By Olakunle Olafioye
A few meters away from its location, the old iconic edifice stands gaunt from every direction it is viewed from.
Once a symbol of the nation’s generous investment in sporting facilities and an asset of pride for sports enthusiasts, the National Stadium,Surulere, Lagos, not only looks sapped and drained of its old glory, it is also writhing pitiably in pains of neglect like a fatally injured lone traveller on a deserted path.
Were it to be re-named, “Ichabod’, a biblical metaphor for ‘departed glory’ would be the most fitting nomenclature for this imposing sporting arena, which was once referred to as the best sporting facility in sub-Saharan Africa.
Since it was abandoned to rot away, the stadium has since found new uses outside its core purpose of hosting major sporting events.
Last Tuesday, May 27, a day set aside to commemorate the Children’s Day in the country, the facility paid host to hundreds of school children from across the state for different events organized to mark the day.
Pa Lasisi Nureni, a commercial driver hired by one of the schools to convey their pupils to the venue was overwhelmed with nostalgia as he recalled the early years of the once bustling sporting facility.
Raised in the Mushin area, Pa Nureni said the National Stadium Lagos, used to be his second home as he frequented the venue as a spectator at major sporting events held at the stadium.
“My first major experience at this stadium was the 1973 African Games. The stadium was just opened then after it was renovated for the games.
“Subsequently, I attended other major football events including the final of the 1980 African Cup of Nations hosted by Nigeria and some other events even up till around the year 2,000.
“It is sad that no such games are held here anymore. The stadium is now a major venue for church programmes and events such as this one (Children’s Day celebration),” he said in a rather melancholic tone.
Those who visit the facility regularly said the stadium is now a major meeting point for lovers and fun-seekers who hang around the major drinking joints at the stadium.
One of the traders at the stadium also told Sunday Sun that the stadium is seen by many as the parking lot for those who use the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
“People who use the other stadium often use this place as a garage for their cars. There are others that come over here for driving lessons. Christians and Muslims also use the stadium for their programmes,” the trader said.
A close up on the spherically shaped stadium revealed much of the deterioration which the facility has suffered in the last two decades.
The tightly shut padlocks on the major entrances into the main bowl evoked a feeling of a sporting arena that has been permanently shut from the world, which it was built to serve while those who have one mission or the other at the stadium could only be seen milling around and constrained themselves to the appurtenances outside the main bowl of the stadium.
The weight lifting and boxing sections of the stadium were occupied by amateur weightlifters and boxers who still find these sections relevant for training. Similarly, the tennis court seemed to find some good use by local tennis players.
While the appurtenances came alive, a tennis player, who simply identified himself as Osaro told this reporter that the tartan track and the football pitch were now eyesores.
“The tartan track and the football pitch which are the major components of the stadium are now in terrible shape owing to lack of proper and regular maintenance and disuse. If I am not mistaken, I think the last time a football match was played here was over 20 years ago. Since then the government has never deemed it fit to commit resources to revive the stadium. It is a confirmation of our poor maintenance culture in this country,” he lamented.
In addition to their opinion on poor maintenance culture, commentators are also unanimous in tracing the origin of the disuse and the decay of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos to the relocation of the National Sports Commission alongside the Ministry of Sports to Abuja. The ministry, including the National Sports Commission, was relocated to Abuja in 2007 as parts of a broader shift in government structures.
Osaro, who described the relocation of the NSC as the last straw that broke the camel’s back, expressed doubt over the possibility of reviving the fast deteriorating sporting facility.
His pessimistic view is shared by a top source of one of the sports federations in the country.
According to this source, during the administration of former President Mohammadu Buhari, a former Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, through a policy known adopt-a-facility initiative, sought and got the assistance of privileged Nigerians, the duo of Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Chief Kessington Adebutu to refurbish the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja and the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.
While Dangote financed the refurbishment of the stadium in Abuja, Adebutu renovated the National Stadium, Surulere. Adebutu was said to have financed the renovation of the football pitch and tartan tracks while the government was expected to handle the seats and other appurtenances at the stadium, but which were never carried out by the government.
The failure of the Federal Government to fulfill its own part of the agreement, according to the source, has a huge implication.
“After the billions of naira committed by this philanthropist, but without the government completing the refurbishment exercise to put the stadium back to life, it will be very difficult to initiate such a policy in future and get the people to partner the government on such a programme.
“This means that every dime Chief Kessington committed to the project has been allowed to go down the drain without the stadium being used at least for once after that because the government failed on its own part of the arrangement.
“On the other hand, the government does not appear ready to commit itself heavily on the project considering the enormity of challenges they are currently battling in the country now. The only feasible way to bring back this stadium to life is through concession,” the source said.
Sunday Sun gathered that a few attempts had been made in the past to concession the facility without any success as much of the attempts were mired in controversy over lack of transparency in the handling of the initiative.
One of the most recent of such attempts was made last year, but like the previous attempts, the move ended in fiasco as officials of the Federal Ministry of Sports Development and those engaged by the Federal Government to spearhead the public-private partnership initiative were accused of going about the process in secrecy.
Earlier in the year, the Chairman, National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, again mooted the idea of concessioning the National Stadium Lagos and hinted that the same arrangement would be extended to other major sporting facilities in the country.
Dikko, who made the disclosure during an unscheduled visit to the stadium reiterated the commission’s commitment to transforming the facility into a world-class multi-purpose hub for sports, entertainment, and commerce.
“The NSC is now working in earnest to fast-track and conclude the concessioning of the stadium, as well as source other serious investors to invest in the development of the massive land available within the facility to achieve the desired objectives of creating a sports city within the complex,” the NSC chairman was quoted to have declared.
However, almost six months later, nothing has been heard on the planned concessioning.
This development, sports analysts and enthusiasts believe, does not bode well for one of the nation’s most treasured sporting facilities.
They are, therefore, calling on the Federal Government to expedite actions in bringing back this iconic facility to it days of glory.
When Sunday Sun visited the Stadium Management Office for possible update on what the government is currently doing to revive the stadium, officials at the office declined comments and referred our correspondent to the stadium manager who was said to be at the ongoing National Sports Festival taking place in Ogun State.