National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has this weekend unveiled the ‘Football Forever’ statue at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, stating that football popular sports in Nigeria is a tool for uniting the nation even in critical periods.
The statue measuring 22ft tall is a sculpture of four players, two-aside on an eight feet concrete pedestal depicting the prowess, commitment and passion of Nigerians for the beautiful game.
Ambode, during the commissioning where he was represented by his Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Adebimpe Akinsola, described the statue as a monument of great value that describes the passion Lagosians and Nigerians bestow upon sports and football in particular.
He described the love and passion Nigerians have for football as an open secret as the “artistry of the round leather game depicts a strong pedigree the sports had attained and the pride attached to it by Lagosians and Nigerians in general.”
The Governor added, “the monument reveals Lagosians’ dexterity in the game of football and projects our fitness and readiness for glory as it conveys vital sport education knowledge and the promotion of sports tourism in Lagos State.”
He,therefore, encouraged all sport enthusiasts to always come around to draw inspiration from monument,which Mr. Ade Odunfa, the brain behind the project, said was to express the significance of football in the country’s unity.
According to him, “Football is a game every youth wants to engage in, hence this monument gives them inspiration to pursue and express their soccer artistry and be committed to the beautiful game.”
In a related development, the State government also commissioned the statue of ‘From Ebute’, located at the Mobolaji Bank Anthony way, Ikeja and statue of the ‘Community’ at Ile Zik, Ikeja, as part of its effort to tell the history of the State through iconic statues and monuments spread across historical locations in the five divisions of the State.
Akinshola said the ‘From Ebute’ monument represents the lively hub and confluence of people always on the go, the delectable lifestyle, the rich and eventful coastline traditions of people of Lagos State.
According to her, the ‘Community’ statue was inspired from the understanding that success is a product of unity while the beauty and strength of Lagos is her hospitality and acceptability of people of other cultural background with a binding cord of unity around us.
