By Solomon OKPO.
The Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Football Association, Mr. Samuel Umoh, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, and his board members on the successful groundbreaking ceremony for the NFF-FIFA Players’ Hostel and new training pitches in Abuja.
The landmark project, situated at Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium, will feature a 68-room hostel designed to enhance player welfare. The facility will include 62 single rooms, four suites, and two executive suites, ensuring world-class accommodation for footballers. Additionally, two new training pitches—one synthetic and one natural grass—will be constructed, while the existing synthetic pitch will undergo reconstruction. The project also includes sitting terraces for spectators and dressing rooms for players.
In a statement issued to journalists, Mr. Umoh praised the NFF leadership for its commitment to football development, describing the initiative as a step in the right direction.
“On behalf of the Akwa Ibom State Football Association, I congratulate Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau and his hardworking board on this groundbreaking project. This is a major milestone in Nigerian football development, and we are proud to be associated with this moment,” Umoh stated.
He emphasized that the new facilities would provide players with world-class infrastructure to enhance their performance at national and international levels.
“This project reflects the clear vision and purposeful leadership of Alhaji Gusau and his board. It is a testament to their dedication to fulfilling FIFA’s mandate for football growth and infrastructure development in member countries,” he added.
The Akwa Ibom FA Chairman also urged football stakeholders, private investors, and government agencies to support the NFF in its drive to improve football infrastructure, stressing the importance of collective effort in sustaining the sport’s progress in Nigeria.
