Lagos and Abuja stadiums to receive facelifts

Nigeria’s Ministry of Sport has announced that it will look to ensure its hitherto neglected facilities are put into good shape. The National Stadium, Lagos and MKO Abiola Abiola Stadium, both national monuments, have been in dreadful states of dilapidation for several years.

Refurbishment work has commenced at the Abuja Stadium and Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Sunday Dare has hinted that similar work is about to commence at the Lagos Stadium.

“Next logical step is infrastructural renewal. From the Mishood Abiola Stadium in Abuja to Surulere Stadium in Lagos we are showing we mean business. A business model to attract investments to sports among other things will soon be delivered through National Sports Industry Policy,” Dare wrote on Twitter on Monday.

“These are the things we have been about since inception in August 2019. We have a clear plan and vision.  We are dogged in working to fulfil them leveraging on public and private financing.  The MYSD is on top of its game.
“With the reclassification of Sports from Recreation to Business, President Buhari is committed to Sports as Business. A first logical step. Other steps include running our football league as business, not as ‘play-play’v-vhence the full implementation of licensing/ financial controls.”

The Lagos National Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Surulere, Lagos State, Nigeria, which comprises an Olympic-size swimming arena and a multi-purpose arena used for athletics, rugby, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, wrestling and boxing matches.  With a capacity of 55,000, it was used mostly for football matches until 2004. It hosted several international competitions including the 1980 African Cup of Nations final, the 2000 African Cup of Nations final, and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.  It also served as the main stadium for the 1973 All-Africa Games.

Moshood Abiola National Stadium (formerly known as National Stadium, Abuja) is a multipurpose national sports stadium located in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It has a capacity of just over 60,000 spectators. The stadium serves as a home to the Nigerian national football team, as well as a centre for various social, cultural, and religious events.  The stadium was constructed to host the 8th All Africa Games which took place in October 2003. On 12 June 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the change of the name of the National Stadium, Abuja to Moshood Abiola National Stadium.