Mikel appointed Nigeria’s Youth Ambassador, promises to help develop sports

THE Nigerian government has appointed former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi as Youth Ambassador.

The youth and sports ministry said in a statement on Friday that Mikel’s appointment was ‘to inspire young Nigerians to strive for excellence’.

The event took place at the Nigeria Olympic Committee secretariat inside the National Stadium, Lagos on Friday and is one of sports minister Sunday Dare’s initiatives geared towards driving a vibrant youth for national development, the ministry explained.

At the event, Dare described the former Chelsea midfielder as a role model whose lasting legacies in football development have had a positive impact on youths in the country.

The minister promised to support Mikel’s vision for sports development in Nigeria and assured him of the federal government’s full backing if he chooses to invest in the country.

“Time will not permit me to say much about Mikel’s success as a footballer,” Dare said.

“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 Nigerians.”

Mikel, who currently plays for Stoke City, promised to work with the sports ministry to foster youth development in the country.

“I feel highly honoured to be appointed as Youth Ambassador of this country; it is a great feeling,” he said.

“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.”

Mikel, 34, played for the Super Eagles from 2006 to 2019, winning the Africa Cup of Nations with the team in 2013.

He also won AFCON bronze in 2006, 2010 and 2019, attended the World Cup in 2014 and 2018, and won Olympics bronze in 2016.

He retired after the 2019 AFCON having garnered 89 caps and six goals.

The Mikel event was followed by a tour of the National Stadium, Lagos which is undergoing rehabilitation.

Dare noted that the repair work on the iconic stadium has been intense, with emphasis on the pitch, scoreboard, tartan tracks and the spectators’ stands.

“A lot has been put in place to ensure that the stadium returns to what it used to be,” he said.

“The seats are no longer in line with FIFA standard, but we have partnered a private organization to have modern seats in place.”