The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) and the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) are partnering on the ‘Conversations’ series, seeking to combine sports and diplomacy to drive Nigeria’s Foreign Policy agenda for Africa.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and the Director-General of the NIIA, Professor Eghosa Osaghae are pioneering this landmark collaboration.
Dare said: “this partnership, which is the first of its kind, will explore and extend the frontiers of Sports as a powerful tool for development in line with our Ministry’s National Sports Industry Policy projections.”
Some of the experts expected to deliver papers at the seminar are Idorenyin Uyoe, a sports scholar and seasoned marketer based in the United States of America; Ron Freeman, a 1968 Olympics double medalist who is also a diplomat, humanitarian and peace activist and Professor Ikaweba, the director of the Department of Unity for the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation in Tanzania.
The ‘Conversations’ will hold tomorrow at the NIIA Headquarters at Kofo Abayomi Road, Victoria Island, Lagos from 10am.
Meanwhile, Dare has congratulated Nigeria’s Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori following his victory at the All Africa Individual Badminton Championships in Kampala, Uganda over the weekend.
Opeyori defeated the home boy Brian Kasirye of Uganda in straight sets, winning 21-14, 23-21 in a thrilling and pulsating encounter.
The Nigerian had earlier beaten the 2017 Champion Adel Hamek of Algeria in straight sets in the semi-final.
The Minister commended Opeyori for doing the nation proud and displaying the unconquerable Nigerian spirit at the Championships in spite of being the country’s sole representative.
