THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW

 

Aina Obasanjo 

Dangerous Driving at the 5-A-Side Pitch of MKO Abiola Sports Arena Raises Safety Concerns

There is a growing concern that deserves the urgent attention of the authorities and management of the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta.

It is not about the quality of the facility. It is not about the standard of the playing pitches. It is not even about the increasing number of football matches being hosted at the Arena.

It is about safety.

More specifically, it is about the dangerous manner in which some motorists drive around the premises, particularly in the vicinity of the 5-a-side football pitch located at the back of the main bowl.

For those who regularly use the facility, the concern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

The question is simple: How safe is a sporting environment when vehicles are allowed to move at dangerous speeds in areas where footballers, children, coaches, officials, spectators and other users of the facility are constantly moving about?

The time to ask that question is now—before an avoidable accident provides the answer.

A Sporting Facility Gaining National Importance

The MKO Abiola Sports Arena has, in a relatively short period, become an important part of Nigeria's sporting landscape.

The refurbished facility has increasingly attracted major sporting events, with the Arena hosting national and international football activities. The Guardian reported in 2025 that the venue had been hosting national and international sporting events at a growing rate, contributing to the development of Abeokuta's emerging sports economy.

Its importance has become even more apparent in 2026.

Shooting Stars Sports Club chose the MKO Abiola Sports Arena as its home venue for its CAF Confederation Cup campaign because its traditional home ground in Ibadan was not among the Nigerian stadiums approved for continental matches.

Rangers International have also adopted the Abeokuta venue for their continental campaign, while the Arena continues to host domestic football.

These developments tell an important story.

The MKO Abiola Sports Arena is no longer simply a place where people come to play football. It is becoming a venue capable of attracting some of the country's biggest football clubs and important international competitions.

That status comes with responsibility.

The better a facility becomes, the more seriously its safety and maintenance must be treated.

The 5-A-Side Pitch: A Particular Area of Concern

Away from the attention usually focused on the main bowl, there is another part of the Arena that is heavily used by football enthusiasts—the 5-a-side football pitch at the rear of the main stadium.

The pitch provides an important opportunity for footballers, young players, teams and recreational users to train, compete and develop their skills.

But the road and movement of vehicles around this area have become a source of anxiety for some of the people who use the facility.

The concern is not that vehicles should be completely prohibited from the area.

Rather, it is that some motorists appear to drive without sufficient regard for the number of people using the surroundings.

A football pitch naturally attracts people.

Players move in and out.

Coaches give instructions.

Children and young footballers gather around.

Parents and spectators come to watch.

Officials and other users of the sports complex also move through the area.

In such an environment, excessive speed is simply incompatible with safety.

A driver may believe that the road is clear at one moment, only to encounter a player, child, pedestrian or another vehicle seconds later.

That is precisely why prevention is more important than waiting for an accident.

The Fear Among Stakeholders

The concerns are particularly significant because the people using the facility are not necessarily motorists themselves.

Players and coaches who come to use the 5-a-side pitch expect to concentrate on football—not on constantly watching out for vehicles.

Parents bringing young footballers to the facility also want to know that their children are entering a safe sporting environment.

Spectators and other users should be able to walk around the premises without the fear of being struck by a speeding vehicle.

For stakeholders who regularly use the facility, the concern is therefore straightforward: something needs to be done before an accident occurs.

Their fear is not necessarily that an accident will happen tomorrow.

It is that the combination of vehicles, pedestrians, young footballers and high-speed driving creates a risk that should not be allowed to develop into a tragedy.

And that concern deserves to be taken seriously.

A Modern Facility Deserves Modern Safety Measures

Nigeria has long struggled with the maintenance of sporting facilities. That makes the improvement and increasing utilisation of the MKO Abiola Sports Arena particularly important.

A 2026 report by The Guardian highlighted the scarcity of football pitches in Nigeria capable of meeting international requirements and stressed the importance of quality sporting facilities to player safety, football development and the wider sporting ecosystem.

The MKO Abiola Sports Arena therefore represents something that should be protected.

Its growing use by professional football clubs, including teams participating in continental competitions, gives Abeokuta an opportunity to strengthen its position as a major sporting destination.

But infrastructure is not only about buildings, floodlights, pitches and stands.

Safety is infrastructure too.

A properly managed sporting complex should have a clear traffic-management plan.

There should be appropriate speed limits.

There should be visible warning signs.

Where necessary, speed-control measures should be installed.

Pedestrian areas should be clearly identified.

And during periods of heavy activity, security personnel should be positioned to regulate vehicular movement.

These are not excessive demands.

They are basic measures for protecting people.

The Danger of Waiting for an Accident

Perhaps the greatest mistake that can be made is to wait until something happens before action is taken.

The history of road safety everywhere teaches the same lesson: prevention is preferable to responding after lives have been affected.

Imagine a young footballer leaving the 5-a-side pitch and being struck by a vehicle.

Imagine a parent waiting for a child outside the pitch when a speeding car suddenly loses control.

Imagine a coach, official or spectator being injured while simply walking through the premises.

Nobody should have to wait for such a scenario before asking why traffic controls were not introduced earlier.

The objective is not to blame every motorist.

Most people who drive into the facility do so without intending to cause harm.

But responsible driving requires more than good intentions.

It requires speed control, patience, awareness and respect for other road users.

Protecting the Arena's Growing Reputation

The increasing number of teams choosing the MKO Abiola Sports Arena for their matches is an indication of the facility's growing importance.

The venue has become sufficiently important for professional clubs to rely on it for major domestic and continental engagements. That should be celebrated.

But the reputation of a sporting facility is built on more than what happens inside the pitch.

It is also shaped by what happens around it.

Visitors should leave the Arena remembering the quality of the football, the atmosphere, the organisation and the hospitality—not worrying about how close they came to being hit by a vehicle.

The 5-a-side pitch should remain a place where young people develop their football talents and where football enthusiasts enjoy the game.

It should not become a place where people feel they have to constantly look over their shoulders because of speeding vehicles.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW

The message to the relevant authorities, Arena management, security personnel and motorists is therefore simple:

Act before there is an accident.

The management should examine the traffic situation around the 5-a-side pitch and other pedestrian-heavy areas of the complex.

Speed limits should be clearly displayed.

Traffic-calming measures should be considered.

Motorists should be warned and, where necessary, sanctioned for reckless driving.

Security personnel should not only protect the facility from external threats; they should also help ensure the safety of people moving within the premises.

And motorists themselves must understand that entering a sports complex does not mean they have entered a race track.

Slow down.

Give way to pedestrians.

Protect the children.

Protect the players.

Protect the stakeholders.

Protect the facility.

The MKO Abiola Sports Arena is becoming one of the important sporting destinations in Nigeria, and its growing reputation should be nurtured.

Professional clubs are bringing their matches there.

International football is coming to Abeokuta.

Young footballers are using its facilities.

Spectators are coming.

Businesses around the sporting ecosystem are benefiting.

The Arena is becoming a symbol of what investment in sports infrastructure can achieve.

That is precisely why safety cannot be treated as an afterthought.

A tragedy at the 5-a-side pitch would not only affect one person or one family. It could damage the confidence of the many stakeholders who depend on the facility.

We should not wait for the first serious accident to realise that the warning signs were already there.

The facility is growing.

Its profile is growing.

Its users are increasing.

The responsibility to protect everyone within its premises must grow with it.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW.