By Andrew Abah, Abuja
The National Sports Commission, NSC, has rolled out the drums to celebrate former Minister of Youth and Sports, Chief Sunday Akin Dare, as he clocked 60 years on May 29th 2026.
Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, paid a glowing tribute to Chief Dare for his continuous nationalistic commitment to the growth of Nigerian sports and the country in general.
The NSC chairman said “today marks a special day to commend and celebrate Chief Dare for all he has been doing to see that sports takes its rightful place in the way it’s being perceived.
“Chief Dare has continued to play a significant role in the revamp currently going on in the country’s sports sector, where sports is now being viewed as a major national asset.
“The sports sector is very lucky to have a man like Chief Sunday Dare working with Mr. President because it’s been the biggest turning point for the huge success the sports sector has been witnessing since the re-establishment of the NSC.
“On behalf of the commission, I want to wish the former sports minister more success, both in his political, family and personal endeavours,” he stated.
On his part, the Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said Chief Sunday Dare, deserves all the accolades and even much for how he has continued to impact lives both on a personal, political and professional level.
“I will be short of words to fully describe Chief Sunday Dare, both on a personal level and what he means for Nigeria and Nigerian sports in particular.
“We are making giant strides today in our sports with some of the policies we have made because Chief Sunday Dare laid a solid foundation that are now following. From our Elite Athletes Grants Initiatives to the revamp of our grassroots programmes, the footprints of some of the things he did are evident for all to see.”
The DG added that “Chief Sunday Dare has impacted my life in so many ways since our path crossed and that relationship has continued to grow stronger as I continued to draw from his wealth of experience, expertise and leadership.
“I want to conclude by saying I celebrate and honour you today Chief Sunday Dare and I pray that your relevance will continue to impact the country and will never fade.”
