If random people gathered on the streets of Lagos and were asked about mini stadiums in Lagos, Campos Memorial Mini stadium and Yaba Mini stadium would top the list of mini stadiums these people would easily reel out.
Lagos, defined with the identity of being the centre of excellence, has produced and still produces athletes in different sports, not limited to football. These include world-class track and field athletes, who have gone on to do exploits in local and international competitions.
Sports facilities in Ikeja have contributed to this fortune, serving as breeding ground for sportsmen outside the occasional conversion of major roads and street corners every other Saturday for street football.
Top sporting facilities for sports in Ikeja area are captured below:
Police College Mini Stadium – law officers turf
Within and around the Ikeja community, Police College Mini Stadium is the most popular mini stadium. Just as it spelt out in the name, it is housed within the training school of the Nigeria Police located on Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja GRA. Although it primarily serves members of the Police Force in-training needs, it is also open to outsiders. The facility accommodates a high number of athletes from different sports including football, volleyball, handball, boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, basketball, runners and many more.
Although it needs an upgrade, the athletes believe the communal spirit that radiates from training on different pitches and courts with the mini stadium have given them the strength to forge ahead in their various careers.
Mr Tunde *, a policeman who trains the boxing unit said: “Kickboxing and Boxing take alternate days to have their training and the same thing goes for almost every other sport in the complex.”
He said the facility within the complex is only open to the policemen.
However, Blessing*, a basketball player, said he is not a policeman but he uses the court within the complex for training.
“I am not a police officer but we use this place for training almost everyday. Although we have to wait for the police officers to conclude their training, either with netball, handball or basketball before we train. As you can see, we are also about to have our training here too,” he remarked, noting that the sessions for police officers-in-training take precedence over outsiders.
Vining FC Mini Stadium – a church’s gift to the community
Further down on Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja GRA, sits another Old mini stadium now known as Vining FC mini stadium. The stadium accommodates more than 50 football clubs and academies for morning and evening training sessions. It was initially called Skypower Mini Stadium and was owned by Nigeria Airways until it was sold to the Archbishop Vining Memorial Anglican Church, Ikeja.
Vining FC was in the fourth division of the Nigeria Football League until the Church Management stopped its activities. However, the Church allowed other football teams to use the facility.
The players and coaches told The Record that the pitch has been a wonderful place for training but that it desperately needs a facelift. They said it is free and the church does not collect a dime for their training, adding that there is an agreement between the church and the teams so as to avoid clashes when they come for practice sessions.
“Skypower pitch has been a place where we train for a very long time. This pitch has produced one or two players abroad, although they might not be popular. This pitch is worth training on but it needs to be fixed either by the government or good-spirited private individuals to bring it up to standard,”Paul Onyesirila, a player with Nationwide football club, Ikeja told The Record.
One of the coaches, Isaac Okeke, President and Coach of the Lord’s Favored Academy who spoke to The Record said many of the teams have been building their own training pitch, so no one is willing to come around to upgrade the facility unless the church takes the first step.
“The church makes it free for the teams. Every team here is under the umbrella of Vining FC as far as the church is concerned. So whenever the church has a program they notify us. For example, Ash Wednesday is coming up, they have informed us about their activities and we know not to fix anything for that day. So they don’t want any team to play or train while the service is on. They expect us to join the service as well,” Okeke said.
Ojodu – Isheri Mini stadium – a turf bugged by shady mgt
The Ojodu – Isheri Mini stadium is located along the borderline between Lagos and Ogun States and is enclosed within the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Training Centre along Ojodu-Berger – Isheri Road. The stadium was built up to standard during the Babatunde Fashola’s administration to be a free sports training centre to serve the community.
However, it wasn’t completed before the expiration of former Governor Fashola’s tenure.
Asked if the facility can be used for free, an official in charge, Jaiye Banji told The Record that it is not free and the price will have to be discussed over the phone. It was observed that the stadium has been converted to a venue for parties and concerts.
The players and coaches met during the tour of the mini stadium decried the Lagos State Sports Commission’s poor management of funds generated from usage of the pitch. They doubted if the fee gets to the government, noting that such funds could have been channeled to fixing the stadium.
The Record gathered that Isheri Mini stadium was once a venue for the Ikeja League – a football league among local clubs within and around Ikeja, which has since been discontinued.
Other locations
Other mini stadiums around Ikeja include Ifakọ̀-ijaye mini stadium which is currently under construction and not open to outsiders. When The Record visited, there was no official on ground but new turf had been laid and the seats were being replaced.
* Names have been changed because sources were not authorised to speak to the Press.