By Amaechi Agbo

Youth and sports minister, Sunday Akin Dare has been selected among the three best performing ministers in the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership of the country, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

Mr Dare was selected among the three best ministers along with Saddiya Farouq of Humanitarian Affairs Management and Social Development as well as Rotimi Amaechi of transport.

Scorecard of the stewardship of the ministers in the past one year in office were released by Transparency Watch based on administrative, transparency and other skills accumulated.

Nigeria’s minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Farouq, has been ranked best-performing minister in the first year of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term.

In an interim scorecard released by Transparency Watch, the Humanitarian Affairs minister came first in the rating while her counterparts in the ministries of transport and youths, sports and development, Rotimi Amaechi and Sunday Dare came second and third respectively.

The report signed by the organisation’s president, Maxwell Gowon, on Sunday, August 23, said the ministers were graded based on organizational strength, the performance of the agencies under the purview, the impact on the lives of the people as well as transparency and accountability.

In the assessment of organizational strength, of all the ministries reviewed, the report said Farouq scored first with a score of nine out of 10 points.

For the minister of youth and sports development, Sunday Dare, the ministry’s implementation of youth-oriented programmes across the country, especially at the grassroots level was rated successful.

According to the report, the minister’s score is due to the ministry’s effective organization as well as policy planning and youth friendly agendas geared towards making Nigerian youth and sportsmen and women self-reliant

Since assumption of office on August 21, 2019, Sunday Dare has left nobody in doubt about his determination and commitment towards changing the face of sports in the country.

He has traversed every nook and crannies of the country seeking for collaborations from both government and private entities on how to rebuild and turnaround the face of sports in the country.

Prominent among numerous achievements Mr Dare has recorded in office in the past 12 months include inter alia, the implementation of ADOPT AN ATHLETE CAMPAIGN initiative which was launched in Lagos in December last year. Through this initiative, tens of Nigerian sports men and women have been adopted and encouraged to put in their best performances when called upon.

The inauguration of the Adopt-An-Athlete initiative was a landmark as top personalities and organisations are embracing the idea of sponsoring athletes’ preparations ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who picked six athletes; Edo State Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu; Chairman of Dakinda Football for Every Home Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Akpakwu; Tunde Folawiyo Group and Halogen are among those who embraced the initiative.

During the unveiling in Lagos, the minister said “More than a dozen of our Olympics-bound athletes were adopted and will enjoy the financial support that will boost their preparations. Through this adoption, they will enjoy the best training, get the best coaches, be able to attend trials and pay the medical personnel needed.”

Billionaire businessmen Aliko Dangote and Kensington Adebutu also adopted the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja and National Stadium Surulere respectively.

The ministry recently launched the Sports Industry Policy Roadmap aimed at galvanising sporting and restructuring sports from the hitherto recreational activities to business venture.

The minister also created athletes fund to help raise money for their stipends and motivations.

The minister who have constantly emphasized the need to discover and nurture athletes from the grassroots recently had Youth Constituency Football tournament in Oyo state and is currently partnering with Ogun state government in Ogun State Marathon, among others.