Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has fulfilled a 30-year-old pledge to members of Nigeria’s 1996 Olympic gold-winning football team by allocating land to three Kaduna-born medallists and naming streets after them.
Former Super Eagles player Daniel Amokachi disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking with journalists after inspecting the ongoing renovation of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
Amokachi said governments had made several promises to members of the “Dream Team” after their historic victory at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but many of the commitments were never fulfilled.
He said Governor Sani had now allocated plots of land to him, Garba Lawal and Emmanuel Babayaro, while also directing that streets be named after other Kaduna athletes who had not previously been honoured in the same way.
Amokachi thanked the governor for recognising former players, coaches and football administrators, particularly his commitment to rewarding sports veterans during their lifetime.
Lawal, a former Super Eagles player and ex-general manager of Kaduna United, described the ongoing Ahmadu Bello Stadium project as a world-class development that would meet FIFA standards when completed. He said the facility would provide the Super Eagles with a major training venue in Kaduna.
Babayaro also commended the governor for bringing together Kaduna’s football community and supporting the revival of the sport in the state. He said he initially doubted the land allocation was genuine, but later realised it was given without any political conditions.
Responding, Sani thanked football veterans for their contributions to Kaduna’s sporting development. He said the state had produced numerous football stars who had made significant contributions at home and internationally.
The governor said the deteriorated condition of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium prompted him to seek President Bola Tinubu’s approval to take over the facility for reconstruction. He said the renovated stadium would have a 33,000-seat capacity, compared with its former 16,000 seats, and feature a hybrid playing surface.
Sani said the state was investing in sports infrastructure because major sporting events could generate significant economic benefits through hospitality, transportation and tourism. He added that the renovated stadium was expected to restore Kaduna’s position as a major football centre.
