Sports

Re-grassing of Moshood Abiola Training pitch: work is in progress-Afrikings

Published

2 years ago

April 12, 2023

…says 8 weeks delivery date is sacrosanct

Joel Ajayi

The Chairman of a private company that adopted Moshood Abiola Stadium practice pitch 1, Afrikings Homes, Ltd, Kingsley Awodi, has expressed that the work is progress and the delivery date of 6 to 8 weeks is achievable.

It will be recalled that the private company took charge of re-grassing of the training pitch a few weeks ago as part of its love and passion toward the growth and development of the sports in Nigeria.

Afrikings Homes adoption involves re-grassing of the pitch by planting nursery seeds and maintenance of the pitch for two years is indeed in progress as the pitch is close to its first trimming.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja Mr Awodi said the work is progress and the company will not fail to deliver at the given period.

According to him, the pitch is in progress and as we said in 6 to 8 weeks we are going to achieve our aim and we are close to the first trimming this weekend, the work is in the progress.

When asked why he is investing so much on sports? He replied: “This thing we are doing is just to instigate other corporate bodies to come in also to look at the good work Minister of Sports Sunday Dare is doing and key into it that is what we are after.

“I am doing this because I have love for sports and I am not doing it for any gain or any benefit attached to it, it’s just the passion and I believe by doing so others will also be motivated to come and join us to make Nigeria a better place for Nigerian youth to train.”

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Sports

NLO’s Shola Ogunowo Earns Praise for Driving Grassroots Football and Exemplifying Integrity

Published

5 hours ago

June 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Nigerian football community has lauded Mr. Shola Ogunowo, Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), for his unwavering commitment to integrity and the development of grassroots football, earning him widespread respect and admiration across the sporting landscape.

In a statement released in Abuja and signed by Okechukwu Okebugwu, Mr. Ogunowo was praised as a transformative leader who has redefined the ethics and standards of football administration at the grassroots level. According to the release, Ogunowo has emerged as a “leading figure in the fight against match-fixing, bribery, and all forms of corruption” that have plagued the lower tiers of Nigerian football for decades.

Through consistent enforcement of transparency, fairness, and accountability, Mr. Ogunowo is steering the NLO toward becoming a credible platform where talent can be discovered and nurtured based on merit, rather than manipulation or favoritism.

“In an environment where shortcuts and compromises are all too common, Shola Ogunowo has remained a pillar of integrity,” Okebugwu stated. “He is restoring credibility to grassroots football by ensuring that fair play, discipline, and professionalism are non-negotiable.”

Since taking over as COO, Ogunowo has spearheaded a number of structural reforms aimed at instilling discipline and operational excellence among participating clubs. These include stricter licensing requirements, performance audits, and compliance monitoring to ensure clubs uphold the league’s code of conduct. His administration has also emphasized youth development, with a renewed focus on coaching education and player welfare.

The result is a reinvigorated Nationwide League One that is beginning to attract renewed attention from fans, corporate sponsors, and local communities. Observers say Ogunowo’s leadership is helping reshape perceptions of grassroots football—not just as a stepping stone to the elite leagues, but as a vital foundation for the future of Nigerian football.

“His leadership is not only impacting the pitch—it’s rebuilding trust, creating real value, and setting a good standard for sports administration in Nigeria,” Okebugwu concluded.

As the NLO season progresses, many stakeholders believe that with figures like Shola Ogunowo at the helm, the future of grassroots football in Nigeria is not only secure, but promising.

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