Inspectors appointed by the Confederation of African Football are currently evaluating the stadiums and related facilities that Nigeria has proposed in a joint bid with the Benin Republic to host the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025. The venues under review include Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, and Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
According to a statement by Nigeria Football Federation spokesperson Ademola Olajire on Sunday, the four‑member inspection team—Jean‑Louis Romain, Emma Bollet, Didier Levy and Timour Tawfik—accompanied by several Nigerian football officials, has already assessed Moshood Abiola National Stadium in the capital, Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, and Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. In Abuja, the team was received on Friday night by Mallam Mohammed Rabiu, Deputy Director (Facilities) of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the stadium managers, who guided them through various sections of the arena and noted several observations.
On Saturday night the inspectors visited Teslim Balogun Stadium, which is undergoing extensive renovation. They were welcomed by Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku, along with Director General Toyin Gafaar Bolowotan and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Grassroots Development, Anthony Adeboye. The following day at Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, the team was accompanied by Chief Tonobox Okowa, Executive Director of the Delta State Sports Commission and President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Director General Chief Chris Anazuih, and Chairman of the Delta State Football Association, Chief Kenneth Nwaomucha, who escorted them around the facility.
In Benin City, the inspection was led by Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Yusuf Alli, together with Permanent Secretary Sabina Chikere, Chairman of the Edo State Football Association Abu Rowland, and Director of Facilities Victor Edokpayi, who showed the team several sections of the stadium. A recurring recommendation has been the need to reconfigure the venues so that different user groups—VIPs, players and officials, media representatives, and fans—have separate, seamless entry and exit points, preventing any group from obstructing another.
The inspectors will also evaluate Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo, Benin Republic. Nigeria has previously hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 and co‑hosted it with Ghana 23 years ago. The country’s experience includes major events such as the All‑Africa Games (1973 and 2003), the FIFA U‑20 World Cup (1999) and the FIFA U‑17 World Cup (2009).
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