After years of neglect, hope for the rehabilitation of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos was revived on Tuesday with the inauguration of a task force that would midwife the process.
Speaking during the inauguration of the committee, Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare said the committee has a mandate to bring back the lost glory of the edifice.
"The National Stadium, Lagos holds a lot of fond memories for our sportsmen and citizens at large. We shall no longer allow our infrastructures to lie waste. The Moshood Abiola, Ahmadu Bello, Awolowo National stadiums shall be put to best use. Abuja and Kaduna are at advanced stage, Lagos has approval for concession. Before the process is complete, we need to restore sanity to the place.
"So, the work of the task force is cut out. In the past, we had interlopers, now it is going to be fixed to serve our teeming youth. The task force will carry out its assignment according to the law of the land."
The terms of reference of the commitee include; carry out audit of approved tenants, verify details of tenancy agreement, come up with list of all aporoved and unaporoved physical structures and approved construction, list of all squatters and their business, investigate staff of the Ministry who allow the presence of the squatters, carry out a detailed analysis of all revenue generated at the stadium and take inventory of all shops and businesses within the stadium premises.
The commitee headed by the Permanent Secretary Mr. Gabriel Aduda is made up of 13 members drawn from the Ministry and the organized private sector.
The committee has 21 days to complete its assignment.
Fresh concerns have emerged within Nigeria’s flag football community following reports that the Cleveland Browns, through their Browns Nigeria initiative, allegedly donated up to $300,000 to support the sport’s development in the country, alongside additional monetary contributions and equipment support including footballs, flags, and cleats from some NFL players. Rather than inspiring confidence, the alleged donations has raised serious questions about governance, accountability, and control within Nigeria’s flag football structure. Stakeholders are asking: Does the funding truly exist? How was it managed? Who supervised its allocation? And why is there increasing tension among Browns Nigeria officials over control of the sport? Observers believe the fierce struggle for dominance may be linked to the influence such a large financial contribution would command. More troubling, however, is the absence of official clarification. All efforts to reach Browns Nigeria officials for confirmat...


Comments