Renovation begins at Muda Lawal Stadium after FG approval
Abeokuta, Nigeria (Made In Africa Sport) – Renovation work has commenced at the Muda Lawal Stadium in Asero, Abeokuta, Ogun State, three months after the Federal Government approved the revamp of the historic facility in honour of Nigerian football legend Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal.
Made In Africa Sport gathered that the first phase of the project began on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, with the clearing of trees and overgrown vegetation within the stadium premises as preparations got under way for the wider rehabilitation.
The project, approved by the Federal Government through the National Sports Commission (NSC) in May, is part of efforts to upgrade sports infrastructure across the country and provide facilities capable of supporting grassroots and elite sports development.
NSC Director General Bukola Olopade described the redevelopment as a fitting tribute to the late footballer, whose career included major successes with Nigeria and IICC Shooting Stars.
Olopade said the project would preserve Lawal’s legacy while creating a modern sporting facility for athletes and competitions.
“Muda Lawal remains one of the finest footballers ever produced by Nigeria and deserves to be immortalised through a modern sporting facility that will serve not only Ogun State but the entire nation,” he said, as quoted by Blueprint Newspaper.
The renovation is expected to include the installation of new tartan tracks and the rehabilitation of major facilities within the stadium to bring the complex up to modern standards.
Olopade described the redevelopment as a recognition of Lawal’s contribution to Nigerian sport and said his legacy continued to inspire athletes across the country.
“This is a fitting recognition for a true Nigerian sporting icon whose legacy continues to inspire generations of athletes across the country,” the NSC director general said.
Muda Lawal Stadium: From neglected facility to sporting hub
The current work is expected to extend beyond the initial clearing exercise, with the stadium buildings, stands and other facilities due for rehabilitation as the project progresses.
The redevelopment is also expected to improve the environment for footballers, athletes, coaches, officials and supporters while creating a venue capable of hosting sports and national competitions.
Olopade said the upgraded stadium would help drive sporting activity in the region, particularly as participation in sports and youth engagement continue to increase.
He added that the intervention was part of the Federal Government’s broader commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to renew sports infrastructure and use sport as a tool for youth empowerment and national development.
Mudashiru Lawal, who hailed from Abeokuta, remains one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers.
The former Green Eagles player was a key member of the team that won Nigeria’s first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980, scoring in the 3-0 victory over Algeria in the final.
Lawal was also part of the IICC Shooting Stars side that won the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1976, giving Nigeria its first continental club trophy.
Wider sports infrastructure plans
The redevelopment of the Muda Lawal Stadium forms part of wider Federal Government plans to support sports infrastructure in states hosting upcoming editions of the National Sports Festival.
Enugu State, the next host of the festival, is expected to benefit from the construction of an Olympic-size swimming pool, the upgrade of its indoor sports hall and the rehabilitation of athletes’ hostels.
Other intervention projects are also planned as part of preparations for the Games and the long-term development of sports facilities in the state.
The NSC has said the interventions are aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on youth empowerment, infrastructure renewal and the use of sports to promote national development, unity and economic growth.
In Abeokuta, the commencement of work provides an opportunity to restore a stadium that carries the name of one of the city’s greatest sporting figures.
If the rehabilitation is completed as planned and the facilities are properly maintained, the Muda Lawal Stadium could regain its place as one of Ogun State’s major venues for football, athletics and other sporting activities.