Decay at the Lagos Stadium mimics Nigerian football
Some parts of the stadium have been taken over by grasses, while some other parts now harbour rodents, algae and other elements that make the sports arena an eyesore. Those who saw the stadium in 1973 when it was commissioned by the then Head of States, General Yakubu Gowon, will not believe their eyes when […]
Some parts of the stadium have been taken over by grasses, while some other parts now harbour rodents, algae and other elements that make the sports arena an eyesore.
Those who saw the stadium in 1973 when it was commissioned by the then Head of States, General Yakubu Gowon, will not believe their eyes when they see what one of the best stadia in Africa, at the time, has turned into. The National Stadium, Lagos, was a beauty to behold when the gates were flung open in 1973 to officially host the 2nd All African Games.
Then the nation’s seat of power was cited in Lagos State, hence it was not a surprise when the first military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon led the entire country to the gigantic complex to welcome the rest of the continent to the sports summit.
The Lagos Stadium had all sporting facilities, such as an imposing main bowl, an Olympics-size swimming pool, a multipurpose indoor sports hall, tennis courts, squash courts, practice pitches, association building and a games village, which is located about a kilometre away.
The stadium later became a Mecca for Nigerian sports men and women, including foreign athletes, hosting several local and international sporting events.
The stadium could be compared with the Abuja National Stadium in terms of its beauty and world-class facilities. The edifice hosted the 1980 Nations Cup finals, which was won by Nigeria, 2000 African Nations Cup, which Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana, the U-20 World Youths Championship, the U-17 World Cup, which was staged last year and several other competition.
Then, the stadium was getting all the attentions it deserved from the authorities, as those at the helms of affairs of Nigerian sports were in Lagos.
But, trouble set in the moment the Sports Ministry moved its headquarters to Abuja, thereby leaving Lagos to take over the tag of Liaison Office. Since then, things have not remained the same for the sporting ground any longer.
The completion of the ultra modern National Stadium, Abuja, by the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasnjo was the final straw. With all attention shifted to Abuja during the All Africa Games hosted in 2003, the Lagos Stadium was relegated to the background.
The arena was immediately turned into hoodlums’ den. Those who claim to be athletes use the cover of the arena to perpetrate evils both in the day time and at night.
As if the stadium was not built for sporting events and other related events, some religious groups have turned the beautiful pitches to crusade ground, trampling on grasses. Although, they claim to pay money for the use of the place, which the management use to maintain the place, such events are not what stadia are meant for. The activities of such religious groups and some musical shows that take place on the pitch makes the place look more like a grazing ground.
Apart from harbouring men and women of questionable characters, the walls of some facilities like the main bowl, the swimming pool and indoor sports hall are riddled with cracks, while most of the roofs are now leaking due to neglect.
There were instances when there was no electricity supply to the complex for a year or more due to non-payment of electricity bills.
Successive Sports Ministers had promised to arrest the situation, but such pledges were often fulfilled. Before the former Sports Minister, Mohammed Gimba, left office some years ago, Trustsports gathered that the sum of N4billion was approved for the rehabilitation works, but the money was later returned to the treasury for reasons best known to the authorities.
His successor, Sani Ndanusa, tried to revisit the issue, but he could not do anything to arrest the state of disrepair that one of the Nigerian monuments has fallen into. His administration left the stadium worse than it left it.
Commenting on the present state of the facilities, the Liaison Officer of the Stadium, Mr. Tayo Oreweme, said she was disturbed that the gym used by weightlifters and boxers is now a complete eyesore and does not befit the country.
She said the problems of the main bowl are that of leakages which affects all the offices, stores, workshops, lockup shops. The electronic scoreboard in the stadium has become obsolete, while the score board is nothing to write home about.
Oreweme said the problems are so numerous and endless that they cannot be mentioned at a stretch. He, however, accused the Lagos State Sports Ministry of conniving with the Sports Ministry to stall the steps they are taking to rehabilitate the edifice.
She said the Lagos State Government through its Sports Ministry had approached the Sports Ministry in Abuja to lease the National Stadium to it.
“Even the only artificial turf donated to us by FIFA has been taken over by them for a paltry fee of N50,000 a month,” she explained. What do they mean by coming to manage the place for? Do they mean we that are that are managing the place do not have ideas?” She queried
Meanwhile, Trustsports learnt last week that works on the facility would commence in phases soon. The Stadium Manager, Mr. Abolore Alanamu, said some engineers had been dispatched to the stadium to access the state of the disrepairs.
When new Sports Minister, Ibrahim Isa Bio visited Lagos some weeks ago, he was astonished at the state of the facilities and promised that something urgent would be done.
Such was the reaction expressed by the former Sports Ministers when they visited the place. But, if the Alhaji Biu Ibrahim’s administration can restore the National Stadium to its former glory, he will be remembered just the same way General Gowon is being remembered for building the biggest stadium in Lagos.