The Nigeria Football Federation on Wednesday expressed deep shock and
sadness at the death of Architect Abdullahi Shime Abubakar, a leading promoter of the game of football, especially beach soccer, in the country.
Architect Abubakar died in his home in Abuja on Wednesday, at the age of 55, only three days after returning from India where he had gone for medical attention. He was the one who designed and supervised the construction of the NFF’s FIFA Technical Centre which is situated at Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja.
Last year, the Chief Executive of Sports Solutions Limited, a Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Architects (FNIA), organised a beach soccer clinic for kids and was already into partnership with some corporate organisations to stimulate the growth of the game of beach soccer in the country.
NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, was in a state of shock on Wednesday: “This is a huge blow to Nigeria football in general, and beach soccer in particular. Architect Abubakar was a towering inspiration as he always had good advice to offer on a wide range of issues, and was a man of high integrity.
“The NFF was actually looking forward to him to lead the way in our enthusiasm to start a beach soccer league, and he had done tremendous work in that regard.
“The NFF and the entire Nigeria football family will miss him in a big way. Our prayer goes out to the family, for God to give them the fortitude to bear the loss. He was a kind man.”
He was a kind generous man and he was my uncle