The National Sports Commission (NSC) has continued its nationwide Youth Appreciation Tour with the recognition of outstanding young athletes in Abuja and Asaba, bringing the total number of honourees so far to eleven.
The Abuja leg of the appreciation tour took place on Wednesday at the Nigerian Tulip International College, with the Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade, and former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, now Presidential Spokesman, Hon. Sunday Dare, in attendance.
Speaking at the Abuja event, Hon. Sunday Dare express
ed satisfaction with the progress being made in youth sports development.
“I’m excited because what is being done align with the universal laws of sowing as we know it – find promising stars early, nurture them and then the harvest comes. We have continued to partner with the private sector, and the seeds we sowed four years ago are what we are harvesting today. Credit must go to the Chairman and Director General of the National Sports Commission for their insight and commitment to sustaining this vision,” he said.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, reaffirmed that youth and grassroots sports remain central to the Commission’s mandate.
“Youth and grassroots development are at the core of what we do. We want to raise the standards of school sports and ensure that schools at all levels, primary, secondary and universities, receive the necessary support to discover and nurture athletes in collaboration with the National Sports Commission,” Dikko stated.
Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, emphasized that the Commission is strengthening partnerships between schools and the sports ecosystem while prioritizing athlete welfare.“We will continue to encourage strong relationships between schools and sports. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always made it clear that Nigerian athletes must never feel abandoned or neglected, and that is the commitment of this Commission,” Hon. Olopade said.
Hon. Sunday Dare had previously signed a landmark partnership with Nigerian Tulip International College during his tenure as Sports Minister, a collaboration that continues to support youth sports development.
Among the athletes honoured in Abuja were Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo and Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu, two exceptional junior athletes who first emerged through the invited junior athletes initiative. Both athletes progressed to represent Nigeria at the CAA African U18/U20 Athletics Championships, where they won gold medals for the country, before going on to secure additional medals at the African Youth Games in Angola and African Schhool Games in Algeria.
Other beneficiaries of the appreciation programme included taekwondo athletes Crown Umeh and Unique Umeh, who received ₦1 million each in recognition of their performances. Unique Umeh had earlier secured a bronze medal at the maiden African School Games in Algeria.
In athletics, Andrew Miracle Yemi, an African Junior standout, received ₦2 million in appreciation of his achievements. Adaeze Precious was also honoured with ₦1 million, while Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo received ₦3 million for her outstanding performances.
Miracle Ezechukwu, the West African champion and Nigerian champion, was also recognised with a ₦3 million reward for his remarkable accomplishments.
Simultaneously, another NSC team carried out a similar recognition event in Asaba, Delta State. The team was led by the Director of Grassroots Development, Chief Amaka Ashiofu, alongside the Director of FEADS, Madam Mbora Ikana, where promising athletes and medal winners, Udoh David and Gowon Oghenerunor were also honoured.
The Youth Appreciation Tour will continue in Uyo on Thursday, where the Commission is scheduled to honour additional junior sports stars as part of the NSC’s commitment to grassroots sports development.
The NSC Youth Appreciation Tour is part of the Commission’s broader strategy to support and reward emerging talents while strengthening the foundation of Nigerian sports through structured grassroots development.
