₦airaland Forum

Renovation work is ongoing at the iconic Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu State as the stadium gets ready to host the 2026 National Sports Festival.

source

So without this competition, the stadium go just dey in ruins ?

2026 National Sports Festival?
This is August, what is the timeframe for completion to host the festival??

👍 Good job....

But I hope there will be a maintenance committee as well for the stadium before it turns to another 'national stadium' Lagos.

Ohh, I suspected that. Passed there yesterday and saw that a section of the road in front of the stadium was closed, motorists now use one lane upto first bank before crossing over to the other lane.
Welcome development

RebirthPhoenix:
So without this competition, the stadium go just dey in ruins ?

Stadium costs money to run.
The only way to keep a stadium running very well is for the stadium to host as many events as possible for cash.

Also if our football league was profitable ( which means things like high entrance fees and high priced tickets, the stadium may make enough money to pay for its running costs

But unfortunately, nigeria Na poor country. Not very many people have the kind of disposable income to pay high prices for tickets and stuff. And your government budgets are enough to pay staff salaries and do little else.

nairalanda1:
Stadium costs money to run.
The only way to keep a stadium running very well is for the stadium to host as many events as possible for cash.

Also if our football league was profitable ( which means things like high entrance fees and high priced tickets, the stadium may make enough money to pay for its running costs

But unfortunately, nigeria Na poor country. Not very many people have the kind of disposable income to pay high prices for tickets and stuff. And your government budgets are enough to pay staff salaries and do little else.

IMF poster boy, well done

National Sports Festival to take place 2026. The stadium for the sports festival is now undergoing renovation in August 2026!
Are we serious at all in Nigeria?
When did we know that the sports festival for 2026 will hold in that stadium?
Also, without a sports festival, the stadium would have remained moribund?

nairalanda1:
Stadium costs money to run.
The only way to keep a stadium running very well is for the stadium to host as many events as possible for cash.

Also if our football league was profitable ( which means things like high entrance fees and high priced tickets, the stadium may make enough money to pay for its running costs

But unfortunately, nigeria Na poor country. Not very many people have the kind of disposable income to pay high prices for tickets and stuff. And your government budgets are enough to pay staff salaries and do little else.

I understand sha,, we should really do better honestly

I thought this same stadium was completely renovated some few months ago very shocked to see it at this state.

nairalanda1:
Stadium costs money to run.
The only way to keep a stadium running very well is for the stadium to host as many events as possible for cash.

Also if our football league was profitable ( which means things like high entrance fees and high priced tickets, the stadium may make enough money to pay for its running costs

But unfortunately, nigeria Na poor country. Not very many people have the kind of disposable income to pay high prices for tickets and stuff. And your government budgets are enough to pay staff salaries and do little else.

Dont mind those people, they can only criticise without even understanding basic governance.....all they know is criticism no matter how ridiculous.

National sport festival should be held every year as usual. The unity of Nigeria is attainable through the sport festival.

Tabithatim:
Renovation work is ongoing at the iconic Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu State as the stadium gets ready to host the 2026 National Sports Festival.

source

Those stadia are gone

Zero maintenance culture kill dem all

RebirthPhoenix:
So without this competition, the stadium go just dey in ruins ?

Yes o....
Naso the stadium go just dey oooo.....
Nigeria is never serious country.......they only like to clean their house , when guest are coming.

Nigeria is un ruins. Imagine! This is the only stadium in the capital city and it was built just about 25 years ago if not leas and yet it is now dilapidated and needs constant renovation. And we say we have a government. Sad!

judewrites:
👍 Good job....

But I hope there will be a maintenance committee as well for the stadium before it turns to another 'national stadium' Lagos.

Nigeria is not a serious country, when it comes to maintenance.

Good one, at least with the renovation, fifa grade a matches can be played at the Cathedral.

It's always renovations (conduit for embezzlement) instead of maintenance.

Shioor! 😏😏

RebirthPhoenix:
So without this competition, the stadium go just dey in ruins ?

Zero maintenance culture.
This renovation will be the last till another jamboree. In the meantime it can be considered pasture.

omooba969:
It's always renovations instead of maintenance.

Shioor! 😏😏

Because we love CONTRACTS instead of WORK.

To maintain is to be there everyday on a salary, cleaning, cutting, painting, sweeping, washing.....no one likes that. Hard work. So they head for the hills

But when they hear, 'Request for CONTRACT to renovate'.....1 BILLION....then they come running.down from the hills showing emotions as if they care. The Abuja ICC scandal (in my opinion) is the poster child for a rotten system.

A so called Facilities Manager was appointed costing billions, left the place in tatters and then the dissatisfied Minister cancels and awards a CONTRACT running into more billions to renovate and the facility manager had the temerity to solicit for it.,...

Isobug:
Ohh, I suspected that. Passed there yesterday and saw that a section of the road in front of the stadium was closed, motorists now use one lane upto first bank before crossing over to the other lane.
Welcome development

,.is it this 2026 they want to do the sports festival...?..a lot of work still has to be done on that stadium and I we are already at august 2026..when will they complete the work

nairalanda1:
Stadium costs money to run.
The only way to keep a stadium running very well is for the stadium to host as many events as possible for cash.

Also if our football league was profitable ( which means things like high entrance fees and high priced tickets, the stadium may make enough money to pay for its running costs

But unfortunately, nigeria Na poor country. Not very many people have the kind of disposable income to pay high prices for tickets and stuff. And your government budgets are enough to pay staff salaries and do little else.

Okay.
But they should have money to pay for gas to electricity bills.
That is a government owned stadium.
It belongs to the Federal government.

A whole Federal government that has access to all our taxes, revenues and credit beyond imagination and with a workforce of hundreds of thousands of people both live and ghosts on its payroll cannot find a team of people who will go into that stadium once every week or month in some cases to:

Clean, oil, wash, cut, paint, test, service, replace, etc to keep that place looking decent. Will it cost an arm and a leg to do so.

The money they are handing out at polling stations 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 can rather pay volunteers to clean up after match-day or public events. EVEN IF THEY DO NOT COLLECT A PENNY from the users which is just ridiculous.

And with a government that is responsible and close to the public, able to mobilize the populace because of it's popularity volunteers will even do it for free.

It is ALWAYS about lack when it comes to the right thing but they will always find the money when it benefits them. That is CULTURE.

fubsy:
National Sports Festival to take place 2026. The stadium for the sports festival is now undergoing renovation in August 2026!
Are we serious at all in Nigeria?
When did we know that the sports festival for 2026 will hold in that stadium?
Also, without a sports festival, the stadium would have remained moribund?

..it's better they postpone the sports festival to 2027...they have lots of work and renovation to be done on that stadium

nairalanda1:
Stadium costs money to run.
The only way to keep a stadium running very well is for the stadium to host as many events as possible for cash.

Also if our football league was profitable ( which means things like high entrance fees and high priced tickets, the stadium may make enough money to pay for its running costs

But unfortunately, nigeria Na poor country. Not very many people have the kind of disposable income to pay high prices for tickets and stuff. And your government budgets are enough to pay staff salaries and do little else.

Do you know this was the same mindset many people had 20 years ago when cinemas were revived in Nigeria?

" oh it cant work, Nigerians cant pay for tickets they love free , etc , today nigeria is one of the ranking countries for box offices, the issue is Government dont want to run a long term project for sports thats why , there is no way you will set up a project involving seasoned consultants in sports that your stadium won't make you money .

There is a difference between a cinema and sports especially football

benardtotti:
Do you know this was the same mindset many people had 20 years ago when cinemas were revived in Nigeria?

" oh it cant work, Nigerians cant pay for tickets they love free , etc , today nigeria is one of the ranking countries for box offices, the issue is Government dont want to run a long term project for sports thats why , there is no way you will set up a project involving seasoned consultants in sports that your stadium won't make you money .

shadrach77:
Nigeria is un ruins. Imagine! This is the only stadium in the capital city and it was built just about 25 years ago if not leas and yet it is now dilapidated and needs constant renovation. And we say we have a government. Sad!

Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium Enugu was rebuilt and opened in 1986…That’s 40 years ago.

It was one of the venues for Nigeria 99 FIFA under 20 World Cup which Xavi and his mates from Spain won…that was more than 25 years ago.

KosiGee:
Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium Enugu was rebuilt and opened in 1986…That’s 40 years ago.

It was one of the venues for Nigeria 99 FIFA under 20 World Cup which Xavi and his mates from Spain won…that was more than 25 years ago.

Thanks for the correction. I was confusing it with the stadium in Abuja

It's only when we have any major thing to do in Nigeria they always remember to renovate.

Even when I was on campus, Family house ooo, anything just name

Our maintenance culture is nothing to write home about.

Our maintenance language is same, " if it has not dilapidated or no anniversary or event is coming we are not going to do anything about it."

shadrach77:
Nigeria is un ruins. Imagine! This is the only stadium in the capital city and it was built just about 25 years ago if not leas and yet it is now dilapidated and needs constant renovation. And we say we have a government. Sad!

This one is in Enugu not Abuja if you're aware?

shadrach77:
Nigeria is un ruins. Imagine! This is the only stadium in the capital city and it was built just about 25 years ago if not leas and yet it is now dilapidated and needs constant renovation. And we say we have a government. Sad!

This one is in Enugu and not Abuja, hope you're aware?

RebirthPhoenix:
So without this competition, the stadium go just dey in ruins ?

Exactly what I wanted to say, is it only when they want to host they renovate stadiums

If not that they want to host something, they would have left the stadium still abandoned