Remo Stars scribe highlights crucial need for standard stadiums in NPFL

Remo Stars Football Club General Secretary, Michael Onikute, has spoken about the importance of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) teams having standard stadiums.

​The Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne is the home ground of the club and also serves as a hub for Nigerian junior national teams, especially the women’s sides. It is scheduled to host the first-leg, final-round qualifier for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup between Nigeria’s Falconets and Malawi.

Home 🏟️ is where the heart is 💙#NPFL26 ~ #WeAreRemoStars pic.twitter.com/NEvlac39bK

— Remo Stars Sports Club (@RemoStarsSC) March 1, 2026

​The importance of infrastructure

​Speaking on the feat of being one of the most recognized grounds in Nigeria, Onikute, in an exclusive interview with Completesports.com, stated the importance of having quality stadiums across the country.

“The key thing for sports development in any country and in any organisation is facility,” he said. “It’s important because that’s how you will be able to develop talents, you will be able to see the best of them.

“When talents in Nigeria, let’s say you play in an area where there’s no better infrastructure, if you eventually make it to where you have proper infrastructure, If you don’t project your talents in proper infrastructure, when they go abroad it’s the first inferiority complex that they get when they move abroad.”

​Remo Stars’ FIFA-certified ground

​The 5,000-capacity stadium was opened in 2020 and hosted its first league game in 2021. The stadium underwent significant redevelopment involving the installation of a hybrid synthetic pitch system and broader facility upgrades.

​In 2026, the hybrid pitch installed at the stadium achieved FIFA Quality Certification, becoming the first football pitch in Nigeria to receive such accreditation. The certification followed rigorous testing for durability, ball roll, safety, and overall playing performance in accordance with FIFA standards.