Moshood Abiola National Stadium

Last updated

Moshood Abiola National Stadium
Football heaven.jpg
View of the stadium
Moshood Abiola National Stadium
Full nameMoshood Abiola National Stadium
Former namesNational Stadium, Abuja (2003–2019)
Location Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
Executive suites56
Capacity 60,491 (football)
Record attendance60,000 (Nigeria vs South Africa, 1 June 2008)
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground2000
Opened2003
Construction cost$360 million [1]
Architect Schlaich Bergermann & Partner (Germany)
Tenants
Nigeria national football team (2003–present)

Moshood Abiola National Stadium (formerly known as National Stadium, Abuja) is a multipurpose national sports stadium located in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. The stadium serves as a home to the Nigerian national football team, as well as a center for various social, cultural, and religious events. The Federal Government of Nigeria approved the contract for the construction of the National Stadium complex and Games Village on 18 July 2000. The stadium was constructed to host the 8th All Africa Games which took place in October 2003. On Wednesday, 12 June 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the change of the name of the National Stadium, Abuja to Moshood Abiola National Stadium after former Nigerian politician chief M.K.O. Abiola. [2] President Buhari made this pronouncement during his speech at the Democracy Day celebration at the Eagle Square, Abuja. [3]

Contents

Construction and Architecture

Seats view of the stadium Abuja Stadium 3.jpg
Seats view of the stadium
Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.jpg
Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.jpg

Moshood Abiola National Stadium is one of the 5,000 most expensive stadiums [4] ever built in the world.

Structure

The stadium is designed to accommodate 60,491 spectators [5] covered by a lightweight roof construction. The main characteristics are the two overlapping spectator tiers; the lower tier accommodating 32,000 seats and the upper tier 28,000 seats. The lower tier also incorporates 56 corporate suites with viewing terraces and one presidential lounge for 50 guests. All functional and secondary areas are accommodated in the entrance building which provides a gross floor area of approximately 25,000 m2. This building is arranged below the concourse level which serves as the spectators‘ distribution level and provides several kiosks, banks, first aid stations and toilets. The structure of the stadium is a combination of in situ and precast concrete elements. There are 36 towers supporting the upper tier and the roof structure. These towers are founded on 140 bored piles with diameters of 1.30 m and 1.50 m in a depth of 8.00 m to 30.00 m. Precast concrete elements varying between 13 and 15 meters in length are placed between the towers, forming the spectator stands. A total of 6,300 precast elements were produced in the company's production yard 15 kilometers away. The towers are connected on the top by a 2.50 m high and 2.00 m wide hollow concrete ring beam with a wall thickness of 0.35 m. The roof structure is fixed on 36 massive concrete points to the ring-beam. For the first time in the world, the ringbeam for this kind of roof structure was made of concrete. The roof structure itself is a cable construction with a weight of 800 tons carrying a 28.000 m2 membrane.

Facilities

External view Abuja Stadium 6.jpg
External view
The Abuja Velodrome The Abuja Velodrome 07.jpg
The Abuja Velodrome

All facilities within the stadium are designed and engineered in compliance with the requirements of international sport associations, particularly the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The complex includes:

Moshood Abiola National Stadium meets the requirements of the International safety standards; it is equipped with emergency service units, closed circuit security cameras as well as crowd control steel fencing. There are also stand-by fire fighting equipment and metal detectors which have been put in place to avoid any misfortunes.

History of the Stadium

Although Nigeria had several stadiums scattered throughout the country, there was a lack of stadiums that met international standards. The capital city of Nigeria, Abuja, was selected to host the 8th All Africa Games in 2000 (a regional multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa) despite having no facilities for such a major sporting event. The Federal Government of Nigeria embarked on a multimillion-dollar project for the construction of a state-of-the-art stadium and games village to be completed in time to host the All Africa Games. The contract was awarded on 18 July 2000 from a choice list of about 80 different bidders. Construction of the complex was initiated.

Citizens and athletes had doubts as to whether the completion of the stadium was feasible before the games. However, construction went very smoothly and ended up being ahead of schedule. As a matter of fact, the stadium was scheduled to be the host center for the Miss World Beauty Pageant that took place later in 2002. Unfortunately, the stadium not being fully completed by then as well as an uprising amongst citizens especially in the northern city of Kaduna which resulted in loss of lives forced the pageant to relocate to London, England. The construction of the main bowl went on from its inception in September 2000 to its completion in April 2003, well in time for the games. The Games Village construction went on from September 2000 to August 2003.

The official commissioning of the complex was on 8 April 2003. Following its commissioning was the final leg of preparations for the games. The games that year were the largest in All Africa Games history; [7] 6,000 athletes from 53 countries competed in 22 sports, watched over by 1,200 officials. Over 1,500 journalists reported for the world's media. The games took place from the 4th to 18 October 2003 and was deemed successful by many. The host country, Nigeria, accumulated a total of 226 medals, emerging as leader of the games that year.

Apart from the All African Games, the stadium has hosted important football matches, such as World Cup qualifiers between Nigeria and other countries. The first game played at the stadium was a football (soccer) match between two local rival teams; the Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Sunshine Stars of Akure on 8 April 2003 [8] The first goal scored in the complex was from Shooting Stars' striker Shakiru Lawal who scored the only goal of the game after just five minutes.

The complex has given the country confidence to bid for various up-coming international events. The Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) has given the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) the provisional hosting rights of the 2007 World Youth Championship because of the facilities the stadium has.

The stadium during a match Abuja Stadium 1.jpg
The stadium during a match

Other uses

Apart from its function as a sports center, Moshood Abiola National Stadium serves as a home to cultural and religious events. Its capacity attracts various events such as concerts, and religious conferences, events which sometimes have preference over sports. Nigeria is a highly religious country with a population split almost equally between Christianity and Islam. Due to this fact, several religious events occur each year that attract a lot of citizens and require a large capacity arena. For example, in September 2006, the Nigeria Football Association was rendered helpless over the Presidency's preference of a religious event in the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium to an international football match against Rwanda.

Some citizens are however concerned about the use of the stadium for such large events. Similar events held at the Stadium in Lagos resulted in its demise. The management of the stadium, however, intends to keep these events coming. Cost of maintenance is an issue and renting out the facility for various events is a strategy that has been employed to cover these costs. There were no plans whatsoever by the former military ruler late general Sani Abacha to build a national stadium in Abuja as some people might think[ citation needed ].

The pool at the Stadium's sport complex 00014IMG 00014 BURST20190526145432.jpg
The pool at the Stadium's sport complex

Maintenance

Several issues have risen concerning the maintenance of the sports complex. The National Stadium in Lagos, the most populous and industrialized city in the country, was built for the 1973 All-Africa Games. Though it initially was considered state-of-the-art, it today is considered below any standard facility-wise and environmental-wise. The Nigerian sports boss Amos Adamu advised the government to privatize the Abuja stadium immediately after the 2003 All-Africa Games in order to forestall the vandalisation typical of publicly owned buildings. [9]

The federal government of Nigeria, who owns 100% equity on the property at the moment, has faced a lot of antagonism both locally and internationally. The average estimate for annual maintenance since its inauguration has been about $7 million, a number considered high by many standards. Due to the high cost of maintenance, the federal government has been seeking options for privatization of the facility. Through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Federal Government of Nigeria intends to grant a concession to a sole Concessionaire who will enter into an investment commitment, and essentially operate the stadium with a primary goal of generating revenue from the proceeds of sporting events, concerts, religious activities, corporate sponsorship, corporate advertising and other promotional activities.

The Concessionaire has the choice of assuming the role of Facility Manager for the property encompassed in the National Stadium and the Indoor Sports Complex, or employ a firm to perform the task. The BPE will act as the monitor in the arrangement, and the Concessionaire will report to the federal government through the BPE. A minimum tenure of 20 years was recommended, subject to review every five years. Maintenance of the Stadium and its external areas will be the responsibility of the Concessionaire.

Change of Name

On June 12, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari renamed the national stadium in Abuja after the winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola. [10] It is widely believed that Mr Abiola won the June 1993 presidential election based on available results, but the election was cancelled by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida. [11] President Buhari in 2018 recognised Mr Abiola's mandate by conferring on him the country's highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, reserved only for presidents. While President Muhammadu Buhari was delivering his speech at the change of name event, which also marked Nigeria's 20th year of uninterrupted democracy, President Buhari said “Henceforth it will be called the Moshood Abiola National Stadium". [12] The event at the Eagles Square was attended by other foreign leaders, including the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. [13]

Notable football matches

2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup

DateTeam 1ResultTeam 2AttendanceRound
24 October 2009Flag of Honduras (1949-2022).svg  Honduras 0–1Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 19,560 Group A
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 3–3Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 21,300
27 October 2009Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 2–114,400
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 1–0Flag of Honduras (1949-2022).svg  Honduras 42,900
30 October 2009Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 3–13,090
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 1–0Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 4,250 Group B
5 November 2009Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 5–0Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 35,200 Round of 16
15 November 2009Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 0–1Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 40,000 Third place match
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 1–0Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 60,000 Final

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abuja</span> Capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Abuja is the capital and sixth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated in the middle of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Planning Associates (IPA), a consortium of three American planning and architecture firms made up of Wallace, Roberts, McHarg & Todd as the lead, Archi systems International, and Planning Research Corporation. The Central Business District of Abuja was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. It replaced Lagos, the country's most populous city, as the capital on 12 December 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibrahim Babangida</span> Military President of Nigeria from 1985 to 1993

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida is a Nigerian statesman and military dictator who ruled as military president of Nigeria from 1985 when he orchestrated a coup d'état against his military and political arch-rival Muhammadu Buhari, until his resignation in 1993 as a result of the post-12 June 1993 election which he illegally nullified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moshood Abiola</span> Nigerian businessman and politician (1937–1998)

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, also known as M. K. O. Abiola was a Nigerian business magnate, publisher, and politician. He was the honorary supreme military commander of the Oyo Empire and an aristocrat of the Egba clan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baba Gana Kingibe</span> Nigerian diplomat and politician (born 1945)

Babagana Kingibe OV GCON is a Nigerian diplomat, politician and civil servant who has held several high ranking government offices, culminating in his appointment as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation from 2007 to 2008. He spent over a decade in the Foreign Service cadre and has been in politics since the 1970s, serving six heads of state; most recently as a member of the inner circle of President Muhammadu Buhari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hafsat Abiola</span> Nigerian human rights, civil rights and democracy activist

Hafsat Olaronke Abiola-Costello, in Lagos, is a Nigerian human rights, civil rights and democracy activist, founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), which seeks to strengthen civil society and promote democracy in Nigeria. She is President of Women in Africa Initiative (WIA), international platform for the economic development and support of African women entrepreneurs. She is also one of the founders of Connected Women Leaders (CWL).

Democracy Day is a national public holiday in Nigeria to commemorate the restoration of democracy in 1999, commemorated on 12 June. Until 2018, it was celebrated annually on May 29. It is a tradition that has been held annually, beginning in year 2000. June 12 was formerly known as Abiola Day, celebrated in Lagos and some South-western states of Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Nigerian Republic</span> Federal semi-democratic government (1992–1993)

The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1992 which was to be governed by the Third Republican constitution. In the Third Republic, there were democratically elected state governors and state assemblies and a democratically elected federal legislature. The republic was however not fully democratic as there was no democratically elected civilian president. The then military president Ibrahim Babangida's supposed transition eventually turned out to be a ploy to keep executive powers and grant the National Assembly limited legislative powers. Hence all laws passed by the Senate and House of Representatives will have to pass the National Defence and Security Council of Nigeria and finally approved by the President. So while Babangida changed the usual style adopted by preceding military leaders from Head of State to president, he will continue to postpone presidential elections and eventually annul the ultimate one held on 12 June 1993. The Third Republic can thus be described as half military and half civilian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayode Oladele</span> Nigerian politician (born 1963)

Kayode Oladele is a Nigerian human rights activist, lawyer and politician who was a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives representing Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency, Ogun State, from 2015–2019. He was the Chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on Financial Crimes and member of the House Committees on Justice, Human Rights, Rules and Business, Environment, Healthcare Services and Agricultural Institutions. He was elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress on 11 April 2015. Prior to that, he was Chief of Staff, office of the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaiah Balat</span> Nigerian politician and businessman

Isaiah Chawai Balat was a Nigerian politician and businessman from southern Kaduna State. He was the Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Kaduna South Senatorial District from May 2003 to May 2007 and, a member of the People's Democratic Party. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served as the Minister of State for Works and Housing in the cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2000. In May 2010, Balat was appointed the Special Advisor to the President on Special Duties where he served until his demise in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dele Momodu</span> Nigerian journalist/ CEO of Ovation International

Chief Dele Momodu is a Nigerian journalist/publisher, businessman, and motivational speaker. He is the CEO and publisher of Ovation International, a celebrity magazine. In 2015, he officially launched Ovation TV and subsequently launched an online newspaper called The Boss Newspapers. Momodu has received hundreds of awards and honors for his work in the world of business, politics, literature, the music industry and the fashion industry. He writes a weekly column called "Pendulum", published every Saturday on the back page of ThisDay newspaper. The articles have been praised for highlighting topical national issues in Nigeria, as well as discussing popular topics, current events and notable people, often in a polemic/critical style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Nigerian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 12 June 1993, the first since the 1983 military coup ended the country's Second Republic. The elections were the outcome of a transitional process to civilian rule spearheaded by the military ruler, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. The unofficial result of the election – though not declared by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) – indicated a victory for Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). The winner of the election was thus never declared as the elections were annulled by Babangida, citing electoral irregularities. The annulment led to protests and political unrest, including the resignation of Babangida and a weak interim civilian government, and culminated in the continuation of military rule in the country with Sani Abacha ascending to power as the military head of state via a bloodless coup later in the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 CAF Champions League final</span> Football match

The 2004 CAF Champions League Final was the final of the 2004 CAF Champions League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Federal Republic</span> Nigerian order of merit

The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Dele Alake</span> Nigerian journalist, activist and politician (born 1956)

Henry Dele Alake ; born 6 October 1956) is a Nigerian journalist, activist and technocrat who is the current Nigerian minister of Solid Minerals. He is a former commissioner for Information and Strategy of Lagos State serving from 1999 to 2007.

<i>MKO Abiola Statue</i> Monumental structure erected in memory of Moshood Abiola

The MKO Abiola Statue was designed and erected by Olurotimi Ajayi in memory of Chief Moshood Abiola, a politician who was widely regarded as the winner of the inconclusive 1993 Nigerian elections. Standing at about 46 feet tall, the statue was unveiled on 12 June 2018 during the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omoyele Sowore</span> Nigerian activist

Omoyele Yele Sowore is a Nigerian politician, human rights activist, citizen reporter, writer, lecturer and pro-democracy campaigner, known for founding the online news agency Sahara Reporters. In August 2018, he founded the African Action Congress party and ran as its presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election. Sowore also ran for President in the 2023 Nigerian General elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanre Tejuosho</span> Nigerian politician

Olanrewaju Adeyemi Tejuoso is a Nigerian politician. He was a senator from Ogun State at the 8th Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunday Akin Dare</span> Nigerian journalist and politician (born 1966)

Sunday Akin Dare is a Nigerian journalist who served as the Nigerian Minister of Youth & Sports from 2019 to 2023. He previously held the position of Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), having been appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2016.

Group A of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification tournament was one of the twelve groups that decided the teams which qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament. The group consisted of four teams: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe.

References

  1. ↑ Da'Silva, P.K. "2010 World Cup Bid Deception." THISDAY Nigeria 20 June 2003. Retrieved 2 November 2006.
  2. ↑ "Breaking: Buhari Renames Abuja National Stadium After MKO Abiola". 12 June 2019.
  3. ↑ "Buhari names Abuja National Stadium after MKO Abiola". Punch Newspapers. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  4. ↑ "Top 50 Most Expensive Stadiums in the World (adjusted for inflation)". The Sport Market. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "National Stadium Complex, Abuja/Nigeria" (PDF). GUS - Gesellschaft für Umweltplanung Stuttgart (in German).
  6. ↑ Olusola, Jide (13 April 2019). "How The Abuja Velodrome Is Being Used". Daily Trust. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "8th All Africa Games." 2K+ International Sports Media. Retrieved 30 October 2006
  8. ↑ "Nigeria; Who Will Score First International Goal at Abuja Stadium?." VANGUARD Newspapers 19 April 2003. Retrieved 30 October 2006
  9. ↑ "COJA Boss Wants Abuja Stadium Sold". This Day (Nigeria). 4 March 2003. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
  10. ↑ Yusuf, Omotayo (12 June 2019). "President Buhari renames Abuja Stadium as MKO Abiola Stadium". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "BREAKING: Buhari Names National Stadium Abuja After MKO Abiola". Sahara Reporters. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "Buhari renames Abuja stadium after Abiola - Premium Times Nigeria". 12 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  13. ↑ "Buhari renames Abuja stadium after Abiola - Premium Times Nigeria". 12 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
Preceded by FIFA U-17 World Cup
Final venue
2009 		Succeeded by

9°2′16.5″N7°27′12.2″E / 9.037917°N 7.453389°E / 9.037917; 7.453389

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.