I have worked hard to lift Nigeria’s sports, says Dare

[FILES] Sunday Dare. Photo/TWITTER/NIGERIAFMYS

After four years in office, Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare, on Monday, thumbed his chest for doing a good job of his assignment.

Dare, who assumed office in 2019, is expected to leave the position this month following the expiration of his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime. He may still return to his current position since his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), got another mandate to continue leading the country.

Speaking on his achievements after four years in office, Dare said he has worked hard to lift the standard of sports in the country, pointing at the adopt-a-talent policy set by his administration as one of the programmes that have given Nigerian athletes opportunities to excel.

He also listed infrastructural development as part of the legacies he is leaving in the sector.

He said: “In my tenure as minister of sports, I was able to revamp the Abuja Stadium and start the renovation of the National Stadium in Lagos, which was neglected by past ministers due to lack of funds.

“During the COVID-19 period, sports was the worst hit because of the contact nature of the games, but at the end of the day, we succeeded. “As I prepare to leave office, the sports ministry is setting up a sports and business policy to help federations get funds to run their bodies without the ministry and government’s support. It has been observed that if government withdraws from funding sports federations, many of them will collapse in the country.”

“The ministry, to this effect, is putting up a sports and business policy project to be out soon. The way the policy will work is when government gives waivers to corporate bodies in some areas, the federations will,