The Sports Diplomacy Club, SDC, has appointed Abdulgafar Oladimeji as its General Secretary.
His appointment was confirmed at a virtual meeting of the club which had its founding officials in attendance.
Oladimeji, a trained peacebuilder, obtained his professional training on peacebuilding from the United States Institute of Peace, USIP.
He also holds Levels 1 to 4 international executive certifications in cultural diplomacy and global development.
The meeting also produced the pioneer national leadership of the group.
Mohammed Mansur Ibrahim from Edo State was elected as acting national president, while Tijjani Shehu from Kano and Patrick Osaweme from the South West emerged as advisors.
Greg Okor from the Republic of The Gambia was elected 1st Vice President, while Ibraheem Abdul Tudun Wada emerged as 2nd National Vice President.
The new executive council has a 24-month mandate to further strengthen the structures of the club.
The SDC was founded to promote soft power, projecting how nations use international sports competitions to showcase their values, culture and organizational excellence.
The club also focuses on how sport can create informal channels for dialogue and people-to-people exchanges when formal diplomatic channels are strained or frozen.
Its initiatives support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, by empowering groups such as women, youth, refugees and persons with disabilities.
The club’s activities extend from supporting high-profile mega sports events to community-level coaching camps and youth exchanges.
