Press Releases

FIFA U-17 World Cup: Fashola Thanks All
…Urges FIFA to bring more tournaments to Africa

Nov 12, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday charged the World Soccer Governing Board, Federation International Football Association (FIFA) to bring greater focus upon Africa and promote better understanding of her people by deliberately staging more of her competitions on the continent.

The Governor who spoke before the commencement of the semi final matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Championship at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere added that such a move would help promote more travel, interaction, understanding and entrepreneurship between Africa and the rest of the World.

He added: “In the same way that FIFA, through football has unified the world, encouraged people to travel and visit and do business in far flung places in the West by strategic choices of venues for its competition even when communication and international transportation was not as efficient as it is today. I believe FIFA, more than any organization, has the capacity and the opportunity to bring greater focus upon Africa and promote better understanding of her people by deliberately staging more of her competitions on this continent”.

Continuing, he said: “In other words, although the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the U-21 in Egypt 2009 and U-17 in Nigeria 2009 are a huge and highly appreciated leap forward, from when Africa had only one representative at the senior World Cup, this once is not enough”.

Governor Fashola said that although it is 10 years ago since Nigeria 1999, he expressed hope that it will not be another 10 years before Nigeria gets the U-21 Championship again, as it remains committed to keep all stadia and facilities in constant use and efficient maintenance, especially against the background of the growing consensus that Africa holds the key to the future of the planet.

The Governor said the economic and social benefits that the hosting rights has provided serve as an impetus for Nigeria to seek to do more, as the people have been employed at various levels and have benefitted from improvement social , transport, security and environmental infrastructure that will stay with the country forever.

“Our biggest brand ambassadors are the young men and their chaperons and managers who we played host to. They will tell the world that our country is not different from others including their own. They will tell the world that our country is safe and that Nigerian businesses are vibrant and our economy is full of possibilities. They will certainly want to come back and we will be happy to have them back”, the Governor added.

He thanked the President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for listening to the appeals of Nigerians not to surrender the hosting rights and for committing to its successful implementation thereafter while congratulating him for what it has turned out to be.

He thanked his brother Governors, Sports Commissioners, various members of the Local Organizing Committees (LOC) , the Volunteers, the media, security agents, traffic and transport managers, distinguished citizens of Lagos and Nigerians at large, saying; “we have returned our country back to global reckoning. If we needed any branding, this was the biggest we have probably got.

While saying the journey to the last leg of the matches at the Teslim Balogun Stadium has been long as it has been exciting, the Governor said Nigeria owes and enormous gratitude to FIFA as an organization and its officials like Mr Sepp Blatter and Mr Jack Warner whose belief and unwavering commitment even at the most difficult time brought the country this far.