The rise of Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and the quest for excellence

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was opened for public use in the year 1985, the stadium was then commissioned as a multi-sport event centre, but could not fulfill its mandate until about 50 years later when it was remodelled, first, by former Govenor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole after which it was later given a world class touch by the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Initially, the stadium was built with just a capacity of 12,000 not enough to cater for the large populace of football lovers in the then old Bendel State before the state was split into two to accommodate two separate identical and inseparable states, referred to as Edo/Delta.

Samuel Ogbemudia was coincidentally located in Ogbe, near the Ogbe quarters, which also accommodates the paramount ruler of Benin Kingdom.

Ogbe in Benin is a space that enjoys a unique cultural primacy which confers a special glow and visibility on the sports asset. 

In Benin City, the stadium in Ogbe is so popular that the stadium often overshadow other facilities around. 

Over the years, Benin Township Stadium, as it was called then, has had below-standard features and could only pass a medium test as a community field or rather a high school ground.

Many years after its opening, the stadium still lacked proper maintenance, though it serves as the traditional home ground of Bendel Insurance, one of the powerhouses of Nigerian football clubs.

Infrastructure wise, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium of old lacked standard and in most cases, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Bendel Insurance battled getting the stadium approved for its league matches.

Such is the fate that befell Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to the extent that in February 2009, it was banned by the National League for having an unsafe, below-standard playing surface.

However, light began to shine on the stadium, starting from 2008, when the former Govenor, Adams Oshiomole, decided to give the stadium a facelift.

In 2008, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium began to experience significant changes having been provided with new infrastructure, such as FIFA-approved turf, playing pitch and many others.

10 years after, Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration embarked on extensive renovation, and consequently named the stadium after the two-time Governor of the old Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia.

Same 2018, the Obaseki-led administration, in line with its Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) agenda, embarked on a total overhaul and reconstruction of the stadium’s facilities. 

The previous 20,000-capacity stadium were replaced with modern ones, the synthetic grass in the pitch was replaced with natural grass and the tartan tracks replaced. 

In the course of the reconstruction, drains were constructed to deal with the flooding challenge in the stadium.

Since the completion of renovations, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium has hosted national tournaments and competitions such as the 2020 National Sports Festival, the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) trails for Commonwealth championship.

On the back of Obaseki’s re-enactment of sports in the state, the home team of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Bendel Insurance, rediscovered their form, especially gaining promotion back to the Nigeria Premier Football League after some years in relegation and almost immediately, Bendel Insurance enjoyed unbeaten run in the league and the Federation Cup where they eventually emerged winners.

The story of Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium is now an analogy of the sports centre in ruins but now in wealth.

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, no doubt, has undergone its most transformative reconstruction, raising itself from regression. 

Football fans can attest to the fact that after the renovation, it has brought revolution in sports and not just football alone.

The sports centre has been a breeding space for notable sportsmen and women that have done great exploits in sports for Nigeria and across the globe.

The stadium, has also in the past, in spite of its small size, hosted historic rivalries in football and athletics as in other sports, and has also provided opportunities for people of talent to flourish, to shine, and transform the sporting stock of the Midwest. 

One of the historic happenings at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was when James Brown, the acclaimed President of soul music, visited the Midwest in 1970.

James Brown was entertained at Ogbemudia Stadium alongside the football maestro Pele, and the Santos football club, during the visit to Benin in 1970.

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium also hosted the finals of the 1978 Challenge Cup when Bendel Insurance won the cup for the second time.
 
The Ogbemudia stadium has hosted past Governor, Gen. Jeremiah Useni, who usually came to the stadium, he even famously developed a colloquial intimacy with the fans. 

In the present time, Samuel Ogbemudia has hosted many international matches, including Nigeria/Sierra Leone match.

After seeing what Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium has become after its renovation, former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, described the transformation as "world class edifice."

Pinnick, during an inspection tour of the facility, added that it had undergone tremendous improvement since the last time he visited.

Pinnick, who was led on the inspection by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr Philip Shaibu, expressed joy that Nigeria is getting better when it comes to sports infrastructure.

The purpose of Pinnick's visit was when the Super Eagles of Nigeria were scheduled to play their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on November 13, 2020.

Pinnick said his visit was to see things for himself so as to report to his executive committee members.

He said: "There is a tremendous improvement compared to the last time I came, the turf is very brilliant, this is what you see in world-class facilities. 

"I thank the government of Edo for this facility and we are proud of this achievement.

"The Super Eagles can’t wait to come and play in the state. I’m in touch with the players, who are all excited to be here to play for the country, especially, Ahmed Musa, the captain of the team, whose mother is from Edo and he is anxious to play for the nation and his State.

"I will communicate all I have seen here to the Ministry of Youths and Sports and also the Executive Committee. I am happy with what we have seen here today and the Super Eagles will be playing here for a long time.

"We are also going to bring the Super Falcons here to play; they are the most successful team in Africa, you know this is home, richest football club like I told you, I made a promise on behalf of the federation, that is promise kept.

"And also, we’ve always been thankful to Edo government for being there for Nigeria football federation, and we thank them for that generosity at every point in time, because these are very sensitive times.

"We are also working because they have been a lot of people coming into the stadium, we have to observe the COVID-19 protocol to the letter. They have written to us officially, this is about 15,000 sitting capacity stadium.

"They want about 6,000 to 7,000 where they will sit out to observe social distancing, so we are going to look at it.

"I have already spoken to CAF, we will send a representative of CAF and I will want a situation whereby people will see a decent crowd in the stadium in a very competitive game in Edo.

"We are working towards reducing every mistake humanly and materially possible and ensure we have success.

"The team is like coming home to meet your brother but we will just quietly beat them home and away."

On the newly installed Video Assistant Referee (VAR) equipment in the stadium, Pinnick said that he had told Gov. Godwin Obaseki and his deputy Philip Shaibu to showcase whatever facilities they have in the stadium.

"You have to showcase whatever facilities you have in Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, we have to write to CAF for approval of the usage of the VAR, but we are very excited about it," he said.

A former Nigerian long jumper and current chairman, Edo State Sports Commission, Yusuf Alli, on the ground breaking activities at the stadium after its renovation, confirmed that some of the athletes who won medals at the World Athletics Championship in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, used the facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to prepare for the game.

Alli said that the remodelling of the stadium to such a high standard will attract sporting activities.

"When we started as a commission, we sat down as a board and discovered that we have the facilities and personnel which are of world-class, so we began to talk of how we can make Edo State a sports destination in line with the MEGA Agenda of the state government.

"If you look at all the stadia across the country, their sporting facilities are not up to standard compared to what we have here.

"Even when you compete in some of these stadia, their records are not accepted by the world athletics body because their facilities are sub-standard.

"Our stadium has proven to be world-class with certified tracks, that is why all the records set at the last Edo State Sports Festival were accepted by the world athletics body and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

"Again, because our tracks are internationally certified, that was why AFN brought the trial events here in preparation for the World Championship and the Commonwealth Games.

Athletes like Tobi Amusan, who trained here, went to the World Championship in Oregon where she broke the world record and won gold with a record of 12.12 seconds. 

In the hurdles, she ran another 12.06 seconds at the final which was weighed and that could have amounted to two world records in one day, which is a world record that is normally achieved by the Americans.

The achievement of setting a world record through a trial held in the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City is a source of immense pride for the people. It signifies the growth and recognition of Edo State as a significant entity where remarkable accomplishments are consistently realized. This achievement should be embraced and nurtured to ensure a continuous legacy of excellence.