The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said on Saturday that the National Stadium in Lagos will need a staggering N21 billion to be fully renovated. He posted an update on his Twitter account on Friday, outlining the progress made at the sporting arena and recalling the condition of the facility when he took office.
“National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos: Just the facts, not fallacies,” Dare wrote. “When I assumed office in 2019, I found the stadium in a completely dilapidated state, left to rot for more than 17 years with no renovations or upgrades. Illegal occupants had taken over and altered the original layout.” He explained that the ministry’s first step was to evict the illegal occupants and lock out the miscreants. Then, seeking private partners for funding because the allocated budget was insufficient, the ministry began repairs.
“The old, damaged, and clogged water‑drainage system was gutted and replaced with new lines. The second phase involved installing the tartan tracks, with lane markings pending. A digital scoreboard, as originally fitted, has now been fully installed,” he added.
Dare also shared photos on social media showing the stadium’s condition at the start of the project and the progress achieved so far. He said the goal was to address three of the 15 critical areas of the Surulere stadium: the pitch, the scoreboard, and the tartan tracks. Despite delays, 80 percent of these three works have been completed.
“The total cost to restore the National Stadium, Surulere, after more than 17 years of neglect exceeds N21 billion (about $45 million). We have secured only about N500 million from private and government sources. There is a limit to what can be fixed,” the 56‑year‑old minister wrote.
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