Athletes, joggers, and regular users of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, have appealed to the Federal Government to reopen the sporting edifice for users.

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports on March 24 directed that the stadium be placed under lock and key due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, as a way of managing the spread of the disease.

But after over two months of inactivity largely due to the five-week lockdown and curfew in the state, users are hoping the venue will be reopened for activities.

When our correspondent visited the stadium on Thursday, it remained closed to athletes and business owners, while petty traders were outside the gate displaying their goods.

With religious centres asked to resume activities, users of the facilities at the stadium have called on the government to do the same for the venue.

Timothy Akan a footballer who visits the stadium on a regular basis to train has lamented that his career is at risk due to the closure of the stadium.

“I thought the stadium was one of the places they would have also opened, after giving churches and mosques the go-ahead to resume activities. I’m disappointed in the way the government is treating the youths. My dream is to become a footballer, the stadium is where I train every day and now it’s been locked for almost three months. My career is in danger,” he told our correspondent.

“I live in Surulere and if you are conversant with the roads you will know that it is a death trap trying to jog and exercise with your headphones on. The stadium is where I have always done my exercises including weekends but now, we just work out under the bridge. It is safer than the roads. But I hope the government looks into it for opening during the next phase of lockdown relaxation,” Atinuke Bada, a student of the University of Lagos, told our correspondent.

Security personnel at the stadium said only sports ministry staff and people with genuine reasons were allowed in.

“We have not relaxed on the mandate that has been given to us to stop people from coming into the stadium. We see those who jog and exercise outside but our job is to keep them from coming in. They all understand that it is a government policy and they are respecting that.”

The ministry had earlier said activities at the stadium would return to normalcy when the coronavirus situation in the country improved but Uche Agwuegbo, an amateur footballer says it is unfair leaving sporting centers closed while the ban on religious centers have been lifted.

“A thousand people can be at the stadium and still maintain social distancing but that cannot be said about churches or mosques. There are no football matches or competitions happening at the place, so why keep it locked?”

PUNCH