In a display of the value of public private partnership, Lagos State Government and Coca-Cola Nigeria jointly presided over the handing over ceremony of the fully upgraded sports facility to the Araromi community in the Gbagada area of Lagos State.
The Sports Centre, one of the oldest sports facilities in Lagos State has produced many football stars notable amongst them are Obafemi Martins and Segun Fetuga.
With over 1000 seating capacity pavilion, the Araromi Sports Centre also boosts of bore hole, water sanitation and hygiene facilities for the public and physically challenged, changing rooms for players and referees, 2 units of VIP lounge and Administrative office; and Constructed an 11 aside football pitch (75×45) equipped with flood lights including 2 sets of dugout for reserved players with 10 man seating capacity each.
While commending Coca-Cola for its pivotal role in developing grassroots sports facilities, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who represented the Executive Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, remarked that the centre will help to engage the youth in the community meaningfully, as well as empower them to make success of their passion.
According to her, “It will provide a platform for the positive engagement of our youths and the discovery of talented young people who will make career out of their skill, and contribute to the growth of the economy”.
At the unveiling of the facility, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Bhupendra Suri disclosed that the renovation of the pitch is part of Coca-Cola’s vision of promoting sustainable communities through social enterprise.
“For more than 50 years now, Coca-Cola has had a strong association with sports and particularly football in Nigeria. We however realized that to further drive Nigeria’s grassroots football and talent development.”
, we needed to partner with the authorities to upgrade selected sports facilities across the country to give our young players access to world class sports facilities in their local communities.” he declared.
The Araromi Community Sports Centre, Gbagada is among the several sports facilities in Lagos that have recently been upgraded by Coca-Cola. Other facilities reconstructed in the past by Coca-Cola include the Amoo Training Pitch Agege, Orile Ignamu Sports Centre, Oworon-shoki Playing Field, the Jakande Estate sports terrain, to name but a few.