Sports

John Mikel Obi Bags FG’s Youth Ambassador Appointment

Published

4 years ago

June 19, 2021

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Federal Government has appointed erstwhile Super Eagles skipper, John Mikel Obi as Youth Ambassador to inspire young Nigerians to strive for excellence.

The event which took place at the NOC secretariat, National Stadium, Surulere Lagos Weekend is another of the Minister’s initiative geared towards driving a vibrant youth for national development.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare described the former Chelsea legend as a role model whose lasting legacies in football development has continued to have positive impact on youths in the country.

The Minister promised to support Mikel’s vision and visions for sports development in the country and assured the Stoke City midfielder of Federal Government unalloyed support whenever he chooses to invest in the country.

” Time will not permit me to say much about Mikel’s success as a footballer. He is our legend and a role model who has continued to impact the lives of youth positively.

” It is it my pleasure to appoint you as Nigeria Youth Ambassador. It’s a new portfolio and your role as youth ambassador will be made known to Nigerian,” the Minister asserted.

In his response, Mikel expressed delight with his new portfolio and promised to work with the sports Ministry to foster youth development in the country.

” I feel highly honored to be appointed as Youth Ambassador of this country, it is a great feeling. I am happy with this partnership and I promise to do my best to encourage and inspire the youths towards national development not just in football but in other sports like Basketball, Boxing among others”, said Mikel.

The event was followed by a tour of the National stadium, Surulere which is under going rehabilitation.

The Minister stated that alot of efforts had been put into the rehabilitation of the stadium with much emphasis on the pitch, scoreboard, tantran tracks and the spectators’ stand. He stressed that the Ministry had also partnered with a private organization to change the seat of the 45, 000 capacity Stadium to a standard one

” A lot has been put in place to ensure that the stadium returns to what it used to be. The seats are no loanger in line with FIFA standard, but we have partnered a private organization to have modern seats in place,” he concluded.

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Sports

LEADERSHIP Newspaper’s Salifu Usman Receives SWAN Fellowship In Recognition Of Sports Development Efforts

Published

12 hours ago

November 2, 2025

The Gleamer

Salifu Abubakar Usman, Group Sports Editor of LEADERSHIP Newspaper, has been honoured with the Fellow of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) award, in recognition of his exceptional support for the association, professional journalism, and his significant contributions to sports development in Nigeria.

The esteemed accolade was presented during SWAN’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration, held in Abuja, marking 60 years of excellence in sports journalism across the nation.

Upon receiving the award, Salifu expressed profound gratitude, describing the honour as a source of inspiration and renewed motivation to further his lifelong dedication to sports reporting, promotion, and growth.

“This award gives me hope and motivation to do more. It’s a source of inspiration for me and my family, and I believe it will encourage me further in sports reporting and sports development in Nigeria,” he stated.

Salifu highlighted that this recognition serves as a morale boost following decades of hard work and impactful contributions within Nigeria’s sports community and beyond.

The SWAN Diamond Jubilee Celebration attracted prominent figures from sports administration, the media, and government sectors to celebrate individuals and organisations whose efforts have significantly advanced sports development and journalism in Nigeria.

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