In 2000, the Nigerian government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo initiated a new national stadium built on 29 hectares of land connected by a set of pedestrian bridges to an even more spacious multi-use sports complex for a wide range of sporting activities.
After the completion in 2003, the 60,491 seater stadium was among the largest, most modern and most expensive in Africa. In fact, with an estimated amount of about N54 billion (some $360 million in 2003), the stadium was back then among the most expensive in the world.
The stadium situated at the entrance into the city centre from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja is fitted with Presidential suite and viewing area, 56 corporate suites, Post offices, Banks and media facilities.
Other facilities include two scoreboards and floodlights, shops and kiosks for snacks, Helipad, 3000 capacity indoor sports hall, 2000 capacity gymnasium, 2000 capacity swimming pool, Tennis Courts, 3000 capacity hockey stadium and a Baseball and softball complex
Though it was delivered primarily to host the 2003 African Games, the sports facility was opened sometime earlier by two Nigerian football clubs, Shooting Stars and Sunshine Stars. The first goal in the main bowl pitch was scored by Shooting Stars’ striker Shakiru Lawal who scored the only goal of the game after five minutes of play.
After hosting the football finals of the 2003 All Africa Games, the then Abuja National stadium hosted several other international matches including the finals of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup which Nigeria lost to debutants Switzerland.
It will be recalled that immediately after the 2003 All Africa Games which Nigeria won on home soil, the then Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Amos Adamu advised the government to privatize the Abuja stadium in order to forestall the misuse of the facility which is typical of publicly owned buildings.
Unfortunately, his advice was not heeded and a few years after, the once glittering national stadium in Abuja began to decay because it was not put to use as regularly as expected.
Sadly, weeds took over the complex including the once lush green playing pitch inside the main bowl. It was, therefore, no surprise that herdsmen turned the multi-billion naira stadium into a grazing area for their cattle.
The Olympic Velodrome located inside package B also became a warehouse while Olympic swimming pools became a place of abode for tadpoles.
Instead of using the facility for sporting events, the main bowl of the stadium continued to host cultural and religious events. It was also at the Abuja stadium that the tragic recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service in 2014 where at last 19 people were killed took place.
While the stadium continued to rot, successive ministers continued to use it as a pipe to siphon money from government in the name of renovation.
A former minister once claimed to have re-grassed the pitch inside the main bowl with close to 100m yet the senior national team, the Super Eagles had no permanent home ground due to the poor state of the pitch in Abuja.
The stadium got a half-hearted face-lift in 2018 when the Federal Government hosted the 19th edition of the National Sports festival in Abuja.
However, on June 12, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari renamed the Abuja National Stadium as the Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola Stadium.
The president made this decision ostensibly to honour the late businessman, sports philanthropist and widely acclaimed winner of the June 12 Presidential election in 1993.
The renaming of the edifice after the late proprietor of the famous Abiola Babes Football Club of Abeokuta raised hopes that help would come the way of the abandoned sports facility.
Expectedly, mixed reactions greeted the renaming of the stadium after Abiola with majority of the people questioning why an ‘abandoned’ stadium should be named after the man who contributed substantially to Nigerian sports, especially football.
Some Nigerians then took to Twitter to express their misgivings. @Diegowhykay wrote “So they want to finally useless and forget D mighty Moshood Abiola name by naming the Useless Abuja Stadium after him. When last did a national football match or event occurred here.?”
@davidokuson, “Just heard Buhari name Abuja stadium after MKO Abiola. Is it not the same abandoned stadium where cow are grazing, maybe this would make them give the necessary attention to the once magnificent stadium.”
@abidounadeniran1, “Which would have been more appreciated The University of Lagos named after him or the Abandoned Abuja stadium.”
@pamitimothy, “And you want us to celebrate that? What’s the importance of Abuja stadium to sporting activities in Nigeria presently? When was the last time the stadium hosted the Super Eagles. It’s better you don’t name anything after him than that dead stadium.”
@Fk149, “Nice gesture to Rename Abuja National Stadium after #MKOAbiola. But Pls can @MBuhari also make sure the Abuja Stadium is in proper shape. The Stadium can’t even host Super Eagles matches because of its terrible state.”
Although the renaming of the stadium didn’t change the ugly face it is wearing, hope for a turn-around was raised when the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare on November 7, 2019 revealed that Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote will renovate the Main Bowl of the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
Dare said the renovation of the stadium would include just the football pitch, floodlight and scoreboard but at the time of press, the renovation has not begun.
The minister at a recent meeting with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) on Concession Commercialization plans for the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja and National stadium Surulere in Lagos said paucity of funds is responsible for the poor maintenance of sports facilities.
He said “Julius Berger after they built the National Stadium snap a bill of N1.2 billion every year for maintenance, the ministry and the government cannot afford it.
“At the Abuja national stadium, we had professionals fixing the grass, now we started bringing labourers to use cutlass and hoe to clear the grass.”
The minister however assured that with the adaption programme for athletes and sports facilities, there will be positive changes.
Despite the minister’s assurances, the change in nomenclature has not impacted positively on the former Abuja national stadium as it continues to lie desolate in search of help.
In the same vein, Daily Trust reports that unlike what is obtainable in the past, the MKO Abiola International Stadium located in Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State, now plays host to more social events than sporting activities.
The multi-purpose facility, the 15,000 capacity stadium once hosted the Super Eagles, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and Nigeria National League (NNL) matches. Even in its state of squalor, the stadium is still the home ground of Gateway Football Club, the Ogun State team.
It will also be recalled that between 2010 and 2011, the facility hosted WAFU Nations Cup. The stadium enjoyed the patronage following its upgrade to FIFA standard during the tenure of Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
Unfortunately, about eight years down the line, the MKO Abiola Stadium has suffered neglect and lack of maintenance of most of the facilities. Daily Trust can report that instead of hosting sporting activities, the stadium has become home to lots of drinking joints and social miscreants.
It was, therefore, no surprise that in September 2017, the then State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun ordered an indefinite suspension of trading and other non-sporting activities at the MKO Abiola Stadium.
The government also ensured that all traders and shop owners operating within the premises moved out of the facility. The development which was greeted with controversy, has, however, restored sanity at the Stadium.
When Daily Trust visited the main bowl of the stadium on Wednesday, it was observed that the football pitch was in a bad state. Due to poor maintenance, the playing surface was changed from natural grass to astro-turf. Unfortunately, the result is still the same because the artificial pitch is suffering the same fate.
While giant scoreboard inside the stadium has since parked up, a number of the once glittering plastic seats for use by spectators have been vandalized leaving gaping holes in the stands
A source who pleaded for anonymity told Daily Trust that “For many years, we have not carried out large scale maintenance at the Stadium facility. The only maintenance we do revolve around cleaning and cutting of grass.”
However, some sports fans blamed the last government in the state for the bad state of the facilities at the stadium. The government, according to them, had little passion for sports development.
Despite its shabby state, the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta was earlier in the week inspected by the Evaluation Bid Committee team of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, as part of sports facilities it has included in its bid for the hosting right for the 21st edition of the National Sports Festival scheduled to hold in 2022.
Although the two MKO Abiola stadiums are still standing, they lack the aura once associated with the flamboyant personality they are meant to immortalize.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
