Dare Orders Temporary Closure of National Stadium in  Lagos

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Following the collapse of one of the floodlight masts of the National Stadium in Lagos last Wednesday, the Minister of Sports, Chief Sunday Dare, has ordered the temporary closure of the 51-year-old sports complex.

The minister who undertook an inspection trip to the complex built in 1972 to host the 2nd All-Africa Games in 1973, ordered the stadium to be temporarily closed to avoid casualty should any of the weather-beaten structures decides to give way just as the mast crumbled to the ground during Wednesday’s rainstorm in Lagos.

“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,” observed the minister.

Dare said that based on advice of experts the facility will be closed to the public to allow room for proper assessments and also avoid casualty in the event of another of the aged structure falling like the mast.

“Based on my assessment, advice of experts and in the interest of public safety, with the temporary closure of the stadium and surrounding facilities, proper assessment and necessary action will be taken soon,” said the minister after the inspection.

The National Stadium in Lagos which has been in the news for the wrong reasons for weeks now used to be the pride of sports loving Nigerians. For years, the complex was abandoned to rot away.

It took the intervention of outgoing Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare to get billionaire sports betting company owner, Chief Kessington Adebutu, to adopt the main-bowl pitch for rehabilitation.

Work has been ongoing there while efforts are also in the pipeline to get other corporate sponsors involved in  adopting the terraces and other facilities to ensure the complex returns to shape to host sporting events once again.

Since Super Eagles left the facilities and have been wandering round the country, playing in different venues, the three-time African champions have lost their invincibility and struggling to replicate the kind of fan-base they had in Lagos.

There were reports that the facility will need about N21billion to refurbish it. However, most sports stakeholders in the country have been advocating for the total demolition of the complex for a new, modern all-purpose stadium to be erected there.

Publisher of ACL Sports, Emeka Calvin Onwuka insisted that a total demolition of the stadium will solve the problems of the complex as no cosmetic renovation will work.

“Pull down the stadium. Do like Wembley, and build a new 60,000-capacity all-seater stadium,” observed the sports journalist based in the United Kingdom during the week.