The Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS) is a 14.5-hectare (35.8-acre) ceremonial ground (originally called "Race Course") in Lagos Island, Lagos. [1] [2]
The Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS) is a 14.5-hectare (35.8-acre) ceremonial ground (originally called "Race Course") in Lagos Island, Lagos. [1] [2]
Lagos Race Course now TBS, was a sports field that hosted horse racing, but included a section for football and ground to play cricket. The land was provided to colonial authorities by Oba Dosunmu in 1859, who thereafter built up the surrounding areas. The course was later demolished by the government of Yakubu Gowon to make way for Tafawa Balewa Square. In its hey days, the course hosted the Empire Day parades. The horse racing track was about seven to eight furlongs or a mile. [3]
In 1960, the course was redeveloped to celebrate Nigeria's independence and the lowering of the union jack.
TBS was constructed in 1972 over the site of a defunct rack for horse racing. It is bounded by Awolowo road, Cable Street, Force road, Catholic Mission street and the 26-storey independence building. [4]
The entrance to the square has gigantic sculptures of four white horses hovering above the gate and seven red eagles, which are symbols from the national emblem signifying Strength and Dignity respectively. Other monuments in the square include the Remembrance Arcade (with memorials to World War I, World War II and Nigerian civil war victims) and the 26-storey Independence House, built in 1963 which was for a long time, the tallest building in Nigeria. [1]
| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lagos |
| Capacity | 55000 |
| End names | |
| n/a n/a | |
| International information | |
| First T20I | 4 October 2023: Nigeria v  Rwanda |
| Last T20I | 15 October 2023: Nigeria v Rwanda |
| First WT20I | 28 March 2022: Ghana v Rwanda |
| Last WT20I | 3 March 2024: Nigeria v Rwanda |
| As of 3 March 2024 Source: Cricinfo | |
The square has a capacity for 55,000 people. Facilities at the square include a shopping center, airlines ticketing agencies, restaurants, car parking and a bus terminal. [5]
The cricket ground, the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval, is widely considered as the 'traditional home of cricket' in Nigeria. [6] It hosted matches in the North-Western sub region of the 2018–19 ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier tournament. [7] The ground has been closed for 18 months to complete a renovation from a concrete surface to 10-strip turf to meet the ICC standards. The renovation was completed in January 2022, following which Nigeria hosted their first Women's Twenty20 International matches in the 2022 Nigeria Invitational Women's T20I Tournament. [8]
Major national events at TBS includes Nigeria’s independence celebration which took place on 1 October 1960 with the Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, delivering his speech. Democracy Day, as well as other multifarious events such as musical jamborees and religious gatherings. [9] [10]
The TBS which is a ceremonial ground in Nigeria have been faced with several environmental issues in the past years. The surrounding fence has been a dumpsite where refuse and other plastic are being deposited. There is also the issue of erosion in the region as a result of blocked drainage. As a result of the poor waste management in the area, the environment in the iconic square looks quite unkempt. [11] [12] [13]
Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe, PC, usually referred to Zik, was a Nigerian politician, statesman, and revolutionary leader who served as the 3rd governor-general of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963 and the 1st president of Nigeria during the First Nigerian Republic (1963–1966). He is regarded as the "father of Nigerian nationalism", for driving force behind the nation's independence.
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was a Nigerian politician who served as the first and only prime minister of Nigeria upon independence. A conservative Anglophile, he favoured maintaining close ties with the British. During his first few years in office as prime minister, Nigeria was a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II reigning as Queen of Nigeria, until Nigeria became a republic in 1963. He was both a defender of Northern special interests and an advocate of Nigerian reform and unity.
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) is a federal university of technology located in Bauchi, north eastern part of Nigeria. The university is named after the first and only Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The motto of the university is "Doctrina Mater Artium", which means "Education is the mother of the practical arts".
The Nigeria national cricket team is the men's team that represents the country of Nigeria in international cricket. Cricket has been played in Nigeria since the late 19th century, and the national team played their first match in 1904, when a team representing the Lagos Colony played the Gold Coast Colony. The Nigeria Cricket Association has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 2002.
The Ghana national cricket team represents Ghana in men's international cricket. It is an associate member of the International Cricket Council, which it joined as an affiliate member in 2002, and mainly plays matches in Africa Cricket Association tournaments. Ghana Cricket Association promotes the sport in the country.
The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican constitution. The country's government was based on a federal form of the Westminster system. The period between 1 October 1960, when the country gained its independence and 15 January 1966, when the first military coup d’état took place, is also generally referred to as the First Republic. The first Republic of Nigeria was ruled by different leaders representing their regions as premiers in a federation during this period.
The Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF) is the largest international exhibition in West Africa. The Trade Fair is the premier International Trade Fair in Nigeria with the spectacular 10-day event usually starting on the first Friday of November, annually.
The Nigeria women's national cricket team represents the country of Nigeria in international women's cricket. The team is organised by the Nigeria Cricket Federation, which has been a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 2002.
Oman Cricket Academy Ground, also known as the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium, is a cricket ground in Al Amarat, south of Muscat, Oman. The ground is owned by the Oman Cricket Board. In January 2021, the International Cricket Council (ICC) gave accreditation for the Ministry Turf 1 at the stadium to host Test cricket.
The Lagos Lawn Tennis Club is the oldest club in Nigeria. The Club which occupies approximately 14,000 square meters, is located at 12, Tafawa Balewa Square, in Lagos Island.
The Experience is an annual, free gospel music concert held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos Island, Nigeria. Begun and hosted by House on the Rock lead pastor Paul Adefarasin in 2006, the first concert had an attendance of 70,000 people.
The Rwanda women's national cricket team is the team that represents Rwanda in international women's cricket.
The Lagos Games Festival is an annual one-day games and arts festival that takes place in Lagos, Nigeria. Founded by Shina Charles Memud, it was created with the aim of promoting gaming culture, as well as building business opportunities for the gaming industry. The festival provides a venue where everyone can experience local and international games and for live tournaments, competitions and musical acts to perform. The festival (LGF) is kid-friendly and open to parent or group of people. There are outdoor activities, local vendors, and artisans to make the event very lively.
Tafawa Balewa Square Bus Terminus, also known as TBS Bus Terminal, is situated at the center of Lagos Island, Lagos State, South West, Nigeria. The bus terminus is located on 45/57 Massey Bamgbose Street, Lagos Island.
The Remembrance Arcade located at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, is a cenotaph site used to commemorate Nigerian soldiers who died in World War I, World War II and the Nigerian Civil War. It is located within the Tafawa Balewa Square in the Lagos Central Business District. The Armed Forces Remembrance celebrations are performed yearly at this site. At the entrance of the site, a statue of an unknown soldier with a gun can be seen facing the entrance. The green space is laid out with grasses, pavements, and the cenotaph.
The 2022 Nigeria Invitational Women's T20I Tournament was a women's T20I cricket (WT20I) tournament that was held in Nigeria from 28 March to 3 April 2022. The venue for all of the matches was the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos. Along with the hosts Nigeria, the tournament featured the national teams of Gambia, Ghana, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. Cameroon were also originally scheduled to take part.
The Gambia national women's cricket team is the team that represents The Gambia in international women's cricket. The team has played international cricket since 2015 and made its Twenty20 International (T20I) debut at the 2022 Nigeria Invitational Women's T20I Tournament.
The Ghana national women's cricket team is the team that represents Ghana in international women's cricket.
The 2023 Nigeria Invitational Women's T20I Tournament was a women's Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket tournament that took place in Nigeria from 27 March to 2 April 2023. The venue for all of the matches was the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos. In the 2022 tournament, Rwanda defeated the hosts Nigeria in the final.
The 2024 Nigeria Invitational Women's T20I Tournament was a Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket tournament that took place in Nigeria from 25 February to 3 March 2024. The participating teams were Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. Tanzania competed in the tournament for the first time. Nigeria were the defending champions, having defeated Rwanda in the final of the 2023 edition.
