Sports
Sports Minister Inspects National Stadium, Surulere, Restates Commitment to Restore Glory of Infrastructure
Says public-private partnership is key for sports development, appreciates investors.
As part of his ongoing efforts to assess the state of major sports facilities in the country, Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh inspected the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Thursday.
Senator Enoh started his inspection from the stadium complex, where he visited the National Institute of Sports, the boxing complex, mainbowl of the stadium, sports medical centre, indoor sports hall and other facilities.
He also inspected the Games Village hostels, Legacy Pitch, Power House, as well as the courts for different sports.
During his briefing at the stadium, John Enoh said “this facility built around the 1960’s, has been put to use functionally, including during the 2nd All African Games (1973). It has gone through a lot.”
“This should not be the symbol of our sports in a city referred to as a sports city,” he added.
The Minister stated that he will do all it takes to bring back the glory of the facility, which was once the pride of Africa.
“I am glad that the process towards the concessioning of the facility has gone far. If that is what it will take to restore the glory of this facility, I endorse it 100 percent.”
Enoh thanked private partners like Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Chief Kessington Adebutu for their contributions towards sports development in the country. He said Nigeria remain appreciative of their investments in uplifting sports facilities in the country.
Chief Adebutu partnered the Ministry in the revamp of some facilities at the National Stadium, Surulere, while Alhaji Dangote invested in works at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Enoh said the maintenance of the facilities is necessary, not to repeat the mistakes of the past, that resulted to decadent of infrastructure.
“We must be careful and make something happen quickly, so that the facilities we have working, don’t fall into the same sorry state of shame.”
He emphasized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitments to sports development, stating that the President will continually give his support to sports, at all times.
Sports
President Tinubu’s Commitment to Sports Development Delivering Results at the Grassroots Level — NSC Chief Olopade
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for transformative grassroots sports development is already yielding tangible results, citing the introduction of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) at the National Sports Festival as a prime example.
Hon. Olopade stated that grassroots sports development is a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE), with the President giving full backing to the Commission’s efforts.
“We understand that the foundation of our sports renaissance is an intentional priority to the grassroots cadre of our sports pyramid, and this is why the IJA project is very dear to the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and myself,” he said.
He noted that the inclusion of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) as the “38th state” at the National Sports Festival in Ogun State is set to be a game changer, aimed at building a steady pipeline of top talent for major international competitions.
“The Commission has also been able to send about 19 different national teams out for various international competitions thanks to the kind of financial backing and support we are getting from Mr President,” he added.
“Fortunately, many of these teams have returned to the country excelling—boosting the image and bragging rights of our country on the international stage.”
The Director General highlighted impressive breakthroughs in sports where Nigeria previously had little visibility.
“We are now also beginning to excel in sports that Nigeria was never known for before, like the performance of the Nigeria U19 Cricket team at the World Cup in Malaysia where Nigeria finished 5th in the world.”
“And just recently, Nigeria’s young swimmer Abdul Tabur Adama shone at the Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Egypt where he won gold and set two new records in the 50 meters. We also had successes in sports like badminton with Eniola Bolaji at the World Para-Tournament in Spain, wrestling in Morocco, weightlifting in Mauritius, just to mention but a few.”
The two time Ogun State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development concluded by reaffirming that these achievements are only possible due to the humongous support from His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who remains deliberate about the vital role sports plays in delivering the broader Renewed Hope Mandate for the country.
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