Veteran broadcaster and journalist Mitchell Obi has raised concerns over the state of sports infrastructure in Nigeria, saying the country has many stadiums but only one currently capable of hosting international football to FIFA and CAF standards.
Obi, a former President of AIPS Africa, identified the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (GAIS) in Uyo as the only Nigerian stadium currently meeting the required standards for international football.
He said the situation shows that Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of stadiums but the failure to properly maintain and manage them.
“If Lionel Messi were to play in Nigeria tomorrow, there is only one venue in the entire country where the match could be sanctioned,” Obi said.
According to him, the situation should lead to serious discussion about how Nigeria plans, manages and maintains its sports facilities.
Nigeria has invested billions of naira in stadiums over the years, including the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, the National Stadium in Lagos and the Liberty Stadium in Ibadan.
However, Obi noted that many of these facilities are no longer able to host major international football matches, despite the huge resources spent on them.
He also questioned the economic value of stadiums that remain unused for long periods of the year while governments continue to spend money on their maintenance.
Obi argued that Nigeria needs to move away from seeing stadiums simply as monuments and begin treating them as active sports and business facilities.
The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, he said, currently stands out as a facility capable of meeting international requirements and helping Nigeria avoid the embarrassment of having to host major matches outside the country.
The stadium has hosted major international football events and has become one of Nigeria’s key venues for high-level football.
