Teslim Balogun Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Lagos, Nigeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as a home ground of First Bank F.C.. The stadium holds 24,325 people and sits adjacent to the Lagos National Stadium.
It is named after former professional footballer Teslim Balogun.
By the time the stadium was completed in 2007, it took 23 years to build and cost over N1.3 billion. Started in 1984 under the administration of military governor Gbolahan Mudasiru, construction continually stalled under military regimes and the stadium became a white elephant. As recent as 2006, homeless people and area boys were living in the facility.
The first event held in the stadium was the 18th Mobil Track and Field Athletics Championship on May 17. The first football game was a friendly on May 28 between Enyimba vs. Asante Kotoko. The stadium also hosted the NFL Super Four playoff that season and the Nigerian FA Cup final in 2007. The final of the 2009 Federation Cup between Enyimba and Sharks was held at the stadium.
Lagos State Commissioner for Youth Sports and Social Development, Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele disclosed at the FIFA Media Briefing Room of the Teslim Balogun Stadium on May 18, 2009 on the preparations for FIFA U-17 World Cup that “with a FIFA Star Two artificial turf, FIFA Grade seats with back rest, a seating capacity of 24,325, a 70KVA electricity generating set for the digital scoreboard, state of art changing room for athletes and officials, security gadgets with CCTV cameras, a 1,000KVA and 500KVA generating sets and other standard facilities, I know we are set to host a successful championship.”
The stadium was designed by renowned Nigerian Architect O.C Majoroh of Majoroh partnership (www.majoroh.com). Established in 1980, but due to the many political interventions involved with this lengthy project he pulled out and the project was eventually completed by another party.