Press Releases

Lagos To Provide 12 Ultra Modern Playgrounds - Fashola

Apr 1, 2008 - Lagos State Government is set to provide 12 ultra modern playgrounds consisting of football fields, floodlighting, generating sets, tennis courts and basketball courts towards developing the innate potentials of youths in the State.

This disclosure was made on Tuesday at Alausa seat of government by State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) while playing host to officials of the NVA Management of UK, A football and entertainment consortium who were in the state to present him with an autographed jersey of the Captain of Manchester United Football Club, Rio Ferdinand.

Governor Fashola added that work has started on the Agege stadium while the ones at Campus on Lagos Island and four others have been awarded; with the contractors only in the process of perfecting the paper works before moving to site.

The Governor added that the state government is seeking appropriate partnership with football authorities resulting in the decision of the Nigerian Footbal Association to return the FA Cup final back to Lagos .

He promised that the State Government intends to make the competition bigger and more colourful and ensure that it makes a convincing case against the rotation of the hosting of the Challenge Cup Finals.

He said the Teslim Balogun Stadium should be the permanent host of the FA Cup finals as the FA Cup in England has never been moved away from Wembley Stadium, saying Lagos has the capacity to give it the desired carnival like status.

He charged everyone to ensure the channeling of all resources and talent into building the game of soccer back not only for its entertainment values for the families at weekends but for the employment potentials it provides.

Governor Fashola explained that the opportunity it has provided for young people like Rio Ferdinand from the black communities is enormous, saying football has the potentials of making unknown people superstars.

Fashola also stated that as many Nigerians celebrate the successes of a football club hundreds of miles away, everyone should realize that the same successes can be replicated in Lagos .

He insisted that the past successes of great Nigerian clubs like Stationery Stores, Mighty Jets, Raccah Rovers, NEPA and, ACB are within touching distances which could be reproduced.

He expressed his support for the intention of the leader of the team who is also into sports management Mr Kujore Olowu to establish a football academy in Lagos , saying it is very regrettable that youngsters in Nigeria are not trained on basic rudiments of the game at the tender ages.

While extending a public invitation to Rio Ferdinand to visit Lagos , Governor Fashola also challenged the Manchester United FC to consider a playing tour of Nigeria and Lagos .

He said since Lagos boasts of the widest supportership of the game of football in Nigeria , the same gesture of visit to Asia and other continents should be extended to Africa through Nigeria by Man U.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the team Mr Dapo Kujore Olowu said the team was in Lagos to share the passion which they share with the Lagos Governor on his love for Manchester United club.

Mr Kujore who is also the manager of Rio Ferdinand and Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins said he brought an autographed jersey of the player as a sign of his wish to visit Nigeria and Lagos if invited by the Governor and to explore the possibility of opening a football academy in Lagos.