…Says one field may get modern turf as other space is opened for economic activities
The Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) has clarified its position on the controversy surrounding the football fields along the Powerline corridor in Ikola, saying it is not seeking to deprive youths of access to sporting facilities but intends to reorganise the area for broader community development.
The council’s position was conveyed by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Kehinde Yusau Shobayo, on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Hon. Abiodun Jimoh Isola Ejigbadero, during a stakeholders’ engagement with youths and community leaders at the Ikola Ololade Field.
The controversy followed concerns among youths and other stakeholders over the future of the football fields, with the council explaining that there were plans to properly organise the available space and combine sports development with other productive uses.
Shobayo said the administration was considering upgrading one of the two portions currently being used as football fields into a better sporting facility, potentially with modern turf, while maximising the remaining space for productive and permissible activities capable of creating economic opportunities for residents.
He stressed that the objective was not to eliminate sporting activities from the area.
“Let me state clearly that the intention of the administration is not to deprive the youths of their sporting opportunities. Rather, the objective is to properly organise the available space in a way that combines sports with other forms of development that will benefit the wider community,” he said.
The Vice Chairman explained that the council had continued to engage Baales, religious leaders, the Community Development Committee (CDC), youth groups and other stakeholders in an effort to resolve the concerns surrounding the fields.
He urged the youths to remain calm and avoid accusations or actions based on incomplete information, stressing that the issues could be resolved through dialogue.
“Misunderstandings can be resolved through dialogue; development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace,” he said.
The council also linked its approach to a broader vision for youth and community development, saying it wanted to move beyond temporary football competitions to establish facilities where young people could develop their talents across different sporting disciplines.
According to the administration, its vision is to have a standard sports complex where footballers, boxers, athletes and other talents can train and pursue their ambitions, while ensuring that sports, business, education, security and social development coexist within the community.
The council said its youth-focused initiatives included the ongoing Supervisor for Youth and Sports Agbado/Oke-Odo Community Cup, weekly “Get Fit with Eji” fitness activities and drug-abuse awareness programmes in secondary schools.
It also highlighted its support for boxer Taiye Fajimi, who recently represented the LCDA at the National Stadium, Surulere, and emerged victorious.
The administration further pointed to its efforts to properly utilise public assets, including the return of Alade Stadium to council ownership and the transformation of previously disorganised corridors into structured commercial areas.
The council called on the Ikola youths and other stakeholders to prioritise dialogue and peaceful engagement in resolving the dispute.
“As far as the Executive Chairman is concerned, we are one people, with one common interest and one shared future,” the administration said.
The council maintained that its engagement with stakeholders was aimed at finding a sustainable arrangement that would preserve sporting opportunities while allowing the wider community to benefit from the available public space.
