The Federal Government has appointed erstwhile Super Eagles Captain, John Mikel Obi as Youth Ambassador to inspire young Nigerians to strive for excellence.

The appointment which took place at the NOC secretariat, National Stadium, Surulere Lagos on Friday is another of the Minister’s initiatives geared towards driving a vibrant youth for national development, which was attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare.

According to the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media, John Joshua-Akanji, Mikel was described by the Minister as a “role model whose lasting legacies in football development has continued to have a positive impact on youths in the country.”

The Stoke City midfielder was assured of Federal Government support whenever he chooses to invest in the country.

“Time will not permit me to say much about Mikel’s success as a footballer. He is our legend and a role model who has continued to impact the lives of youth positively.

“It is it my pleasure to appoint you as Nigeria Youth Ambassador. It’s a new portfolio and your role as youth ambassador will be made known to Nigerians,” the Dare said.

In his response, Mikel expressed delight with his new portfolio and promised to work with the sports ministry to foster youth development in the country.

“I feel highly honoured to be appointed as Youth Ambassador of this country, it is a great feeling. I am happy with this partnership and I promise to do my best to encourage and inspire the youths towards national development, not just in football but in other sports like Basketball, Boxing among others”, said Mikel.

After the event, Dare took a tour of the National Stadium which is undergoing rehabilitation. He pointed out that a lot had been put into the rehabilitation as he emphasised on the pitch, scoreboard, tracks and the spectators’ stand.

“A lot has been put in place to ensure that the stadium returns to what it used to be. The seats are no longer in line with FIFA standard, but we have partnered a private organization to have modern seats in place,” he concluded.

This appointment is coming days after the former Chelsea midfielder met with the Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello.