The Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led NFF administration will add another milestone on Tuesday when the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a players’ hostel and a number of new training pitches holds in Abuja.

The groundbreaking will be done by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

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 program.

The FIFA Forward is the largest and biggest sport development program in the world and was created in 2016 when FIFA President Gianni Infantino was first elected to 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.

NFF President, Ibrahim Musa 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 programs.”

Artist’s impression of the new pitches

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.”

Among the special guests invited to Tuesday’s ceremony are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; the Ambassadors of the UAE and the Kingdom of Morocco; former deputy governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu; Inspector General of Police,  Kayode Egbetokun; Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap and; Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko.

On the sidelines of the Women’s U17 World Cup qualifiers between Nigeria and South Africa in Ikenne on Saturday, the Nigeria Football Federation signed a five-year sponsorship deal with ValueJet.

Consequently, ValueJet is now the official airline of the Super Eagles and the other Nigeria national football teams.

ValueJet MD, Capt. Majekodunmi (second from right) exchanges the contract document with Inuwa (second from left) while Dr Sanusi (left) and Trevor Henry, ValueJet Head of Commercials (right) watch.

The airline had in the past ferried the Nigeria national teams to various destinations, starting with Nigeria’s away World Cup qualifying team with Zimbabwe in Kigali in November 2023.

Sports Village Square gathered that the contract is worth N100 million per year in liquid and another N100 million in tangible.

 The agreement, which was sealed at a signing ceremony attended by top officials of both organizations, marks a significant milestone for the airline, which has built a reputation for punctuality and effectiveness.

NFF Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, highlighted the synergy between ValueJet’s operational philosophy and football’s strict adherence to kick-off times.

“It’s on record that ValueJet is a trusted airline concerning time and effectiveness, and as you know, football respects kick-off times too. We are happy to be signing this deal,” he stated.

With this partnership, ValueJet becomes an official sponsor of the NFF, further boosting support for Nigerian football at various levels.

The airline’s involvement is expected to enhance travel logistics for national teams, ensuring smooth movement for players, officials, and stakeholders during international and domestic assignments.

The partnership underscores ValueJet’s growing influence in the aviation and sports sectors, reinforcing its position as a trusted brand in Nigeria.

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

The chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko has poured encomiums on strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited for their effort at repositioning Nigerian football.

 He made the remark during the presentation of Newstap/SWAN 5-star award to the GMD of GTI Group, Abubakar Lawal, alongside four other recipients in Lagos.

The well-attended event, which attracted a lot of stakeholders of the Nigerian football family, was jointly organised by Newstap Communications Limited and Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

In his opening speech, Dikko revealed how he and other football administrators ensured GTI’s remarkable entry into the Nigerian sports ecosystem, and since then, our country’s football has witnessed a positive trajectory.

“I appreciate the organisers of Newstap/SWAN award for a successful execution of the maiden edition of this award and thank GTI Group for their effort so far in repositioning our beautiful game,” Dikko began.

 “I made serious effort to ensure that I’m present at this event today and I thank God that I succeeded. When I eventually came here and saw the team from GTI, I was overwhelmed with joy, such that I didn’t know how to start thanking them for their accomplishments with the NPFL and President Federation Cup.

“I want to commend GTI for taking a big risk in trying to reposition our elite league and today the result speaks for itself.

“I and  Seyi Akinwumi were part of the team that started the process of bringing GTI into our football ecosystem and we are glad with their achievements so far with our football. Frankly, GTI has surpassed our expectations and I pray they recoup all their investments at the end of the day.”

The other four recipients of the Newstap/SWAN Awards include Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia; Benue State FA Chairman, Paul Edeh; Chairman of Valuejet Airlines, Kunle Soname and Founder Monimichelle Construction Limited, Ebi Egbe.

In his final remark at the occasion, National President of SWAN, Isaiah Benjamin urged the five awardees never to rest on their oars in contributing their quota to the development of sports generally in the country.

He further revealed that preparations are in top gear for the 60^th Diamond Jubilee celebration of SWAN and affirmed that the event will be held later this year.

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H