The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will take its first step at owning a players’ hostel, and training pitches in Abuja, with the groundbreaking ceremony for the facilities today.
The ceremony will be led by NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on hand to perform the groundbreaking.
Named the NFF-FIFA Players’ Hostel, the 68-room facility is located at the heart of Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, almost directly opposite the NFF Secretariat. It is a two-wing edifice, with A and B sections, and has a total of 62 single rooms, four suites, and two executive suites.
Alongside the hostel is the construction of two new training pitches (one synthetic and one natural grass), re-construction of the existing synthetic pitch, sitting terraces for spectators, two dressing rooms for players (each accommodating 27 players at a time), and two dressing rooms for officials. The spectators’ terraces will have 1,838 seats.
The construction, which is projected to last 24 months, is funded by the world football-governing body, FIFA through its FIFA Forward 3.0 programme. The FIFA Forward programme is the largest and biggest sport development programme in the world and was created in 2016 when FIFA President Gianni Infantino was first elected into office. The core idea is three-fold: increase the investment into football worldwide; achieve more impact with specific and tailor-made projects and, make sure to have more oversight to ensure that the investment in football development is transparent, carefully managed, and effective.
Speaking on the project, Gusau said: “The NFF is excited about the players’ hostel and new training pitches. It is a transformational project around our national teams and we are grateful to FIFA for providing the funds for these amazing facilities.
“Right from the inception of the present NFF administration, we were very clear on what we wanted to do with our FIFA Forward 3.0 funds. Building a players’ hostel and having new training pitches will not only enhance team management, but it will also substantially reduce expenditure in these areas and enable us to commit more funds to grassroots development programmes.”
FIFA’s Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer and Regional Director (Africa), Gelson Fernandes, said: “The main objective of the Forward Programme is to ensure top-quality infrastructure that drives football development worldwide. The NFF’s transformation of its Technical Centre is a perfect example – upgrading training pitches, building modern accommodation, and creating a true home for the national teams; this project is a brilliant one for Nigeria football.
“We’re proud to support and to work alongside the NFF, not only with funding but also by sharing expertise to make this project a reality. Nigeria lives and breathes football, and FIFA is committed to helping the game grow as much as we can.”
To witness the ceremony are top government officials and some former international footballers including Olusegun Odegbami, Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu, Mutiu Adepoju, Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Ahmed Musa, Precious Dede and Stella Mbachu.
