Highlight
- Sports Minister has ordered the closure of the National Stadium in Lagos state.
- His directive is contained in a statement issued on Saturday following his assessment of the stadium.
- The minister said he ordered the temporary closure based on his assessment, advice of experts and in the interest of public safety.
Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, has ordered the closure of the 51-year old National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos over the collapse of a floodlight mast.
The minister announced the directive on Saturday in a statement following the inspection of the stadium. He also placed restrictions on the surrounding facilities for proper assessment and necessary action.
Dare, who visited the stadium on Friday said the temporary closure is based on his assessment, advice of experts and in the interest of public safety.
The statement
The minister noted that they are being cautious, hence the need for the temporary closure of the stadium. The Minister said:
- “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 a suspect after 51 years.
- “Based on my assessment, advice of experts and in the interest of public safety, there will be a temporary closure of the stadium and surrounding facilities; proper assessment and necessary action will be taken soon.
- “The concession process towards fully privatising 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 years old edifice.
- “We have decided to be on the side of caution, hence the decision to impose extensive restrictions around the stadium.
- “We request the cooperation of anyone who this decision may inconvenience as we cannot ascertain the reality on the ground.”
About the stadium
The stadium was built by the General Yakubu Gowon military administration in 1972 as a 55,000 capacity sporting facility.
In 1999 it was redesigned to a 45,000 capacity in order to meet FIFA requirements for the hosting right of the 1999, Junior World Cup.
Since the early 2000s, the National Stadium has been neglected and in a state of disrepair. Its last national team game was held in 2004, after which football matches were moved to the nearby Teslim Balogun Stadium. Nowadays, the stadium is rarely used, except for occasional religious gatherings, and has been taken over by area boys and squatters.
Nevertheless, in 2009, the National Sports Commission launched a dedicated campaign to revitalize the stadium and restore it to its former glory as a world-class sporting facility.
