Sports

Lagos National Stadium Tracks Installation Commences

Published

3 years ago

October 16, 2022

…Facility to be Ready before End of 2022

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Government’s bid to restore the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos to its old glory has received a major boost with the commencement of the installation of the tartan tracks last week.

A top official of Kyle Next, one of the contractors handling the rehabilitation of the edifice confirmed the laying of the tracks has commenced and could be completed in four weeks with the newly installed facility in place.

Track technical specialist Joseph Ayinla of Ideal Sports, a sports facilities installation and management company, revealed that the tracks will be laid in stages.

“The first stage that we commenced last week is the Elastic layer(E-layer)stage which will be followed with the Sealant stage to make the tracks impermeable to water and other fluids. The third stage will be the coating stage.

“After all these have been done, a certified World Athletics tracks marker will then do the markings. There will be a 9 lane running track and the strip for jumps, which is for long and triple jumps,” disclosed Ayinla, who was part of the team that laid the last tracks at the stadium in 1998, twenty four years ago and has been involved in the laying of such facilities in some other top class arena in Nigeria and beyond.

Already, there has been the installation of a digital scoreboard and a revamping of the football pitch of the stadium by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development through the Public-Private Partnership(PPP) arrangement and the Adopt a Pitch initiative put in place by the Sports Minister Sunday Dare.

On the rehabilitation of the terraces, the Minister confirmed that progress is being made in sourcing the funds needed for the project.

He said, “Our Adopt a Pitch arrangement with Premier Lotto for the Lagos National Stadium covers the pitch, tracks and scoreboard and that is on course. We are also making progress in sourcing the funds to fix the terraces.”

Only last week, work began on the regrassing of the pitch of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium(formerly called Liberty Stadium)in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The other highpoint of the sport infrastructure development drive of the Federal Government in the last three years has been the restoration of the playing turf of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja after many years of neglect.

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Sports

No crisis in NAWIS ahead of AFN elections on Monday

Published

4 hours ago

June 8, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Association of Nigerian Women in Sports (NAWIS), known for its orderliness since its establishment in 1990, continues to uphold its standards ahead of the upcoming Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections.

With members across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, NAWIS has consistently operated without external interference.

Over the years, its members have been nominated to various boards of national sports federations after meeting established criteria, including the payment of annual dues.

The association has attracted a strong base of respected sportswomen who have served the country with distinction, both during and after their active careers.

In preparation for the AFN elections, zonal elections were conducted on June 2 and 3, producing representatives for the national exercise.

While NAWIS initially planned to hold its election in Zaria, Kaduna State, the association’s headquarters, it was later rescheduled for Abuja on Monday, June 9, following directives from higher authorities.

Importantly, NAWIS has a set of strict guidelines that govern its electoral process, particularly the requirement for timely payment of annual dues. Failure to meet this condition results in automatic disqualification.

This guideline was the basis for the disqualification of Maria Wophil, who has reportedly not paid her annual dues since 2017. Her attempt to hurriedly settle outstanding debts just before the election was deemed non-compliant with NAWIS regulations.

Who is Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju?

Commonwealth gold medallist Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju is one of the leading contenders for the NAWIS representative position in the AFN.

She made history as the first African woman to run the 400m in under 50 seconds and brought glory to Nigeria by winning a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Yusuf-Olukoju also claimed gold in the 400m at the 1991 All-Africa Games and silver in the 200m.

Based on nominations and her track record, Yusuf-Olukoju is considered the most qualified candidate. However, three other contenders have also shown interest, and the final decision will be made in the election slated for Monday, June 9, in Abuja.

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