By Akinwale Kasali
The National Stadium Abuja, now named Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola Stadium, is witnessing a turnaround and rehabilitation courtesy of Dangote Group.
The abandoned Stadium which last hosted a football match featuring the National Team, over Seven years ago, would soon be the destination for home matches of the Nation’s fixture, in age grade competitions for both Male and Female teams.
The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, flagged off and handed over the pitch of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja to Dangote Group, for the commencement of rehabilitation by Messrs Aron Nigeria Ltd.
The rehabilitation job is expected to be completed in 24 weeks.
Dare while speaking at the handing over ceremony in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital, said the rehabilitation was in line with the Ministry’s policy of ‘Adopt Campaign’.
He said, “I promised that this pitch and, indeed, other facilities will be revived and put to best use by athletes… in line with that mandate, we sought the support of many philantropists and sold them our vision of bringing back the glory days when our national stadia were filled to capacity on football game days which were the melting pot of various cultures and people of all ages.”
The Minister thanked the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for responding to the call to restore the edifice.
“After months of discussions, planning and processing, that promise has come to fulfillment today with the inauguration of the project. The football pitch will be getting the long overdue face-lift it deserves,” he said.
Dare commended Dangote and his group for believing in the vision of the Ministry by agreeing to partner with it to restore the fading glory of the edifice.
The Minister further asserted: “This landmark event reinforces my faith in the Public-Private sector Partnership in line with government’s efforts at delivering on our mandate.
“Government alone cannot fund sports and maintain facilities. we need more private corporations to take a cue from what Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Chief Adebutu Kessington have done in supporting our drive to renovate and maintain our facilities for use by our athletes and to play host to international events.”
While urging the contractor, Messrs Aron Nigeria Ltd, to move with the speed of lightning, Dare said government had imbibed a proper maintenance culture to guarantee that the huge sum spent on these projects are not wasted.
The Abuja Stadium was built in 2003 during the 2003 All Africa Games, called COJA 2003. But it has since been left, and reduced to nothing. A couple of years ago, the Nigerian Government renamed it after the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 Presidential election who died in Military Custody.
