Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has named Anthony Joshua, former world boxing champion, a “sports ambassador” for the state.
The governor honoured Joshua, whose parents hailed from Sagamu in Ogun, during a visit to the government house in Abeokuta on Monday.
The 35-year-old arrived in Nigeria a few days ago for an end-of-the-year vacation.
In a video of the visit shared by Abiodun on X, Joshua could be seen prostrating for the governor before the two held each other in an embrace.
The governor says the boxer’s visit demonstrates the “bond we share as a people and our collective pride in the success stories that emerge from Ogun State”.
“Together, we celebrate Anthony Joshua’s accomplishments and look forward to more victories as he continues to make Ogun State proud,” the tweet reads.
“As a gesture of our collective pride and recognition of his contributions to sports, we were delighted to present him with a letter appointing him as a Sports Ambassador for Ogun State. This appointment underscores our commitment to celebrating excellence and supporting individuals who bring honour and pride to our state.”
Joshua’s arrival in Nigeria comes four months after his shock defeat to Anthony Dubois in their IBF heavyweight title fight in September.
His opponent knocked him down four times before his eventual fifth-round knockout at Wembley Stadium in front of 96,000 fans.
The defeat halted Joshua’s four-match win momentum. He eventually vowed that the setback would not make him “run away” and quit boxing.
