From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, was on Thursday night among some of the distinguished honorees at the 2026 edition of the Nigerian Universal Keystone Sports Awards (NUKSA) in London.
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 briefly through Igali after receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Sports Development Award, Governor Diri described the recognition from outside Nigeria as an “enormous honour” and a special endorsement of his administration’s achievements in the sector.
He said despite being one of the least populated states in Nigeria, Bayelsa had in the last six years recorded remarkable strides in sports.
He noted that the state was now consistently among the top three best performers in sports in the country and was preparing to host the National Sports Festival in 2028, with construction of world class sporting facilities ongoing.
“Let me express His Excellency’s sincere apologies for not being able to attend in person. The Chief Press Secretary and I are here to represent him.
“On behalf of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, we thank the NUKSA organisers for this enormous honour.
“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. Thank you very much.”
In his welcome remarks, Director of the 2026 NUKSA Awards, Mr. David Doherty, expressed appreciation to the Bayelsa governor for accepting the award and sending a delegation to represent.
He said the organisation counted it as a great honour to identify with Governor Diri, particularly for virtually breaking the glass ceiling to turn around the narrative about Bayelsa in sports and infrastructure development.
Doherty described Diri as a passionate sports enthusiast and one of Nigeria’s outstanding leaders.
He said: “It is a great honour to welcome you to the Nigerian UK Sports Award Gala. Tonight, we are celebrating much more than medals, trophies, and sporting achievements. We are celebrating determination, discipline, community, and the remarkable talents within the Nigerian community here in the UK and beyond.
“Sports has a special way of bringing people together, whether we are on the pitch, in the stands, or at home shouting advice at the television as though the manager can hear us. We are all part of the same team.
“Our mission is to recognise excellence, create opportunities, and inspire the next generation of athletes. On behalf of the committee, I like to express my sincere gratitude to our sponsors, partners, volunteers, and everyone who has contributed to making this wonderful evening possible.”
Other awardees included the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, his wife, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, wife of former Nigerian President, Dr. AyimaLott-Jonathan as well as chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Mr. Onoriode Oborevwori, and Chelsea’s new young sensation, Chizzy Ezenwata, who received the Emerging Talent award among other recipients.
