Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is set to hand over the refurbished main bowl pitch of the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, to the federal government in November.
Adedeji Adesoji, executive director of Aron Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling the Stadium’s renovation, disclosed this during his inspection of the world class edifice in Abuja on Monday.
Adesoji said the new scoreboards installed at the stadium are Video Assistant Referee (VAR) compliant, adding that the Platinum TE Paspalum grass was used, the same type FIFA approved for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“We started in August 2020 and we were supposed to finish in 2021 March, but due to some hitches, like the drainage had collapsed after several years of not being in use, so that took us 3 months to fix. We have changed all the 24 water sprinklers.
“We have fixed the scoreboard to international standards, record-in-time, play-back, fast-forward. It can also broadcast to the world, and other things.
“The grass is in an advanced stage and we are looking at handing over the pitch to the sports ministry next month hopefully.
“The grass here is the first time it is being used in Africa, Platinum TE Paspalum to be used will be the same type FIFA has approved for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.”
According to him “But now we are maintaining the pitch, we will be doing that for 2 years and we also have growing more grass outside the stadium in case we need to replace the grass at any time.”
On his part, director sports facilities, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Engr Muhammed Babakoby, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitments to make good use of the Stadium.