Monimichelle Sports Facilities Construction Ltd has cautioned against what it described as misleading public claims on the ease and cost of replicating Moroccan-style football pitches for Nigeria’s national stadiums, stressing that modern elite football pitches are complex engineering systems rather than cosmetic installations.
In a statement signed by Ebi Egbe, CEO, Monimichelle Sports Facilities Construction Ltd.
In a technical authority statement on Nigeria’s national football infrastructure assets, the company noted that poor understanding of pitch technology has made it easy for some officials to make sweeping pronouncements on national television about duplicating pitches used in Morocco, particularly those deployed during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
According to Monimichelle, officials currently responsible for football and sports infrastructure decision-making must appreciate that elite football pitches involve advanced engineering, precision planning and long-term technical expertise, warning that “arrogance has no place” in managing national sports assets that have suffered decades of neglect.
The firm clarified that pitches used in Morocco for AFCON were far more expensive and technically sophisticated than widely claimed figures of about $2 million. It disclosed that the sub-structure alone of the pitch where Nigeria played Algeria is valued at approximately $3 million at current market prices.
“This cost covers only the suction-based drainage and vacuum system, fully integrated into a stone-based engineered sub-base designed to control moisture, enhance air circulation and ensure pitch stability under elite competition conditions,” the statement explained.
Monimichelle further noted that the $3 million figure does not include other critical components such as crushed aggregates, hybrid natural turf systems, specialised root-zone materials, irrigation infrastructure, or the grow-in and agronomic processes required to bring the pitch to competitive readiness.
The company emphasised that what the public sees on the surface represents only a small fraction of the total investment, adding that true pitch performance, durability and player safety are determined largely by the unseen engineering beneath the grass.
“If Nigeria is serious about upgrading its national stadium pitches to international standards, discussions must move away from soundbites and optics to facts, science and engineering realities,” the statement said.
It concluded that world-class football pitches cannot be replicated through press statements or political rhetoric, but through deep technical knowledge, proven systems and the involvement of the right professionals at every stage of planning and execution.