The minister for sports and youth development, Sunday Dare, says at least N21 billion is needed for the renovation of the national stadium in Surulere, Lagos.
Speaking during an inspection tour on the ongoing rehabilitation work on the stadium on Friday, April 7, the minister said: “We needed N21 billion to fix this place as at three years.
We only got an injection of N400 million or maybe 400 million plus. About four percent of the 100 percent of what we need. We were realistic. We approached funders, and they asked for priority projects, and we listed eight of them.
And the funder said he was going to do the football pitch and tracks and digital scoreboard. Now 80% of the job for all those three items is almost done.
As I said, there is no silver bullet because if I need 100 percent and I have four percent with an additional two percent from the government, I have to keep going.
As of five years ago, the PHCN bill for the stadium is N600 million. So I had the choice of taking the N400 million that I have to pay for that or doing the tracks and playing pitch.”
