Following the decision of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to withdraw the provisional approval for the Bako Konragora Stadium — home ground Niger Tornadoes — the club has elected to adopt the Lafia Township Stadium for the rest of the season.
NPFL had also ruled that the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, earlier adopted by Tornadoes, is not fit to host league matches.
NPFL’s decision was conveyed in a letter dated 19 February 2025 in which the league body cited the requirements of club licensing infrastructure criteria.
In their response on 23 February 2025, Tornadoes acknowledged the unsatisfactory conditions of the two stadiums and nominated the stadium in Nasarawa State.
The club’s Secretary, Jibrin Haruna wrote: ‘I would like to inform you that we have selected Lafia Township Stadium in Lafia, Nasarawa State, as our designated home ground. This stadium is among those approved by the NPFL Board for hosting our home matches’.
He added that the club would work to mitigate the conditions of the Minna stadium to enable them return to their home fans.
‘The Niger State Government has commenced maintenance work through a reputable company to ensure that within two weeks the Bako Kontagora Memorial Stadium, Minna meets all the criteria necessary for hosting NPFL matches’, Haruna further said.
In his reaction, NPFL Chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye noted that the body would continue to monitor all grounds to ensure that those whose conditions fall short of requirements are delisted from approved grounds.
‘We have a monitoring mechanism to check that clubs conform to our rules especially as it relates to television friendly grounds’, Elegbeleye said.
Lobi Stars were also axed from their home ground for failure to meet the club licensing infrastructure criteria
