LSSC calls for calm over delayed Lagos stadiums

The Lagos State Sports Commission has said that the state government is working to deliver the best of sporting infrastructure, amid renewed calls for the completion of renovation works at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Agege Stadium, and the eight new mini-stadiums across Lagos, The PUNCH reports.

Stakeholders, including journalists, coaches, players, and administrators, renewed the call for the completion of the old and new facilities due to the overuse of the Mobolaji Johnson Arena – the only available facility for the 242 registered football clubs in Lagos, especially.

Two weeks ago, officials of Lagos-based Nigeria Premier Football League side, Ikorodu City, clashed with their visitors from Plateau United over the usage of the stadium for a shakedown, just after a second division game between Sporting Lagos and Osun United was completed – a situation that would have been avoided with multiple facilities.

“It’s a big disgrace that the Lagos State Government and the FA have left the Agege Stadium unfinished for close to five years. If they knew they had no plan of doing the project, they should have left it as it was, let boys keep playing on the turf that was there,” photojournalist Victor Modo said via X.

“We need more functional and well-maintained stadiums in Lagos, to ease the pressure on our beloved Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan. The Onikan Stadium is serving a lot of teams and purposes at the moment, and we cannot allow it to be overused,” an enthusiast Lawal Sheriff said.

Club owners in Lagos and players also lamented the prolonged construction of mini-stadiums that would ease the pressure.

“The one in my area has been completed, just to finish the dressing rooms, and for two years now, it has been abandoned. We have to come from that far to play matches here,” a coach who pleaded anonymity lamented.

In response, Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the facilities will be delivered soon.

“Work is moving speedily at Teslim Balogun. The tartan tracks for athletics are almost completed. Work has started on the pitch. The contractor has said that within the second quarter of next year, Teslim Balogun Stadium and Agege Stadium will be fully operational with all amenities,” Fatodu told The PUNCH.

“So we just want to appeal to our sporting citizens, we understand the necessity of having these facilities and their socio-economic impact.”

He added that the mini-stadiums, spread across the five divisions of Lagos State; Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, and Epe will be delivered before the Teslim Balogun and Agege Stadiums.

“The Igbogbo, Ifako-Ijaiye and Gbadada mini-stadiums have attained 95 per cent completion.  So we want to put that energy into the remaining eight mini-stadiums.”

Re-opened in 2007, the 24,000-capacity Teslim Balogun Stadium was one of the venues that hosted the 2009 U-17 FIFA World Cup.

The 4,000-capacity Agege Stadium was also the home of Nigerian league football for the defunct MFM FC, but the facility has been closed for rehabilitation for about four years.