N24 Billion Upgrade for Moshood Abiola Stadium Don Land!

No be small matter o! This whole stadium upgrade dey ready to swallow N24,642,000,000 from the N203,602,968,852 wey dem budget for National Sports Commission. E get as e be, President Bola Tinubu don drop N58.18 trillion for ‘Budget of Restoration’ last year, and as sports dey hot now, dem put 300% increase from last year’s N78 billion!

Shehu Dikko, the big man wey dey run the NSC, don talk say dem go start work for di stadium by end of 2025. This upgrade no be for play, as dem don see say di stadium wey open for 2003 under Obasanjo don dey waka pass everywhere, e don turn wetin dem fit call ‘no-go-area’ for our senior national team and big competitions.

Wetin you go expect? Even after renovation from 2020 to 2022, warra wey happen? Di pitch still dey fall apart! Time wey Aliko Dangote drop $1 million for di restoration, everybody enjoy am. Dem put Pure Dynasty Paspalum grass, digital scoreboards, plenty sprinklers; wey dem even arrange a two-year maintenance plan. But wahala be say, di pitch don deteriorate, and Super Eagles don shift dem matches go Godswill Akpabio Stadium for Uyo!

Di last time Super Eagles even play for dat pitch na March 24, 2023, when Guinea-Bissau carry di day, 1-0. Na so Peseiro and di players start to blame di playing surface. You fit imagine na! But we go no gree allow dem rest as di new budget don clear more funds for our sports.

For dis 2026 budget, NSC don allocate N18,775,000,000 for di first phase of di stadium upgrade. N5,800,000,000 go complete di high-performance center for athletes, plus N65,000,000 for internet connection wey go make sense. Dem also carry N15,500,000,000 to build sports secretariat for di stadium.

Dis stadium don collect $360 million to build wey fit hold 60,491 spectators, e come dey waka under lightweight roof. Meanwhile, NSC dey prepare for Commonwealth Games wey go happen for Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2 for 2026. Dem don budget N4,222,800,000 for dat one, abi una dey surprise?

And no forget say dem dey eye 2028 Olympic Games for Los Angeles, dey plan to drop N5,105,337,650 for dat one too. Even for di 2026 Winter Olympic Games for Italy, dem dey expect to spend N1 billion. Na only for football, dey plan to spend N14,200,000,000 for Africa Cup of Nations and di women’s league!