The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, took to his Twitter handle on Friday to provide updates on the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, and shed light on the challenges faced in renovating the facility. Dare highlighted that upon assuming office in 2019, he found the stadium in a completely run-down state, with illegal occupants taking over and distorting the original plan. To address the situation, the ministry formed a task force to remove illegal occupants and secured funding from private partners as the budget allocation was insufficient.
Dare further shared the progress made so far, including the installation of a new water drainage system, the installation of the second phase of the tartan tracks, and the completion of one digital scoreboard as originally fitted into the stadium. He also posted pictures showcasing the transformation of the stadium from its dilapidated state to the ongoing renovations.
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However, Dare pointed out that the magnitude of the renovation work required is enormous, estimating it to be over N21 billion (approximately $45 million) in total. He emphasized that despite the progress made, the available funding from private and government sources is only about N500 million, indicating that there is a limit to what can be fixed considering the extensive scope of the renovations needed.
