Stories of Hope Part 5: Abuja Metro F.C. (Nigeria)

Nigerian domestic football has undergone its fair share of tough times with many teams lacking solid attendances and no suitable TV contract at the moment for the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL). There have been new investments in civic stadiums owned by municipalities to help the domestic game grow again after decades of decay.

Most clubs in Nigeria are owned and run by their respective municipalities with a few notable clubs being privatized like Ifanyi Ubah FC. Underneath the NPFL sits the Nigerian National League and the regional leagues below that. Currently, in the depths of the Nigerian football sits the newly formed Abuja Metro F.C. A supporter owned club located in Nigeria's capital city. The club is run differently and goes against the norm of poorly run professional clubs in West Africa.

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Abuja is a relatively young city and was created as a result of overcrowding in Lagos in order to make space for the national government. It sits in the center of Nigeria and currently has a population above 800,00 and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The City of Abuja unites the many tribes, religions, and regions of Nigeria. Currently, the city has no professional soccer team but that could be changing.

The Capital City of Abuja

Abuja Metro F.C. is a relatively new entity with its roots stemming back to 2019. It is currently in the non-league of Nigerian football and has no real home stadium as of yet. The club is still in its first season and is trying to get more members involved in the club's success. For being a small club it already has a solid social media following in order to appeal to the younger generation.

ABMFC's year old social media presence.

ABMFC has the right intentions in place to go far but it is not clear what their long term goals are yet as the club has just begun competitive play at the bottom of the Nigerian football pyramid.

With no professional team in Abuja, ABMFC can not only find their place in the city but can also can inspire other Nigerian professional clubs to take actions toward reform with more of an emphasis on fan and community ownership instead of municipal run ownership.

As the NPFL continues to develop, ABMFC could be a development model for the future for a domestic game that has fallen behind from where it was forty years ago. Watch this space.

For more info go to https://abujametrofc.com.ng/