The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, GCON, on Tuesday cut the tape on the epitaph, which signalled the commencement of work on the NFF-FIFA Players’ Hostel and new Training Pitches located inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
On a sunny spring afternoon in Nigeria’s administrative capital, eminent personalities in the political, business and football sectors showed genuine excitement at a transformational project that is sure to boost the stock of the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF administration with football stakeholders and enthusiasts at home and abroad.
“This is a noble project and the National Assembly will give it full support. I congratulate the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation, and I thank FIFA for agreeing to fund this project,” Rt. Hon. Abbas said as he cut the tape.
Lead of the FIFA team, Gelson Fernandes (Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer/Regional Director, Africa) said FIFA was happy to provide funds for the project as infrastructure development is at the heart of FIFA’s vision since the coming into office of President Gianni Infantino.
An elated Gusau stated that the facilities will serve all the various national teams: “Indeed, my joy knows no bounds as this is one of the projects that I was determined to push with my Executive Committee to bequeath as a legacy to Nigeria football, right from the day we were sworn into office in Benin City on Friday, 30th September 2022.
“For sustained success, it is imperative for us to provide the conducive environment, infrastructure, equipment and support systems that will allow the players and officials to give their very best at all times, and compete favourably at the highest level…building a players’ hostel and having new training pitches, that can serve the national teams, leagues and academies, will not only enhance team management, it will surely reduce expenditure in these areas and enable us to commit more funds to grassroots development programs.”
There were goodwill messages by Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Alhaji Shehu Dikko, who incidentally played a key role in the actualization of the old FIFA Goal Project that included the Technical Centre and the synthetic pitch, which will now be reconstructed, as well as securing the land space for the new project; Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, CG Bashir Adeniyi; former Edo State deputy governor Phillip Shaibu; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Abdul Ningi; former youth and sports minister, Chief Sunday Dare (now the SA, Media and Public Communications/Spokesperson to Mr. President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces) and; Nigeria legend Olusegun Odegbami, who spoke on behalf of legends present.
The Ambassador of UAE to Nigeria, His Excellency Salem Ali Shamsi attended, as well as former sports minister, Senator John Owan Enoh (now Minister of State for Industry); NFF 2nd VP Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and Executive Committee members Yusuf Ahmed, Sharif Rabiu Inuwa, Babagana Kalli, Sunday Dele-Ajayi, Aisha Falode, Ganiyu Majekodunmi, Margaret Icheen, Ali Silas Agara, Nse Essien, George Aluo and Timothy Magaji and; NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.
Former NFF General Secretary, Ambassador Fanny Amun was present, with FIFA officials El Hadj Diop and Nataniel Nascimento Brito; NFF congressmen Mohammed Mouktar and Faisal Abdullahi and; legends Mutiu Adepoju, Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Precious Dede and Stella Mbachu.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, the Ambassador of Morocco to Nigeria and the Chairman of the House of Reps’ Committee on Sports were represented.
