Former Sports Minister, Professor Taoheed Adedoja has bagged the highest award of the Oyo state chapter of Sports Writers Association
of Nigeria, SWAN. He has been nominated as the 2011 Oyo SWAN Gold Merit Award Winner.

A statement from the organising committee of the Annual Oyo SWAN Week/Awards said the nomination of Professor Adedoja was based on the
outstanding contributions he made to the nation’s sports sector in just five months in saddle as Sports Minister. The committee noted the giant strides of the Minister in resolving the myriads of court cases and animosity in the Ministry as well as the rapid infrastructural development in Federal stadia across the country.

It noted that these giant strides attracted several commendations from even the most cynical critics, while a survey then placed him among the seven Best Performing Ministers out of the over 40 in the last cabinet. Professor Adedoja was described by Oyo SWAN as “the individual that most bestrode Nigerian sports like a colossus in the outgoing year” and “someone who not only brought his wealth of experience to bear in restructuring and reforming the nation’s sports sector, but whose invaluable expertise is still needed for the nation to make in-roads in sports developmen In the meantime, the association has also pencilled down other Nigerians and corporate organisations for recognition at the awards nite, slated for Thursday, 22nd September, 2011.

They include respected football administrator, Mike Idoko for transforming Sunshine Stars of Akure into the most formidable side in the South-Western part of Nigeria, Deputy Speaker of the Oyo state House of assembly and respected national referee, Babatunde Olaniyan, popularly known as Akoro, former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siaisia and Insurance giants, IGI.