FG Sets ₦24.6B Plan To Revamp ‘Abandoned’ Abuja Stadium

According to Ireporter Online, the Federal Government has proposed a major upgrade of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, with a total of ₦24.642 billion earmarked from the ₦203.6 billion allocated to the National Sports Commission (NCS) in the 2026 Appropriation Bill. The move is part of a broader effort to rejuvenate Nigeria’s sports infrastructure amid a substantial increase in sector funding.

President Bola Tinubu, in December 2025, presented a ₦58.18 trillion “Budget of Restoration” to a joint session of the National Assembly, with the sports sector receiving a significant boost. The 2026 allocation represents more than a 300 percent increase from the ₦78 billion approved for 2025.

NCS Chairman Shehu Dikko stated that work on the stadium is expected to begin before the end of 2025 as part of a nationwide initiative to bring sporting facilities up to international standards. Opened in 2003 during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, the Moshood Abiola National Stadium has been deemed unsuitable for hosting the Super Eagles and other major international events in recent years, despite a previous renovation between 2020 and 2022 under former Sports Minister Sunday Dare.

The earlier facelift, which included a $1 million intervention from Aliko Dangote, saw the installation of Pure Dynasty Paspalum grass, two digital scoreboards, 24 sprinklers, nursery beds, and a two-year maintenance plan under a Public-Private Partnership. However, the improvements failed to last, and the stadium’s pitch deteriorated less than a year after completion, forcing the Super Eagles to relocate their home matches to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria last played at the Abuja stadium on March 24, 2023, a 1–0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in an AFCON qualifier, after which both coach José Peseiro and several players criticized the pitch’s condition.

The 2026 budget outlines ₦18.775 billion for the first phase of stadium rehabilitation, ₦5.8 billion for a high-performance centre, and ₦65 million for internet bandwidth and IT infrastructure across the stadium and other national sports facilities. Additionally, ₦15.5 billion is designated for a new sports secretariat within the stadium complex.

Constructed at a cost of $360 million between 2000 and 2003 for the 8th African Games, the stadium can accommodate 60,491 spectators and remains Nigeria’s largest sporting facility despite years of neglect. Beyond infrastructure, the NCS plans to allocate ₦4.22 billion for participation in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, ₦5.1 billion for preparations toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and ₦1 billion for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Funding for Nigeria’s participation in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the upcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and other FIFA competitions is projected at ₦14.2 billion.