Sports
Ahmadu Bello Stadium: FG Formally Transfer Custody to Kaduna State
The Federal Government has formally transferred the custody and management of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna to the Kaduna State Government in line with the implementation of the National Sports Industry Policy(NSIP) which centers on sub-national governments as well as private sector involvement in sports development in Nigeria.
The Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare alongside the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, H. E. Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, who both signed the Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) on behalf of the Federal Government and Kaduna State Government reiterated the commitment of President Muhammad Buhari’s administration to sports development in Nigeria.
According to the Minister, “the signing of the MoU signifies the official transfer of the stadium which is long overdue,” adding that it follows the earlier traditions of transfer of Tafawa Balewa Stadium to Bauchi State Government and Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium to Enugu State.
Dare expressed confidence that the Kaduna State Government will delevop and effectively manage the national infrastructural edifice for the benefit of the entire 19 northern states and Nigeria, stressing that sports infrastructure is the backbone of Sports development.
He urged other State Governors to emulate the Kaduna State Government who have spend over N300m to revive the formerly abandoned stadium making it accessible for sporting activities.
In his remarks, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai expressed gratitude to President Buhari and the Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare for giving the State the opportunity to own and control the Ahmadu Bello Stadium bequeathed to the northern states by the late Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello who incidentally was an active sports man.
He stated further that some of his peer group, that grew up in Kaduna, see the stadium as an icon of tourist attraction and revenue generation.
According to the Governor, “we have very great plans for the stadium, we intend to modernize it to a world standard edifice suitable for everyone to watch football and other sports events,” he said.
The Governor also promised to revive the three Olympic standard Swimming Pools, and collaborate with the private sector in ensuring that all other uncompleted facilities within the stadium are fully completed and operational.
The highlight of the MoU signing occasion was a novelty football match between Team Dare – ‘Bonanza'(led by the Sports Minister)and Team El-Rufai – ‘Francis Lee'(led by the Governor) which ended in 2-1 in favour of the Governor’s side. The game was played at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium and watched by an appreciable number of people.
Sports
Flamingos’ Historic World Cup Feat Draws Musawa’s Commendation
Joel Ajayi
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to claim Nigeria’s first title in the competition and make history as the first African nation to win the tournament.
Awawu Bashiru gave Nigeria the lead in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku extended the advantage two minutes after the restart. Japan’s Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on to secure a memorable victory.
In a congratulatory message was signed by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze on Sunday in Abuja, Musawa described the achievement as a defining moment for Nigeria and a significant milestone for African women’s football, attributing the success to the team’s resilience, talent and determination.
“This is more than a trophy. It is a story of young Nigerian girls who refused to give up, who rose after defeat, and who carried the hopes of a continent to the top of the world,” she said.
The Minister noted that the Flamingos had broken new ground by becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria also became the first African country to win both the men’s and women’s U-17 World Cup titles.
The team further achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the first side in the competition’s history to lose its opening match and eventually emerge champions.
Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage encounter, the Flamingos recovered impressively, recording six consecutive victories to lift the trophy.
Musawa particularly praised Umejiaku, who claimed the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player, and Bashiru for their crucial contributions in the final.
She also commended the entire squad for their discipline, teamwork and determination throughout the competition.
According to her, the victory demonstrates the creativity, courage and excellence of Nigerian youths on the global stage.
The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the achievements and inspiring stories of young Nigerians who continue to bring honour to the country.
“Our girls have shown the world what Nigeria is made of. We celebrate you today, and we will continue to stand with you,” she added.
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