Former Lagos State governor and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing in Nigeria, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola CON SAN, has called for a new approach to stadium development in Nigeria, urging a shift towards modern, multi-purpose, community-based arenas that cater to both sports and entertainment.
Fashola made the call while speaking as guest speaker at the launch of Nigeria’s veteran sports journalist Dr. Mumini Alao’s autobiography, held at the Tayo Aderinokun Hall, University of Lagos.
Delivering his address, “Re-thinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria as a Catalyst for Sports Development”, Fashola stressed that Nigeria must remodel its stadiums to attract spectators and create vibrant hubs that can host sports, concerts, retail, and family activities.
“Modern arenas with multi-purpose functions will attract people, increase media coverage, provide safe parking, reliable transport, and guarantee the safety of patrons and their families,” he said. “We must modify existing facilities and build new ones as centres for sports, concerts, meetings, retail outlets, spas, and children’s play areas. This is what will bring families, not just individuals.”
Fashola also argued that the era of large-capacity stadiums on city outskirts is fading, with FIFA now favouring smaller, community-owned venues of between 5,000 and 20,000 capacity, such as Agege Stadium in Lagos.
Nigeria currently has only two CAF-accredited stadiums — the 60,000-capacity Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja and the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo — despite numerous facilities scattered across the country.
Babatunde Fashola also stressed that safety and security must be “non-negotiable” if stadiums are to draw consistent crowds.
Beyond his political career, Fashola is a recognised contributor to Nigerian sports development. Recently, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa named the maiden edition of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup in Lagos in his honour.