The Federal Government has approved the installation of Video Assistant Referee technology and an anti-doping laboratory at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja as part of a sweeping overhaul of sports infrastructure across Nigeria.
The development was announced on Wednesday by the National Sports Commission through its official 𝕏 account, which described the intervention as the first phase of a nationwide sports revival project aimed at restoring facilities to international standards.
According to the commission, the upgrade at the Abuja stadium will go beyond VAR and anti-doping facilities. Plans also include rehabilitation of tracks and floodlights, improvements to media and athlete areas, and the construction of a High Performance Centre alongside new training pitches.
The government also approved the redevelopment of the existing 200-room athletes’ hostel into a fully functional hotel. Medical facilities inside the complex are expected to receive new equipment as part of the modernisation drive.
Other projects captured in the initiative include the construction of a sports centre that will provide office space for national sports federations, as well as the rehabilitation of key sporting infrastructure in different parts of the country.
The commission said support would also be extended to states preparing to host future National Sports Festivals. Plans are equally in place for the construction of mini sports centres nationwide to improve access to sporting facilities at the grassroots level.
The initiative further covers the establishment of sports facilities in selected tertiary institutions to strengthen school sports and develop centres of excellence across the country.
“The unprecedented investments are the first phase and are designed to position sports as a driver of youth empowerment, economic growth, talent development, and national unity,” the NSC stated.
