The Kaduna State Government, under the leadership of Uba Sani, has continued with the development and reconstruction of one of the oldest stadiums in Nigeria, the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, with the aim of revamping the facility to FIFA standards.
The stadium’s full-scale reconstruction and renovation commenced in August 2025 and is set to be fully ready by the end of November 2026, according to the State Government during an inspection of the project site yesterday, alongside former Super Eagles players Daniel Amokachi, Garba Lawal and Emmanuel Babayaro.
The stadium expansion is targeting a 33,000-capacity main bowl, which is more than twice its previous capacity of 16,000. The project will also feature a hybrid turf, described as the first of its kind in Nigeria, as well as other world-class facilities.
According to the Governor, the training pitches are complete, while work continues on the main bowl, ticketing points, media centre and athletes’ hostel.
In further messages shared, Uba Sani said the project is aimed at restoring Kaduna’s historic place in Nigerian sports, while creating opportunities for young people and attracting major competitions.
“Our objective is larger than rebuilding a stadium. We are restoring Kaduna’s historic place at the heart of Nigerian sports; attracting major competitions; expanding opportunities for our young people; increasing internally generated revenue; and stimulating wider economic activity.”
In addition, the Governor asserted that his administration had fulfilled the 30-year-old promise made to members of Nigeria’s 1996 Olympic gold-winning football team. He said the legends had been allocated lands and would have streets named after them across the state.
“We are also closing a 30-year chapter of an unfulfilled promise. The Atlanta 1996 Super Eagles were promised land and streets named in their honour. Our administration is now delivering on that commitment. Lands have been allocated to the legends, while streets across Kaduna State will bear their names. These football heroes elevated Nigeria’s name, inspired generations and left an indelible mark on the global game. They deserve not merely our applause, but enduring recognition.”
The Ahmadu Bello Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums in Nigeria and was constructed in 1965, five years after independence. Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly Onikan Stadium, in Lagos is the oldest in Nigeria, having been constructed in 1930. Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu is the second oldest, constructed in 1959, followed by Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, formerly Liberty Stadium, in Ibadan, which was built in 1960. Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna follows among the country’s oldest major stadiums.
In terms of capacity, Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja has the largest listed capacity in Nigeria with 60,491 seats. Jos International Stadium follows with 60,000, while Lagos National Stadium has 45,000. Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt has a capacity of 38,000, while Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina has 35,000. The revamped Ahmadu Bello Stadium will then have a 33,000 capacity.
In terms of FIFA-standard facilities, Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo has been one of the main stadiums Nigeria has relied on to host major international games, including FIFA World Cup qualifiers and CAF competitions, despite not being formally certified as a FIFA-standard stadium.
Despite the wealth of talent and Nigeria’s position in the FIFA rankings, the nation still lacks enough facilities that meet the requirements to host major tournaments such as the Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria last co-hosted the AFCON with Ghana in 2000, where the Super Eagles were beaten by Cameroon in a 4-3 penalty shootout in the final. Since then, the nation has struggled to maintain facilities at the required standard to host major international tournaments.
Meanwhile, counterpart countries like South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010 using 10 stadiums across the country, showing the level of infrastructure required to stage a tournament of that magnitude.
Morocco is billed to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain. The tournament will feature 48 nations (the biggest World Cup tournament) and will be the first World Cup to have matches played across multiple continents. As part of the centenary celebrations of the competition, three special opening matches will be played in South America, one in Uruguay, one in Argentina and one in Paraguay.
The 2030 tournament will mark 100 years since the first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. The Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, which hosted the first World Cup final, will be the venue for Uruguay’s centenary match.
With the ongoing reconstruction of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna is positioning itself to once again become an important destination for major football competitions in Nigeria, while giving the country another modern facility capable of hosting international matches.
Level of reconstruction of the stadium as shared by the State Government and Uba Sani.
