Sports
Stadium building or renovations cost: a global perspective starting from Nigeria :
National Stadium, Abuja (Nigeria) – $360 Million
1.This ultra-modern modern sports complex cost $360 million and was opened in 2003 ahead of the 8th All Africa Games. In fact, it is among the world’s 50 most expensive stadiums. The stadium is home to the Nigerian National Football team.
Envisioned as a national sports stadium, Abuja National Stadium cost a reported $360 million in 2003 almost 20 years ago. It was designed to accommodate 60,491 spectator seats.
12 years ago. Julius Berger have a bill of N1.2billion naira for the yearly maintenance of the Moshood Abiola stadium. Abuja. The FG rejected the bill as too High. For the each year we do not maintain that stadium the bill increases.
Now do the maths. Surulere National stadium Abandoned and unmaintained for 17 years. Calculate how much will be needed.
2.Wembley Stadium : How much did it cost to rebuild Wembley Stadium? The stadium was built by Australian firm Multiplex at a cost of £798 million (£1.27 billion today). Two partially retractable roof structures over the east and west ends of the stadium can be opened to allow sunlight and aid pitch growth.
3.Real Madrid stadium- 81,000 seat stadium. Real Madrid’s stadium renovation is costing $700 Million Dollars.
4.Facts : Republic of Maldives National Stadium -12,000 capacity. Will cost close to $25M. Work just started last week.
National Stadium Surulere Lagos. 45,000 capacity. Renovations and upgrade estimates given is 41million US Dollars. Do the math.
5.Average global estimates for stadium renovations and upgrade range between 400M dollars to 678M dollars.
6.London: A solid example to dive into is the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, with building started in 2013 and finally completed six years later in 2019.
The Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur opened a brand new state-of-the-art, 61,000 seat stadium. It has all of the best amenities and is located in London, England.The project cost an astronomical $1.4 billion.
7.Standard year for a stadium before major renovations is 30 years. Surulere National Stadium is 51 years old. Left unmaintained for 18 years. Asking for just 21B. That is 43Milliom dollars.
Sports
FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification
Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums
Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.
Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.
In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”
He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.
“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”
Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT
Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.
“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.
Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.
“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”
The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.
He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development
As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.
“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”
Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.
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