Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has received an international honour for his administration’s contribution to grassroots sports development in the state.
Diri was recognised on Thursday night at the 2026 Nigerian Universal Keystone Sports Awards (NUKSA) in London, where he received the Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Sports Development Award.
Key Highlights
- Governor Douye Diri honoured at the 2026 NUKSA Awards in London.
- He received the Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Sports Development Award.
- Diri said Bayelsa has emerged among Nigeria’s top three-performing states in sports.
- Bayelsa is preparing to host the National Sports Festival in 2028.
- The state is constructing new sporting facilities ahead of the festival.
- NUKSA described Diri as a passionate sports enthusiast and outstanding Nigerian leader.
The Bayelsa governor was represented at the NUKSA Awards Gala Night, held at the Ham Polo Club in Richmond, by the Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Daniel Igali, and his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah.
Speaking through Igali after receiving the award, Diri described the recognition as an “enormous honour” and a special endorsement of his administration’s achievements in sports.
He said Bayelsa, despite being one of Nigeria’s least populated states, had recorded significant progress in sports over the past six years.
According to the governor, the state has consistently ranked among the top three performers in sports in Nigeria and is preparing to host the National Sports Festival in 2028.
Diri also disclosed that construction of world-class sporting facilities was ongoing as part of efforts to create infrastructure that would sustain sports development beyond his administration.
“On behalf of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, we thank the NUKSA organisers for this enormous honour,” Igali said while representing the governor.
“As you may know, Bayelsa is one of the smallest states in the country in terms of population. But in six years that Senator Diri has been governor, we have become one of the top three states in terms of sports in Nigeria.
“We are hosting the National Sports Festival in two years and are currently building a couple of stadia at the same time.
“Our goal is to bequeath to future generations facilities that when we leave office, in another 10 to 20 years, sports will continue to thrive in Bayelsa.”
NUKSA Hails Diri’s Sports Development Efforts
In his welcome remarks, Director of the 2026 NUKSA Awards, Mr. David Doherty, expressed appreciation to Governor Diri for accepting the honour and sending representatives to the event.
Doherty said the organisation was pleased to recognise Diri for what it described as efforts to transform Bayelsa’s image in sports and infrastructure development.
He described the governor as a passionate sports enthusiast and one of Nigeria’s outstanding leaders.
Doherty said the awards were designed to celebrate sporting excellence, recognise outstanding contributions and inspire the next generation of athletes within the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom and beyond.
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Other Nigerians Honoured
Other award recipients included Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, his wife, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, wife of former Nigerian President, Dr. Patience Jonathan, Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Mr. Onoriode Oborevwori, and Chelsea youngster Chizzy Ezenwata, who received the Emerging Talent Award.
The recognition further highlights the growing profile of Nigerian sports development initiatives and the contribution of state governments to grassroots sports and youth development.
