Sports
Sports Ministry, Kaduna State Government Sign MoU on Transfer of Custody of Ahmadu Bello Stadium
… Obafemi Awolowo Stadium is Next in Line-Minister
Joel Ajayi
The Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Chief Sunday Dare visited the Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the official transfer of custody of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna to the State Government on Friday, the 27th January, 2023.
About a week ago, Governor El-Rufai had paid the Sports Minister a courtesy visit in Abuja, as part of the efforts to conclude the handing over of the sport facility to the Kaduna State Government for better management.
Immediately after the signing of the MoU, a novelty match was played between Team Mallam El Rufai and Team Sunday Dare. A novelty match where the fans were treated to beautiful football artistry from the Sports Minister and the Governor.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai scored two goals while the Sports Minister scored once as the friendly encounter ended 2-1.
With the completion of official transfer of custody ceremony of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, the Sports Minister stated that the next stadium to be released would be the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium(formerly known as the Liberty Stadium), Ibadan.
The signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and Kaduna State Government at the Government house in Kaduna, concludes the much anticipated hand over of the 25,000 capacity stadium.
In the last one year, the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium has undergone some renovations alongside the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.
The Sports Minister Sunday Dare has continued to harp on the need to develop sports infrastructure as the backbone of Sports Development in Nigeria.
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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