THE Lagos State government has said that it will be ready to welcome the continent if Nigeria gets the hosting rights for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria is planning to co-host the continental showpiece with Republic of Benin, with Lagos a major point of connection between the two countries.
An inspection team is currently in Lagos and paid a visit to the Governor’s office in Alausa, Ikeja yesterday.
The Lagos State government assured the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that it will provide good sporting facilities and the enabling environment to boost the interest in the tournament.
The Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, received the CAF inspection team on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and noted that the state has all it takes as one of the centres to successfully host a great sporting event like AFCON, saying that “Lagos has the people, the facilities, and the commitment of the government”.
He added that Lagos successfully hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1999, the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2009 and the AFCON final in 2000, which gave the state an insight into the protocols of hosting, assuring the delegation of good hospitality from both the public and private sectors.
The Deputy Governor said the state is aiming beyond the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, as it also plans to build the interest of the young generations in football.
He added that the state is not only renovating the Teslim Balogun Stadium to ensure that it is elevated beyond its present standard for the competition and beyond, it is also building new ones in different communities within the state.
“We are going to build more stadiums across the state, in places like Agege, Ifako-Ijaye, Ikorodu and Epe, among others to encourage more participation in community football by the youths,” Hamzat added.
The leader of the Nigerian delegation for the AFCON 2027 bid, Mainasara Illo, said the inspection team was in Lagos to assess facilities that have been proposed by the Nigeria Football Federation for the hosting of the competition.
Illo noted that six states in Nigeria and two cities in the Republic of Benin have been proposed to host the competition, adding that the delegation hopes that the venues selected in Nigeria will pass the test.
He urged the state government to intensify work at the Teslim Balogun Stadium as the inspection team has visited the ground and observed that construction is ongoing, along with other training centres that will be used for the competition.
He also requested that the state government should ensure the provision of good hospitals and hotels for visiting teams and fans.
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