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Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has appointed Frank Areguame Ilaboya, a former Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos Chapter, as Special Adviser on Grassroots Sports Mobilisation.
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, was conveyed in a letter dated October 9, 2026, signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq.
“I write to inform you that the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Monday Okpebholo, has approved your appointment as Special Adviser on Grassroots Sports Mobilisation with effect from October 9, 2026,” the letter read.
Ilaboya, a veteran sports journalist, later rose to become Chairman of the Edo State Football Association.
Reacting to the development, a former Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (1999-2002), Dr. Nasir Danladi Bako, OON, the Kogunan Sokoto, congratulated Ilaboya on behalf of sports-loving Nigerians, veteran sports administrators and writers.
Bako said Ilaboya deserved the appointment, citing his many years of service in sports writing and football administration.
“His years of toil and sweat, embedded in his sheer doggedness, stiff determination, and unhindered and unbridled capacity to achieve results, makes him most qualified and acceptable for this job,” he said.
He urged the new Special Adviser to recognise the importance of growth and development in the task of grassroots sports mobilisation.
“May the Almighty see you through successfully as you contribute your quota to the development of sports in Nigeria as a whole,” Bako added.
