Sports

Again, Stakeholders lament sorry state of MKO Abiola Stadium,Abeokuta

Published

4 years ago

August 8, 2022

….call for quick action

Joel Ajayi
Again, stakeholders in Abeokuta, capital city of Ogun state have continued to lament the sorry state of MKO Abiola Stadium , Abeokuta declaring that the place is now a deserted arena.

It will recall that the multi billion naira Stadium was placed on ban by LMC early this year because of its dilapidated nature. The stadium has become unsuitable for hosting any NFF recognised football matches which has now forced all the clubs in the state to rerlocate to the Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu Ode.

A situation that has led to some opposition party members in the state to attribute the neglect to a deliberate plan by the State governor to move all sports activities to Ijebu Ode his home town.

However one of the stakeholder told our correspondent in confidence that the stadium neglect is a deliberate act by officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the stadium management so as to force out funds from the state. government.

Meanwhile, other Football stakeholders in the state hold a different view on the matter, stressing that the stadium management had never been alive to their responsibilities. They argued that the management had abandoned the maintenance of the field for years.

“For example, the training pitch had been maintained for years by those teams training on the pitch. The terrace was covered by a team, the cutting of grass had been the duty of the teams pulling resources together for it.

The surbub grass, the pole, the gutter, the surrounding trees all have been taken care of by few of those teams training on the pitch. Infact, several times, one of the teams had been purchasing a tanker of water to wet the field.”

The stakeholders alleged further that some staff of stadium had revealed that the atrocity was committed in order to facilitate contract work for the technical officer in the stadium- Mr. Yinka Oyelumade.

“Critical observation of the re-grassing work embarked by the stadium management showed that within the last 3 (weeks) it has not spread to more that 5 meters all together. The grass were been picked and uprooted by some of the stadium gardeners around the stadium complex. No wetting, no supervision and no technical touches in the haphazard work.

“If the State government refuse to pay attention to the unpalatable situation in MKO Abiola International Stadium, things might get worse than how it met it in 2019.

When we thought that sporting activities in the state was dead. That could be a joke compared to what the situation might be in the next few months, ” he concluded

Share on Facebook

Sports

NSC Disburses Another ₦300m Training Grants to 31 Elite Athletes Ahead of 2028 Olympic Games

Published

3 hours ago

October 30, 2026

The Gleamer

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has disbursed approximately ₦300 million in quarterly training grants to more than 31 Nigerian elite athletes, providing early boost to the country’s preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The latest payment marks another milestone in the Commission’s efforts to strengthen athletes’ welfare and ensure sustained preparations for major international competitions under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The latest disbursement is the fifth since the introduction of the quarterly training grants policy in 2025 through the NSC’s Elite and Podium Board, and the third payment made in 2026.

With the latest payment, the Commission has now disbursed more than ₦1 billion in training grants to Nigerian elite athletes over the past two years.

The initiative provides quarterly grants of $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000 to athletes, depending on their performance and eligibility under the scientific performance indicators established by the Elite and Podium Board.

The policy has been widely welcomed by some of the country’s leading athletes, who have described it as a game changer that has significantly improved their preparations for international competitions by providing consistent financial support for their training needs.

Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said the initiative reflected the Commission’s commitment to building a sustainable system for sporting success through deliberate investment in athletes.

“There are no accidental successes in sports. This is why the Commission has prioritised the welfare and wellbeing of our athletes as a critical part of our strategy for scientific podium success,” Hon, Olopade said.

He said the training grants were among the key mandates given to the Commission’s leadership by President Tinubu to ensure that Nigerian athletes receive the financial support needed to compete effectively at the highest level.

“I am particularly glad that we have been able to institute this athletes’ training grants policy because it is one of the core mandates Mr President gave to Mallam Shehu Dikko and me, to ensure that we put money in the pockets of Nigerian athletes and prepare them adequately for international competitions like the Olympics.”

“We can only get the best out of our athletes when we take care of them properly. By doing so, they will wear the Green and White of our country with pride and dignity. This is why Mr President has continued to support every policy we have introduced to revamp the sports sector,” he said.

Hon. Olopade added that sustained financial support would enable athletes to concentrate on their training without the distractions of financial uncertainty.

“Our athletes need this money to stay focused on their training so they are not distracted in their preparations for major competitions. And we must not forget that when we take care of our athletes, they will take care of the country with medals,” he added.

The impact of the training grants has continued to reflect in Nigeria’s recent performances at international competitions, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where the country emerged as Africa’s leading nation.

The performances of athletes such as Samuel Ogazi and Nathaniel Ezekiel, who broke world records, further highlighted the benefits of sustained investment in elite sports development.

Team Nigeria’s impressive outing at the 2025 Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia also underscored the importance of consistent support for athletes as the country intensifies preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The NSC said the training grants remain a central component of its strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s elite sports system, improve international competitiveness and deliver sustained podium success at major global competitions.

Share on Facebook