Sports Minister Vows to Revive Decaying National Stadium in Lagos

Sports Minister Vows to Revive Decaying National Stadium in Lagos

Femi Solaja

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, has vowed to turn the National Stadium in Lagos back to an active usage within the next few years.

The new ‘Games Master’ of the federation who was on a working visit to the facility on Saturday night, lamented the decaying state of the edifice.

He however promised to put in motion a process that will lead to refurbishment of the stadium.

The Minister said in an interview with THISDAY that he had embarked on visit to all the Federal Government owned sport facilities across the country with the aim ascertaining their current state and refurbishment made where necessary.

“The President Muhammadu Buhari administration is conscious of the state of our facilities and it behoves of me to physically see them so that we can take it up from there.

“I have visited the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. I have also been to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna and I would be inspecting others stadia as well very soon.

“So, this would be one of the several inspection that we are going to do on these facilities. We are going to do a report and audit what is on ground before the actual renovation will begin,” the Minister explained.

Asked if other sports would get similar attention as football, Dare assured sports lovers in the country that similar priority would be extended to other sports.

He insisted that several countries leverage on those other sports (apart from footnall) to win glory at international competitions.

“We all know that football is the king of sports, but I promise not to be Minister of Football. So, we are going to pay attention to these other sports.

“And to attest to this statement, I was at the Indoor Sports Hall, Swimming Pool, the Media Centre and the Gymnasium which is the only section in better state before proceeding to the main-bowl of the National Stadium here in the Sports City,” concludes the Minister.

Dare was accompanied on tour by the Lagos Stadium Manager and other top officials on the ministry.

 

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