Ban of Minna Stadium: Niger Tornadoes move to Lafia

Following the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) decision to withdraw the provisional approval for the Bako Konragora Stadium, home of Niger Tornadoes, the club has opted to adopt the Lafia Township Stadium as its new home ground for the rest of the season.

The NPFL also ruled that the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, which was previously adopted by Tornadoes, does not meet the required standards to host league matches.

This decision was communicated in a letter dated February 19, 2025, where the NPFL cited the failure of both stadiums to meet the infrastructure criteria set by the club licensing requirements.

In response, Niger Tornadoes acknowledged the unsatisfactory conditions of both the Bako Konragora and Ahmadu Bello stadiums and announced that they would be moving to Lafia Township Stadium in Nasarawa State for their home games.

“I would like to inform you that we have selected Lafia Township Stadium in Lafia, Nasarawa State, as our designated home ground. This stadium is among those approved by the NPFL Board for hosting our home matches,” said Jibrin Haruna, the club’s Secretary.

Haruna also assured that the club is working towards improving the conditions of Minna’s Bako Konragora Memorial Stadium.

“The Niger State Government has commenced maintenance work through a reputable company to ensure that within two weeks, the Bako Konragora Memorial Stadium in Minna meets all the criteria necessary for hosting NPFL matches,” he added.

In response to the developments, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, a representative of the NPFL, emphasized that the league body would continue to monitor stadium conditions to ensure compliance with the required standards.

“We have a monitoring mechanism to check that clubs conform to our rules, especially as it relates to television-friendly grounds,” Elegbeleye stated.

Lobi Stars was also recently removed from their home ground after failing to meet the club licensing infrastructure criteria. The NPFL’s actions underline the league’s commitment to maintaining high standards for match venues across the country.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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