NIGERIA’S sports minister Sunday Dare has paid a visit to the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos to assess the extent of damage to the facility following heavy rains.
The floodlights and scaffoldings at the dilapidated stadium, which has been undergoing partial rehabilitation, were brought crashing down earlier this week as strong winds and rain swept across Lagos.
Dare was at the 50-year-old once-great stadium this morning and shared his views about his assessment and decisions going forward.
“Surulere Stadium: Friday morning at 7am I inspected the floodlight mast that broke in half and collapsed from the rainstorm last Wednesday,” Dare wrote at the beginning of a series of tweets today.
“Thank God there was no casualty. I also inspected the three other light masts, and the effects of age and weather elements were visible.
“Clearly they are also suspect after 51 years. Based on my assessment, advice of experts and in the interest of public safety, the Ministry will announce shortly the temporary closure of the stadium and surrounding facilities for proper assessment and necessary action.
“The concession process towards fully privatizing the Surulere stadium which began last year will be expedited by the Federal Government through the ICRC towards a comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrade of the 51-year-old edifice.”
Dare explained that it is necessary to close the stadium in order for proper assessment and work to be done in returning the ground to its former glories.
“We have decided to err on the side of caution, hence the decision to impose extensive restrictions around the stadium,” he noted.
“We request the cooperation of anyone who this decision may inconvenience as we cannot avoid the reality on the ground.”
Recently, following a report on the sorry state of the stadium despite two-year long renovation work, Dare explained that the federal government would need at least N21 billion to completely refurbish the massive facility.
He clarified that the N400m raised from billionaire businessman Chief Kessington Adebutu was only meant to do some work on the main pitch, floodlights and around the main bowl.
The National Stadium used to be the major sporting facility in Nigeria and it hosted the 1973 African Games, the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations final before being left to rot for over two decades.
