Ministry Never Requested N21 Billion To Fix National Stadium Lagos - Dare

Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, has denied media reports that he requested N21 billion to fix the National Stadium, Lagos.

The stadium is reportedly being rehabilitated through a public-private partnership ‘Adopt-A-Pitch' initiative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. 

In a press statement on Wednesday by the Ministry’s director of press and public relations, Muhammed Manger, the minister clarified that the ministry has not requested or received any such amount from the government or individuals.

“The attention of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development has been drawn to a report in some sections of the media that it requested for the sum of N21 billion to rehabilitate the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

“Contrary to this report, it has become important to state clearly that the Ministry has not requested or received any such amount from the government or individual.

"The Sports and Youth Minister, Mr Sunday Dare, in an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos last week only mentioned the figure as one of the estimated amounts from the proposals received which indicates that about that sum would be needed for the complete rehabilitation and upgrade of the national edifice based on submissions made by different companies and contractors.

“The Ministry, therefore, wishes to unequivocally make this clarification for the benefit of those who may not be conversant with the due processes involved in the execution of projects by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government, thus; that no such request nor approvals have been made as it is all still at the process of review of proposals,” the statement reads.