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Bunmi Ogunyale
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare has assured that the Federal Government will collaborate with the Lagos State Government to accelerate the process of concessioning the National Stadium, Surulere.
Dare said this at the weekend in Lagos, during the inspection of the National Stadium and Teslim Balogun Stadium, both in Surulere, as well as the Onikan Stadium.
He noted that there could be no sports development without corresponding improved facility, hence the need for the inspection of the facilities in the stadia to assess their state.
According to him, the inspection tour is in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that stadia in the country are properly maintained.
He said the inspection was a sign of what would happen to the stadia in Lagos and other sporting facilities across the country.
“Today is historical because, we are seeing the next level in sports development in this country.
“There is no sports development without facilities, hence we need to maintain our facilities. We need to upgrade them and we need to manage them properly.
“What you see today is the first step towards maintaining what is a national monument,” Dare said.
The minister said the plan was to renovate and upgrade the national stadium to an international standard.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said he had gone round with the minister and seen the state of negligence and misuse of the national stadium.
Sanwo-Olu said that the state was ready to turn the stadium to an international asset that Nigerians would be proud of.
He said the Federal Government had agreed to work with the Lagos State Government on the process of concessioning the stadium.
