympic Games. The African Games, also known as the All African Games or
the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four
years. The games had a French origin and so the Organizing Committee of the
games is called Committe’ d’organisation de jeux Afriain, with an
acronym COJA.
The very nature of these mega
events draw upon a global audience due to the participating nations. This draws
great attention to the host as it is put under the media spotlight, allowing
the host to develop and transform its infrastructure, not only to handle the
massive influx of visitors, but to create an attractive destination which will
provide lasting legacy for future generations.
The increasing number of cities bidding to host the Olympics
and the increasing funds invested in Olympic bids indicate that local leaders
perceive the securing of such an event as an opportunity to improve economic
and social aspects of a city or region through the accumulated investment
triggered by staging the games. As a result, in the course of the past two
decades, there has been increased interest on the impact of the Olympics on the
socio-economic and political life of the host city, region and country. Often,
the concept of the Olympic Games‟ legacy is discussed in bid books of candidate
host cities.
In recent years, the hosting of large sporting events has
become a symbol of prestige and national pride. Developing nations are hosting
major sporting events frequently and on a massive scale. Often used as a
justification from this escapade in hosting a mega event is the purposed
infrastructural legacy that will remain after the event. From the bid documents
of the London Olympics to the Delhi Commonwealth Games, infrastructural legacy
is cited as a legitimate reason for spending the billions of dollars needed for
hosting the event. The reason for this is that in the post event period the
sporting facilities will be put in use which will boost tourism potentials of
the host nation. The Olympic Games is one of the world‟s great mega events.
Given the event‟s significance studies have paid increasing attention to the
Olympics in recent years. Indeed, host cities generally attach great importance
to the Games, economic implications, event-related income, and development in
tourism. Many studies have looked at the economic implications of staging
mega-events for host cities.
Most studies attempt to
identify the economic benefits, measuring either the extent to which such
benefits can be sustained in the long term (Preuss, 2004; Kasimati, 2003;
Graton et al, 2006), while others focus on the development of event tourism
(Higham, 2004; Gotham, 2005; Weed, 2008). Some studies have also drawn
attention to the events socio-cultural and environmental impact (Jones, 2001;
Olds, 1998; Waitt, 2003). Therefore, although the post-Games period is by far
the longest period that stretches for decades after the Games to affect a host
city, it‟s “clearly the least-planned period” (Cashman 1998). Over the past
twenty years‟ investment in sporting infrastructure at national level in cities
was not primarily aimed at getting the local community involved in sport, but
was instead aimed at attracting tourists, encouraging inward investment and
changing the image of the city (Graton 2005). This research aims at assessing
the patronage of the sporting facilities provided for the 2003 COJA Games hosted
in the Federal Capital City Abuja, Nigeria in the post events
period to determine whether they are sports tourism related or not.
1.2 STATEMENT OF
RESEARCH PROBLEM
Hosting Mega events is perceived as an important vehicle for
driving large tourist numbers and generating economic returns for tourism
development (Hall, 1992). Other than benefits derived during the games, there
are expectations also that in the post event period, facilities provided would
lead to a sustained flow of tourists, a condition which usually provides the
basis for the growth of the sports tourism industry. While countries like
Spain, UK, Australia, USA, Italy and Canada have developed a vibrant sports
tourism industry from post games utilization of facilities, this has not been
the case with many countries including Nigeria.
The All African games (COJA) is a regional multisport event
held every four years by the Association of National Olympic Committees of
African (ANOCA). The event was held in Abuja Nigeria in 2003 and the legacy it
left behind include the Velodrome, Main bowl, Softball stadium, Gymnasium,
Aquatic complex, Tennis court, Cricket stadium, Handball court and Shooting
facilities, Games village, Transportation facilities. Mega events are capital
intensive and require extensive studies not only prior to bidding, but in
periods after events are concluded. While other mega events in Europe have been
extensively studied over the years, the Abuja COJA 2003 has not. Little
therefore is known of the legacies of the games and the way it could be
sustained.
The study seeks to
resolve the following questions:
What is the level
of patronage of Sports facilities provided for the COJA 2003 Games?
How significant is
the patronage of the facilities for sport tourism?
What are the explanatory factors for the level of sports
tourism activities associated with the facilities?
1.4 AIM AND
OBJECTIVES
1.4.1 Aim
The aim of this research is to investigate the extent and
pattern of patronage of sports facilities provided for the COJA games and the
implications on sports tourism development in the Federal Capital City. Lessons
learnt from the research are useful for the planning and for addressing
existing constraints of low patronage of the COJA facilities.
1.4.2 Objectives
The objectives of
the research are
1.
To review the relationship between
sports mega events, post event facilities patronage and sports tourism
development.
2.
To examine the forms and levels of
utilization of COJA facilities between 2004 and 2015.
3.
To examine the extent of utilization
of the COJA facilities for Sports tourism.
4.
To examine the users‟ perception of
the facilities.
5.
To examine the implications of the
findings and make recommendations.
The study will be limited to the sporting facilities used
for the 2003 All African Games in Abuja the Federal Capital. The focus on
patronage will enable assessment of the impact of the facilities on sports
tourism in the Federal Capital City.
The following
challenges were encountered through the course of this research;
Lack of data from the sports commission and hence the
researcher had to rely on the information from the various sports federations,
facilities managers and patrons for vital information regarding the facilities.
The researcher also encountered manpower and financial constraints due to the
need for field assistants, which also came with much financial demands.
1.6 JUSTIFICATION
OF THE RESEARCH
Research on access and utilization of sporting and
recreation facilities in Nigeria (Salawu, 1984; Attah, 1986; Adamu, 1999,
Ibrahim, 2004) are limited to campuses and also conducted as city case studies.
The focus on sports tourism development in post event periods has not been
adequately addressed. This constitutes the gap filled by the research.
1.7 BACKGROUND TO
STUDY AREA
In 1975, the Federal Military Government of Nigeria under
the late head of state General Murtala Muhammad set up an eight-man panel under
the late justice Akinola Agudato determine the desirability or otherwise of
relocating the Federal Capital from Lagos. The Committee at the end of its
assignment recommended the shift of the Federal Capital to a more conducive
central location, which is today called Abuja. The name Abuja was taken from a
major settlement at the edge of the Federal Capital Territory in the present Niger
state, which was subsequently renamed as Suleja.
The Federal Capital Territory refers to all land located
between latitude 8º25ꞌ and 9º25ꞌ north of the equator and longitude 6.45 and
7.45 east of Greenwich. It is carved out from three neighbouring states namely
Niger, Plateau and Kwara states. It covers an area of about 8,000 square kilometres.
The area is centrally located in the geographical centre of the Country.
Accordingly, government white paper describes it as “a centrally located
federal capital in a spacious area with easy access to all parts of the
federation which would help in generating a new sense of National Unity.
The Federal Capital City is located on the Gwagwa plains in
the north eastern quadrant of the Federal Capital Territory. It is bounded by
the Abuja hills to the east and the Zango-kuku hills to the south. The site for
the Federal Capital City was chosen for its location at the centre of the
nation, its moderate climate, small population and also for political reason.
The horse-shoe-shaped city has a central axis with the seat of the Nigerian
government at its core as shown in Figure 1.1. On the other side of the central
area, residential areas are divided into sectors by peripheral high ways.
The city was designed as an efficient and attractive
environment at each stage of its growth. From Phase I, which was designed to
accommodate 230,000 residents through Phase‟s II and III which were to
accommodate 585,000 and 640,000 respectively, to Phase IV aimed to accommodate
1.7 million residents. The Federal Capital City is surrounded by Bwari,
Gwagwalada, Kuje and Nasarawa state as shown in Figure 1.1.
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