Monimichelle CEO, Ebi Egbe Urges Administrators to Prioritise Quality Football Pitches
Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Sports Facility, Ebi Egbe, has identified football administrators’ approach to stadium development and pitch management as one of the major challenges affecting the quality of playing surfaces in Nigeria.
Egbe, who spoke in Ikenne on Sunday during the CAF Confederation Cup clash between El-Kanemi Warriors and UDIB of Guinea-Bissau, said some administrators often attempt to take on the role of contractors, resulting in stadium projects being handled by companies without the required technical expertise.
“Our major problem are administrators who want to be contractor. Some of the companies they contract are not trained and do not have expertise,” said Egbe who urged the administrators to prioritise quality pitches.
The Monimichelle boss stressed that the pitch remains the most important component of a football stadium, noting that improved playing surfaces are essential for better player performance and the overall development of Nigerian football.
“Pitch is most important part of the stadium, it is the pitch. We want to make sure we bring standard to Nigeria,” he said, while calling on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to prioritise consistency in the quality of playing surfaces across its stadiums.
“NPFL needs to start having consistent pitches with good surface. It’s affecting players’ performance,” Egbe added.
According to him, quality pitches also have a commercial dimension, as better stadium facilities can help clubs attract sponsors and improve the value of football events. “Good pitches is also key to attracting sponsors,” he noted.
Egbe revealed that Monimichelle is currently working on the Yakubu Gowon Stadium and Sardauna Stadium projects in Zamfara, while the company has recently completed the pitch at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
He also disclosed that the company recently delivered what he described as the first pitch in Nigeria to receive FIFA President certification as a hybrid pitch in Ikenne, further highlighting Monimichelle’s commitment to raising the standard of football infrastructure in the country.
“We are a company passion driven. We just did the first ever pitch to have FIFA President certification hybrid-pitch here in Ikenne,” Egbe said.
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