Dangote Group and Aron Nigeria Ltd yesterday officially ended the post-maintenance rehabilitation of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja after two years of maintenance.
The repair work was handled by Aron Nigeria Limited and sponsored by billionaire Aliko Dangote with $1m.
The minister while receiving the pitch and scoreboards expressed his delight while commending the companies over the completion of their two years post maintenance rehabilitation and called for increased collaboration between the government and the private sector to further advance sports development in Nigeria.
“As a country, we are indebted to Dangote Group for the huge resources it committed to the rehabilitation of the National Stadium. I look forward to more collaborative efforts between the government and the private sector to develop sports in our country,” stated Enoh.
He urged the private sector to display greater interest and commitment to investing in sports, emphasizing the pivotal role sports play in shaping the destinies of millions of Nigerian youths.
He noted that sports, beyond its recreational value, has become a significant business, and the Ministry of Sports Development is ready to engage in fruitful partnerships with the private sector to harness this potential.
Despite the significance of the handover, Senator Enoh highlighted a critical issue—the non-certification of the pitch at the National Stadium by CAF and FIFA, preventing Grade A matches from being played. He stated his determination to reverse this tide, emphasizing that the Ministry under his leadership would work diligently to ensure the pitch meets international standards. He stressed the importance of the national stadium in hosting Grade A matches, especially for the various National Teams of Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, lauded the partnership between the government and the private sector that led to the successful handover.
He commended Dangote Group for its substantial rehabilitation efforts as part of its corporate social responsibility and called on other stakeholders to invest significantly in sports development.
Representatives of contractors, Aron Nigeria Ltd, Soji Adeniyi expressed satisfaction with the successful execution of the project. He commended Dangote Group for its sponsorship and timely payments, acknowledging the cooperation of the Ministry’s facility managers in completing the project.
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