A groundbreaking ceremony for a proposed 12,000-capacity multipurpose event and sports centre on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, recently marked a significant milestone for Nigeria’s entertainment scene.
The consortium handling the project is made up of The Persianas Group, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Live Nation, and Oak View Group, among others.
In a statement sent to Society Plus, the consortium stated that it aimed to build a ‘monumental centre for entertainment and sports, complete with a hotel and ample parking space’.
It added that the proposed $100m arena would serve as a dedicated space for major concerts, sporting events, and family entertainment experiences.
The statement read in part, “With a youthful and rapidly growing population of over 220 million, Nigeria is poised to witness a transformative development in its entertainment landscape, as the versatile design of the arena will accommodate a diverse range of events, including performances by both global and Nigerian music artistes, family entertainment, basketball games, UFC fights, boxing matches, WWE shows, and more
“The arena, with a capacity of 12,000, is projected to host over 200 events annually, making it an ideal destination for live entertainment and a haven for local and international artistes. Its construction aims to bridge the gap in Nigeria’s entertainment and sports infrastructure, and is expected to create over 1,500 direct and indirect jobs, further contributing to the growth of ancillary businesses, and the continued expansion of the country’s entertainment and sports sectors.”
It added that the arena was scheduled for completion in December 2025, and was expected to usher in a new era in Nigeria’s entertainment and sports.
Guests at the groundbreaking ceremony included the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Oniru of Iruland, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal; Chairman, Persianas Group, Tayo Amusan; Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh; and the MD/CEO, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Aminu Umar-Sadiq.
