Oborewori Confirms 2026 Completion for Warri Township Stadium Remodel

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has confirmed that the ongoing remodelling of the Warri Township Stadium will be completed and commissioned in the first quarter of 2026.

The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 4 2025 during the commissioning of mulitple road projects in Warri South Local Government Area, part of the governor’s broader urban renewal strategy for the region.

The stadium redevelopment follows the termination of an earlier contract in May 2024 due to non-performance. The Delta State Government has since re-awarded the project to a new contractor in a deal valued at ₦30 billion. Work officially began in March 2025 and is expected to last 24 months.

Governor Oborevwori disclosed that the state government had considered constructing a new 30,000-seat stadium. However, efforts to secure adequate land within Warri city after consultations with the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III were unsucessful, which led to the decision to remodel the existing facility instead. The government ruled out relocating the stadium outside Warri, insisting that the venue was intended to remain within Warri to preserve its identity and relevance.

“When we tried to reconstruct the stadium, we were looking for land in Warri. I contacted Ogiame, the Olu of Warri, to help secure land, but we couldn’t find a space as large as the existing site. We wanted to construct a 30,000-capacity stadium. If you take it outside Warri, then it’s no longer Warri. Move it to Sapele or other places, and people will say that’s not Warri, they want it in the original Warri.”

The redesigned Warri Township Stadium will feature an upgraded football pitch, indoor sports hall, tartan track, enhanced drainage system, and expanded seating. The project also includes two training pitches, swimming and diving pools, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, as well as multipurpose halls for other sporting events.

Once completed, the new stadium is expected to serve as a hub for sporting activity and talent development across the state. Officials say it will also help restore Warri’s reputation as a centre for athletics and professional sports.

The venue previously hosted the 2006 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. It had a capacity of 20,000 and was one of the most prominent sports facilities in the Niger Delta region.

Governor Oborevwori said the project aligns with his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development and youth empowerment under the MORE Agenda, which focuses on economic revival, investment in public facilities, and urban regeneration.