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Ibrahim Gusau sets 16-month deadline as FIFA Goal Project nears completion in Abuja
By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Alhaji Musa Ibrahim Gusau has projected that the athletes’ camp and training pitches under the FIFA Goal Project at Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, will be fully completed and operational within the next 16 months.
Gusau provided the update on Tuesday during an inspection of the ongoing construction, noting steady progress since the project’s official foundation laying in March 2025.
“We are about eight months in since construction began in March 2025. With a 24-month delivery timeline, we still have roughly 16 months to go,” he said. “But judging by the pace of work from the contractors, the project may be completed ahead of schedule.”
Highlighting the rationale behind the initiative, Gusau emphasized that meaningful football development is impossible without proper infrastructure.
“One thing we realized upon assuming office in 2022 is that football cannot grow without proper facilities,” he explained. “At the moment, the only pitch available for our national teams to train on was built 16 years ago, and we can no longer fully guarantee its condition.”
Gusau revealed that inadequate infrastructure has caused significant logistical strain, particularly when multiple national teams are in camp simultaneously.
“There are times when four national teams are in camp at once, and relying on just one training pitch becomes extremely difficult,” he said. “We also spend 40 to 50 percent of our income on hotel accommodation. This project is part of a broader vision to address these challenges.”
He added that having federation-owned training facilities will greatly enhance player development, monitoring, and accessibility.
“To truly develop football, infrastructure must be within your control. With this project, we can keep young players in a dedicated environment and give them access to quality facilities right at their doorstep,” Gusau said.
The NFF President expressed confidence that the FIFA Goal Project, once completed, will serve as a major catalyst for football development programs nationwide.
“By the time this vision is realized, we would have taken a significant step forward in the long-term development of Nigerian football,” he affirmed.
