Reports from the Sports Ministry in Abuja, says His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) has approved of the concession of the National Stadium in Lagos.
According to Julius Ogunro, the Special Assistant, Media and Strategy to the Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the approval was granted last week.
He said in a Press Release; “With the approval, the Honourable Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi will constitute the Project Steering Committee and the Project Delivery Committee, which will liaise with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC to draw up modalities for the concessioning”.
It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council had in September 2012 set up a Committee to look into the mode of maintenance of federal Stadia and to develop a sustainable funding framework for sports in general.
“That Committee in turn set up a Technical Sub-Committee, which would in collaboration with the Bureau of Public and Enterprise (BPE) and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) recommend the most viable option for the maintenance of the six Federal Stadia”, Ogunro said in the statement.
The Technical Sub-Committee recommended the involvement of private sector participation in the management and operations of the Stadia with concessioning as the preferred and most sustainable approach.
It also recommended that the concession of the federal stadia should start with National Stadium, Lagos.
Ogunro concluded that further announcements concerning the commencement of the process would be made by the ministry soon.