The upgrade of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, is expected to gulp the sum of N24,642,000,000 from the N203,602,968,852 budget allocated to the National Sports Commission in the 2026 appropriation bill, The PUNCH reports.

President Bola Tinubu had presented a N58.18 trillion “Budget of Restoration” to a joint session of the National Assembly last year, and Nigeria’s sports budget for 2026 has witnessed a 300 per cent increase from the N78bn allocated in 2025, as the commission targets several projects as well as major competitions.

Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, had targeted the end of 2025 to commence work on the stadium as part of broader efforts to revive Nigeria’s sports infrastructure.

The facility, which was opened in 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has been deemed unfit to host the senior national team and other major competitions, despite undergoing renovation between 2020 and 2022. Under former Sports Minister Sunday Dare, Nigerian billionaire and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, committed the sum of $1m towards restoring the main bowl of the stadium.

The renovation, executed by local contractors, included the installation of Pure Dynasty Paspalum grass. The upgrade also featured two digital scoreboards, 24 sprinklers, nursery beds, and a two-year maintenance plan, all under a Public-Private Partnership agreement.

However, despite the facelift, the pitch deteriorated within a year of its handover to the Federal Government. Its poor condition forced the Super Eagles to relocate their home matches to the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The team’s last game on the pitch was on March 24, 2023, when they were beaten 1–0 by Guinea-Bissau, a result that saw the team’s former coach, José Peseiro, and some of the players fault the playing surface.

In the 2026 budget, the NSC has set aside N18,775,000,000 for the first phase of rehabilitation and upgrading of the stadium’s main bowl, N5,800,000,000 for the completion of a high-performance centre for athletes, as well as N65,000,000 for the provision of internet bandwidth with connectivity via optic fibre and LAN/WAN at the stadium and other critical national sporting infrastructure for the commission.

This is aside from N15,500,000,000 earmarked for the construction of a sports secretariat at the stadium.

Built for $360m between 2000 and 2003 to host the 8th African Games, which took place in October 2003, the stadium is designed to accommodate 60,491 spectators, covered by a lightweight roof construction.

Meanwhile, the NSC has also earmarked N4,222,800,000 for Nigeria’s participation in the 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.

Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the NSC plans to spend N5,105,337,650 to intensify preparations, while participation in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy is expected to cost N1,000,000,000.

In football, Nigeria’s participation at the just-concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the upcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and other FIFA tournaments for the men’s and women’s national teams will cost the NSC N14,200,000,000. (PUNCH)

Update news