Jos Stadium Gets New Look Before APC Rally

The Jos International Stadium on Zaria Road in Jos, Plateau State, has been repainted just before Friday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in the city.

This update has brought back focus on the stadium, which has been incomplete for almost 40 years since construction started. Different military and civilian governments have promised to finish it, but those promises have not been fulfilled.

The project began in 1988 under the military regime of General Lawrence Onoja, who awarded the construction contract with an initial payment of N10 million.

However, the project was left unfinished after he left office, and later administrations have struggled to complete it.

Former Governor Joshua Dariye tried to revive the project during his time in office, but his efforts did not lead to its completion.

When former Governor Jonah Jang took over in 2007, he also promised to finally finish the stadium and make it one of his major achievements.

The facility was redesigned to hold about 44,000 spectators, with plans to finish it by the end of 2013. The project was expanded to include more sports facilities like basketball, hockey, and volleyball courts to meet international standards.

Even with these plans and investments, the stadium remained unfinished when Mr Jang left office in 2015.

A 2017 report by Sunday Tribune estimated that the project was about 70 percent complete under the Jang administration. The cost of the project increased significantly due to changes in its scope.

The report also noted that equipment bought for the project was falling apart, including foreign facilities that had been left unused for years while work dragged on.

Governments after Jang promised to complete the stadium, but nearly four decades after the project started, the Jos International Stadium has not served its intended purpose.

The main stadium lacks proper seating for spectators, and the area around it is filled with bushes and wild plants.

In a surprising move, the stadium was repainted within just 48 hours before the APC rally, which has brought attention to its long neglect.

This quick action shows a sharp difference from the years of delays that have marked the stadium's construction.

While the new paint makes the facility look better, it does not solve the real issues that have stopped it from meeting the sports needs of Plateau State.

The stadium was meant to provide a modern place for sports, help young athletes, host major competitions, and attract events that could boost the local economy.

Instead, it stands as another example of unfinished public projects, with successive governments failing to keep their promises.

The problem is not just about the missing spectator seats or the mess around the stadium. It is also about the public funds spent on a project that has not been completed despite many changes in leadership.

The recent repainting highlights the difference in how quickly governments can act when preparing for political events compared to the slow pace of building important public infrastructure.

After nearly four decades, the Jos International Stadium is still not finished.

For the people of Plateau State, a new coat of paint is not enough to replace a completed stadium.