Presidential award will spur me to do more – Dare

The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Akin Dare, has said he is spurred by the Excellence in Public Service Award bestowed on him by President Muhammadu Buhari to do more for the teeming youths of Nigeria.

The award, which was in recognition of his excellent contributions and commitment to the growth and development of sports in the country, especially in the area of infrastructure development was presented to him last Friday at the State House in Abuja.

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The choice of Dare for the award was no doubt in recognition of his giant strides in the area of youths and sports development since his appointment in 2019.

In his reaction, the Minister dedicated the award to his team as he praised them for their commitment to his vision for youths and sports development in Nigeria.

An elated Dare said “This is not a personal award. It is for my team, the Permanent Secretary, Directors, my aides and all those working with me in the ministry.

“Without their hard work and unwavering commitment to this cause which is to help the youths of Nigeria to channel their time and energies into productive ventures, this award wouldn’t have been possible. So this is for them all.

“This award is great motivation so we are not going to get complacent. It is a call for us to do more. So, we will not slow down. The remaining months in office are for me to work harder to leave behind enduring legacies.

“More importantly, I recognise the enormous support from His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, for providing us with funding and the enabling environment to succeed.”

Prominent among Dare’s achievements in office is no doubt the adopt-an-athlete initiative which attracted a number of highly reputable corporate organisations, state governors and public spirited individuals who agreed to sponsor Nigeria’s elite athletes.

Most of these highly motivated and talented athletes were responsible for Team Nigeria’s best ever performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where the country won 12 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze medals.

The adopt-a-sport facility, another initiative of Dare, is also responsible for the rehabilitation of once abandoned sporting edifices like the MKO Abiola National stadium Abuja, National stadium Surulere in Lagos and Daura Township stadium in Katsina State.