The planned upgrade of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja is projected to absorb ₦24,642,000,000 from the total ₦203,602,968,852 budget allocated to the National Sports Commission (NSC) in the 2026 appropriation bill, according to reports by LMSINT MEDIA.
This allocation forms part of Nigeria’s broader fiscal plan following the presentation of a ₦58.18 trillion “Budget of Restoration” by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a joint sitting of the National Assembly last year. Within this framework, the sports sector has experienced a notable financial boost, as the proposed 2026 allocation represents a 300 percent rise compared to the ₦78 billion approved for sports development in 2025. The increase reflects the commission’s focus on infrastructure renewal, athlete development, and participation in major international sporting events.
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, had earlier disclosed plans to begin rehabilitation work on the Abuja stadium before the end of 2025. This move is part of a wider strategy aimed at restoring Nigeria’s deteriorating sports facilities and repositioning them to meet international standards.
The Moshood Abiola National Stadium, officially opened in 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has long struggled with operational and maintenance challenges. Despite undergoing renovation works between 2020 and 2022, the stadium has been adjudged unsuitable for hosting senior national teams and high-profile competitions. During the tenure of former Sports Minister Sunday Dare, Africa’s richest man and Nigerian industrialist, Aliko Dangote, contributed $1 million towards refurbishing the stadium’s main bowl.
That renovation, carried out by indigenous contractors, involved laying Pure Dynasty Paspalum grass, installing two digital scoreboards, setting up 24 irrigation sprinklers, establishing nursery beds, and implementing a two-year maintenance programme. These upgrades were executed under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement designed to ensure sustainability.
However, the improvements failed to endure. Within a year after the facility was handed back to the Federal Government, the pitch deteriorated significantly. This decline forced the Super Eagles to relocate their home fixtures to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. The national team last played on the Abuja pitch on March 24, 2023, when they suffered a 1–0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau. Following that match, former head coach José Peseiro and several players openly criticized the poor state of the playing surface.
Under the 2026 budget proposal, the NSC has allocated ₦18,775,000,000 for the first phase of rehabilitation and upgrading of the stadium’s main bowl. An additional ₦5,800,000,000 has been earmarked for completing a high-performance training centre intended to support elite athletes. Furthermore, ₦65,000,000 has been set aside for the provision of internet bandwidth, including fibre-optic connectivity and LAN/WAN infrastructure, across the stadium complex and other critical national sports facilities managed by the commission.
Separate from these figures, the budget also includes ₦15,500,000,000 for the construction of a dedicated sports secretariat within the stadium premises, aimed at improving administrative efficiency and coordination.
Originally constructed at a cost of $360 million between 2000 and 2003 to host the 8th African Games held in October 2003, the Moshood Abiola National Stadium was designed to seat 60,491 spectators. The structure features a lightweight roof system intended to provide coverage and comfort for fans.
Beyond infrastructure spending, the NSC has proposed ₦4,222,800,000 to support Nigeria’s participation in the 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
In preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the commission plans to invest ₦5,105,337,650 in intensified training and preparatory programmes. Participation in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy is also expected to cost ₦1,000,000,000.
Football-related expenditures remain a significant component of the budget. Nigeria’s participation in the recently concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the forthcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and other FIFA-sanctioned competitions involving both the men’s and women’s national teams is projected to cost the NSC ₦14,200,000,000.
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