I’ll ensure every part of Abuja Stadium is functional, says sports minister

John Enoh, the newly appointed minister of sports development, has promised that the ministry will do all it can to make every part of the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja functional.

According to a statement by Mohammed Manga, the sports ministry’s spokesperson, Eno spoke during a tour of the stadium on Wednesday.

The Moshood Abiola Stadium, located not far from the FCT gate, was inaugurated in 2003. It is estimated to have gulped a total of $360 million.

A few years after the launch, the arena became a shadow of itself. Aliko Dangote would later splurge $1 million for the renovation of some parts of the 60,000-capacity stadium in August 2020.

However, in March 2022, some fans stormed the pitch and damaged the facilities in the stadium after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup.

There were also reports that some other parts of the stadium, like the swimming facilities, are in a bad state.

Speaking to journalists during the tour, Enoh said the facilities must be refurbished “because athletes must have the best, to be the best”.

“Amidst the so much that I have seen here, the positives and the negatives, this stadium is a very definitive national monument. There is about nothing that you will find elsewhere, that you cannot find here,” the minister said.

“However, from 2003 till date, the facility has gone through a lot. The ministry, under my leadership, will do all that it can, to get every part of the stadium functional, including the athletes’ hostel, because athletes must have the best, to be the best.

“We embarked on this tour because whatever one wants to do, we have to do it from a standpoint of knowledge, and that is what I am doing. Yesterday (Tuesday) was my first day at work, and I had the opportunity to take reports and briefings from all the departments. We are trying to be as systematic as we can, with the process.

“Facilities and infrastructures are key components of sports, and they are variables that drive both elite performance and grassroots development. It is, therefore, very important that we get it right. We must maintain the current infrastructure that we have and look towards making them better, to match what we have across the world.”

Enoh was among the 45 new ministers appointed by President Bola Tinubu on August 16.