17th July, 2013
A new chapter is crafted in Nigeria football history as President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) will on Thursday inaugurate the brand-new Football House, headquarters of the Nigeria Football Federation.
The ceremony at the gorgeous facility inside the Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja will mark the first time that the Nigeria Football Federation, founded in 1945 as Nigeria Football Association, will be having a permanent home.
The football-governing body had operated from various structures both in Lagos and Abuja over the decades, but never before now a permanent home of its own. Football-loving President Jonathan will be joined at the epoch occasion by Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and a number of other cabinet ministers, with NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari and some of his Executive Committee members and management to receive them.
Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi performed the sod-turning ceremony for the Football House on 21 February, 2012, and the supervising architects have boldly proclaimed that the project has been successfully completed without any variation in specification or budget. The 27-room facility also boasts a penthouse which is to serve as the NFF President’s Office, as well as several meeting rooms. It sits majestically beside the FIFA Technical Centre and the FIFA Football Turf.
NFF President Aminu Maigari said on Tuesday: “We are looking forward very much to receiving His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) at the inauguration of the NFF Headquarters. This epoch-making event once again underscores our President’s keen love for, and interest in football and the Nigeria youth, which he has always demonstrated. ”The NFF and the entire Nigeria football is grateful to His Excellency for approving the project, and we also commend the Honourable Minister of Sports for his tremendous support to ensure the completion of the project.”