The upgrade of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, is expected to gulp ₦24.64 billion from the ₦203.6 billion budget allocated to the National Sports Commission (NSC) in the 2026 appropriation bill.
President Bola Tinubu had last year presented a ₦58.18 trillion “Budget of Restoration” to a joint session of the National Assembly, with Nigeria’s sports sector emerging as a major beneficiary. The 2026 allocation represents a 300 per cent increase from the ₦78 billion provided for sports in 2025, as the NSC targets infrastructure renewal and participation in major international competitions.
Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, had earlier set the end of 2025 as the target date to commence work on the Abuja stadium, as part of broader efforts to revive Nigeria’s sports infrastructure.
The Moshood Abiola National Stadium, opened in 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has been adjudged unfit to host the senior national football team and other major competitions, despite undergoing renovations between 2020 and 2022. Under the tenure of former Sports Minister Sunday Dare, billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote donated $1 million towards restoring the stadium’s main bowl.
That renovation, executed by local contractors, included the installation of Pure Dynasty Paspalum grass, two digital scoreboards, 24 sprinklers, nursery beds, and a two-year maintenance plan under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement. However, the pitch deteriorated within a year of being handed over to the Federal Government.
The poor playing surface forced the Super Eagles to move their home matches to the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Their last match at the Abuja stadium was on March 24, 2023, when they lost 1–0 to Guinea-Bissau, a result that prompted then coach José Peseiro and several players to criticise the condition of the pitch.
In the 2026 budget, the NSC has allocated ₦18.78 billion for the first phase of rehabilitation and upgrading of the stadium’s main bowl, ₦5.8 billion for the completion of a high-performance centre for athletes, and ₦65 million for internet bandwidth and optic fibre/LAN-WAN connectivity at the stadium and other critical national sports facilities.
An additional ₦15.5 billion has been set aside for the construction of a sports secretariat within the stadium complex.
Built at a cost of $360 million between 2000 and 2003 to host the 8th African Games, the stadium has a seating capacity of 60,491, covered by a lightweight roof structure.
Beyond infrastructure, the NSC has earmarked ₦4.22 billion for Nigeria’s participation in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, scheduled for July 23 to August 2. Preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will cost ₦5.11 billion, while participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy is projected at ₦1 billion.
In football alone, Nigeria’s participation in the recently concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the forthcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and other FIFA tournaments for both men’s and women’s national teams is expected to cost ₦14.2 billion.
