Monimichelle CEO Lists Dangers of Painted Concrete Floors in Nigerian Stadia
The Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Sports, Ebi Egbe, has issued a stern warning to both state and federal governments in Nigeria regarding the use of substandard materials in stadium construction. Egbe specifically advises against hiring contractors who specialize in using painted concrete and basic acrylic surfaces for flooring stadium courts across the country. He emphasizes that such practices not only compromise athlete safety but also hinder the overall development of sports in Nigeria.
The Superiority of SI-PU Hybrid Court Systems
According to Egbe, the SI-PU multi-purpose hybrid court system is the optimal solution for sports facilities, offering significant advantages in athlete welfare, technical performance, durability, and lifecycle economics. He explains that painted concrete courts return almost 100 percent of impact energy to the athlete, which can lead to injuries, whereas the SI-PU hybrid system dissipates energy in a controlled manner. This feature is crucial for protecting athletes from stress-related injuries, particularly in high-impact sports.
Contractor Deception and National Sports Backwardness
Egbe points out that Nigeria lags behind countries like Morocco, which have invested in top-quality sports facilities. He alleges that some contractors in Nigeria deceive governors by securing contracts to build sports facilities but then deliver inferior products like painted concrete surfaces. This practice, he argues, is taking Nigerian sports backward. Egbe notes that virtually all stadiums used for hosting the National Sports Festival in recent years have suffered from quack construction work, resulting in big holes on tracks and other structural issues.
Technical Benefits of SI-PU Hybrid Systems
The SI-PU hybrid system is engineered to address the limitations of painted concrete and acrylic surfaces. Key benefits include:
- Elastomeric and Flexible Design: Reduces peak impact forces on the athlete's body, protecting critical areas such as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), achilles tendon, knee cartilage, lower back, and hip joints.
- Minimized Plantar Pressure Rebound: Essential for sports like basketball, volleyball, handball, futsal, and tennis, where abrupt stops and landings are common.
- Crack Absorption: Unlike acrylic coatings and painted concrete, SI-PU absorbs minor slab movement, bridges micro-cracks, and prevents reflective cracking, making it ideal for tropical climates with thermal expansion and soil movement.
- Consistent Performance: Provides predictable vertical rebound, consistent roll resistance, and zero dead spots, crucial for multi-sport courts used in training and competitions.
- Enhanced Traction: Maintains grip even in humid or lightly wet conditions, reducing slip-and-fall incidents.
Durability and Economic Advantages
Egbe highlights that a professionally installed SI-PU hybrid court system typically delivers 8 to 12 years of high-performance use with minimal resurfacing requirements. In contrast, painted concrete often requires annual repainting and crack repairs, leading to higher long-term costs. Additionally, SI-PU courts can be line-marked and color-zoned for multiple sports on the same surface, making them ideal for schools, universities, sports academies, community parks, and indoor or outdoor complexes. This versatility maximizes asset utilization and return on investment, with SI-PU systems commonly certified for international and national sports standards.
In summary, Ebi Egbe's advocacy for SI-PU hybrid systems underscores the need for Nigeria to prioritize quality in sports infrastructure to safeguard athletes and promote sustainable sports development.
