The office of the Minster of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh at the Moshood Kashimawo Abiola National Stadium, Abuja is wearing new look befitting the status of the minister.
Before now, the office of the minister at the MKO National Stadium is in deplorable state, aside from the filthy environment with overgrown weeds and open defecation the history of the complex is replete with dilapidated and shambolic condition belittling the office of the occupier.
Over the years, successive sports minister had prefer to operate from the cozy Head of Service or the Federal Secretariat neglecting the stadium but since his assumption of office Enoh has changed the narrative.
Blueprint Sport check reveal that the total overhaul of the Minister’s Office which comprises administrative staff offices witnessed massive renovation over the weekend with workers putting finishing touches to and bringing it to ‘acceptable standard’ with aesthetic designs and colourful look.
The job entails renovation of the tiles, flooring, painting, windows, electrical fittings and complete set of new furniture to make the minister comfortable and sit comfortably to tackle the hydra-headed problems besting sports development in the country.
The stadium was renamed by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, after Bashorun MKO Abiola who contributed N11m to its construction when the stadium was launched in 1989.
Built by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to host the 8th All Africa Games, Abuja 2003, the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, was a pride of the nation and was handed over by construction giant, Julius Berger Plc on time.
The first match played in the main bowl of the stadium was between Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan and Sunshine Stars of Akure.
The stadium, which was built between September 2000 and April 2003 at the cost of $360m, was a world-class structure that was ranked among the top 50 most expensive stadiums in the world. But sadly as at today, the stadium cannot host any Grade A matches involving Super Eagles.
The stadium consists of Package A and Package B. Before its abandonment, it served as a home to the Nigerian national football team, as well as a centre for various social, cultural, and religious events.
Package A comprises an all-covered main bowl with 60,491 seating capacity with other facilities such as the presidential suite and viewing area, 56 corporate suites, modern turnstiles, media facilities, two electronic scoreboards, floodlights and a helipad.
Apart from having a VIP car park and a public parking lot, Package A also boasts of
standard practice pitches, a velodrome, shops and kiosks, generators among others.
The stadium played host to some big football matches, including the international friendlies between the Super Eagles and their counterparts from Brazil and Argentina.
The MKO Abiola Stadium also played host to the 2009 U-17 World Cup.
