Save National Stadium Lagos from decay – Rep Lanre Okunlola tells Nigerian govt

Lanre Okunlola, a member of the House of Representatives representing Surulere Federal Constituency II, has called for the rehabilitation of the National Stadium in Lagos State.

Mr Okunlola, during an interview with journalists on Thursday, described the edifice as a “symbol of national unity” that deserves adequate attention from the federal government.

“The national stadium is an edifice that we must make sure is revived and used as a major source of revenue for the government.

“The various ministries and departments are working to ensure that the national stadium comes back to life, and on our own part as legislators, if legislative policies are required, we will make them available,” Mr Okunlola said.

Explaining further, the legislator said the stadium represents unity and a source of revenue for the government.

“Sport has been a major source of unifying this country, and I must say that just recently—imagine the love and joy that was brought with the AFCON that Nigeria came second. You could see the emphasis—you can see how we can bring everyone together. Everyone was united. We were all talking about it, and at a point in time, even that prevailing situation that we had was almost gone. I believe that we can use sport to grow the economy.”

He stated that the stadium, which was built in 1961, should not be allowed to further decay.

For the past 20 years, the stadium has been in a state of rot due to a lack of maintenance by relevant authorities.

Former Minister Sunday Dare had promised to revamp the stadium, however, funding was a major challenge. The minister had claimed that it would take over N40 billion to renovate the structure.