Dare vows to bring back the glory of Lagos National Stadium

By Akeem Lawal

NIGERIA'S Minister of Youth and Sports Sunday Dare has revealed plans by the government to return the lost glory of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com reports.

Built over 58 year ago, the stadium which has hosted international events such as the Africa Cup of Nations (1980 and 2000), U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (1995) All Africa Games (1973 and 2003) and the FIFA U-20 World Cup (1999), has been in bad shape for almost two decades.

Speaking during a working tour of facilities in company of the Chairman, Nigeria Women League, Aisha Falode and other directors in the ministry of sports at the abandoned stadium on Saturday, Dare who decried the poor state of the edifice, said his visit will be different from the usual.

“I am here on a working visit. I’ve been to Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, the Amadu Stadium in Kaduna, Daura Township Stadium because we have a plan for grassroot sport development, football and other sports. So coming to the National Stadium here in Lagos is a continuation of that working visit.

“I have said at the beginning that we would focus on three major things; facility maintenance, facility upgrade and facility management. What we see here and other stadia is because those three things have not been done a 100 percent. 

“This is not going to be a ritual because I come with a renewed determination. The president, Muhammadu Buhari gave me this appointment and this assignment. Also, there is political will on the part of the president and the presidency to make sure that the national monument such as this, we would find out options in which we can restore them back to glory.

“Nigeria is a football nation, this country should have at least a minimum 10 ultra-functional world standard stadia. Should have pitches that meet FIFA’s standard. So there is a renewed political will. After this tour we have to sit down with the experts at the ministry, at the government level, at the NFF and some of our football ambassadors to see what can be done to bring back the glory of the National Stadium. We will then do a comprehensive report we would submit to the president about how to turn things around here.

 “Football is the king of all sports but we have also seen that other nations have paid attention to other sports. I said I would not be a minister of football but for sports. We are interested in a resurgent of athletics and we have seen that happen. We have seen gymnastics coming back, weightlifting, wrestling, taekwondo, table tennis. 

“This country can excel in at least 11 to 12 sports where we have competitive edge. We will look at them, we would develop them, but we have the federations, we would work with them to make sure that we focus on all these other sports including football. Football will not suffer but other sports will be given the needed attention it deserves.”