News Agency of Nigeria
2024 NLNG Golf Classic: Adedipe, Bamimore emerge top winners
Sports

2024 NLNG Golf Classic: Adedipe, Bamimore emerge top winners

By Victor Okoye

The 2024 edition of the NLNG Golf Classic ended in Bonny, Rivers on Sunday with Oluwaseun Adedipe and Lady Kafayat Bamimore clinching the top prizes in the men and ladies categories.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLNG Golf Classic Invitational began on Friday with the tee-off ceremony at the prestigious Bonny Island Golf Club (BIGC)

The competition, which was sponsored by the Nigeria LNG, was the fifth in the series.

The annual golf competition, staged at the serene, and lush green course of the BIGC, saw no fewer than 100 golfers competing for honours in the different categories.

At the end of hostilities, Adedipe and Bamimore clinched the tournament’s top prizes as they emerged winners in the Men’s Division 1 (for handicap 0 to 18) and Ladies Division 1 Categories (for handicap 0 to 28) respectively.

Adedipe played a total gross score of 77, playing off handicap 10 and returned a net score of 67 to claim the men’s top prize.

His closest challenger, Smart Tobin, who played a total of 82 gross with handicap 12, returned a net score of 70, beat BIGC Captain Abubakar Hussaini on count back to finish as first runner up.

Hussaini played a total gross of 77, with handicap 7, and returned a net score of 70 to settle for the second runner-up position in the category.

Oluwaseun Adedipe, overall winner of the 2024 NLNG Golf Classic Invitational at the BIGC in Bonny Island, Rivers State

An elated Adedipe told NAN that even though he has won several trophies in BIGC, winning the NLNG trophy for the first time was such a sweet feeling.

“I have been in this game for more than 10 years. Golf is a game I love so much because it gives me joy.

“I am just delighted every time I am on the golf course because playing helps me relieve stress and so many other things.

“I have won several other trophies in BIGC, but this is the first time I am winning this particular trophy, having come close on several occasions.

“I won the men’s best gross prize in 2023 and also winning the men’s longest drive this year, is an icing on the cake and makes the victory even more sweeter,” he said.

In the Ladies Division 1 category, Bamimore, playing off handicap 28, posted a gross score of 100 and returned a net score of 72 to claim the ladies’ top prize.

BIGC Lady Captain Darlene Cobham with a total gross of 101, playing off handicap 28 and returning a net score of 73 finished as first runner in the category.

While Nkechi Nwafor, playing off handicap 25, posted a total gross score of 100 and 75 net to settle for the second runner-up prize.

The BIGC best gross prize went to the BIGC Captain after he posted an impressive 77 gross.

Former BIGC Lady Captain, Nnena Ahube, who just returned from Morocco, where she represented Nigeria in the All African Challenge Trophy, won the ladies’ best gross prize.

It was a very close contest in the BIGC/NLNG Men’s Division 2 category, as Oludare Oyegbami played a total gross score of 92.

This was after playing off handicap 19 and returning a net score of 73 to beat BIGC Vice Captain, Michael Ukaegbu on count back.

Ukaegbu played a total gross score of 90, with handicap 17, and also returned a net score of 73 to beat Michael Igoni to the first runner-up spot.

Roland Guobadia, NLNG’s Corporate Transformation (CT) Lead, said that the event was a special occasion for the NLNG.

He said its goal was to bring all NLNG stakeholders and partners from all over the country in an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie.

Goubadia said the competition would also strengthen the bond and industry through the game of golf.

“Golf is a very unique sport as there are many benefits too numerous to mention that we get out of it.

“I believe golf has a special position within the context of the Nigeria LNG and our mission to help build a better Nigeria,” he said.

The BIGC Captain, Abubakar Hussaini, expressed his gratitude to all the participants for honouring their invitation in spite of their busy schedule.

Hussaini noted that this year’s edition was a special one as it marked NLNG’s 25 years in operations and 35 years of incorporation.

“I want to thank all the various organisations and golf clubs represented here, starting with our regulators, NCDMB and NMDPRA, as well as our shareholders, NNPC, Shell, Total and Eni

“Thank you for honouring our invitation as it takes some investment of time to come to Bonny to play our lovely and unique course.

“I hope over the last two days you have had the opportunity of playing and enjoying our beautiful surroundings,” he said.

Present at the opening of the competition were the MD, Nigeria LNG, Philip Mshelbila, and Emmanuel Nnabuife, Production Trains Asset Manager, who represented the GM Production Nnamdi Anowi.

Others are Lawrence Chukwu, Terminal Manger, Sam Ekong, as well as BIGC Captain, Abubakar Hussaini and Lady Captain, Darlene Cobham.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Joseph Edeh

Fayemi enjoins youths to embrace reading culture
Culture & Tourism

Fayemi enjoins youths to embrace reading culture

By Joshua Olomu

To preserve the future of Nigerian rich literature, author and wife of former Ekiti governor, Bisi Fayemi, has urged youths to embrace reading culture to produce young creative writers.

She made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the 2024 End-of -Year Dinner and Awards of the Abuja chapter of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), on Sunday in Abuja.

The event tagged “ANAtainment”, featured the launch of the book, “Flights of Imagination, ANA Abuja anthology of poems and short stories.

The event brought together seasoned and young authors, as well as literary enthusiasts.

According to Fayemi, Nigeria has over the years paraded arrays of prolific writers, and to ensure that more writers are produced, young people must embrace reading culture.

She said the digital age had made access to publications accessible without geographical barriers, which have offered this generation of youths the opportunity to read widely.

Fayemi said: “Young people may not have access to the kinds of publications, novels, and books that we had when we were growing up, because it is very difficult to get hands-on copies of books now.

“But there are still opportunities for young people to read out there; there are a lot of information and free publications online.

“If young people can spend hours online, doing one challenge or the other, doing one thing or the other on social media, they can as well spend that time accessing free publications online.

“What we need to do is continue to encourage young people to use the opportunities and the tools that they have, we did not have those things when we were growing up.

“They have them now, so, the world is waiting for them to explore, they should not waste those opportunities.

“To be able to be a good writer, you have to be able to read widely, and I have said on different platforms that I started writing very early because my father motivated me.

“Our parents back then were always looking for ways to keep us engaged, because we didn’t have the kinds of gadgets and things that young people have today, like laptops and phones, and so on.

“So, every Tuesday and every Thursday, I had to write an essay for my father, and I believe that is where I developed a very keen passion for writing.”

Earlier, Chukwudi Eze, Chairman, ANA, Abuja, said the association was committed to engaging young scholars through mentorship programmes that encourage them to embrace reading and writing.

He said the “ANAtainment” event was an opportunity to honour those who had contributed to the success of the association’s programmes during the year.

“This event embodied a pivotal juncture in our literary voyage, and as a chapter, we are thrilled to witness the convergence of creative minds and kindred spirits.

“Our resolve lies in nurturing literary aptitude as our monthly readings have evolved into a platform for budding writers to showcase their prose.

“In our mission to instill a passion for literature among the youth, we have birthed the ANA Abuja Young Readers Club in partnership with the Dabmak Great Foundation International School.

“By engaging with young scholars and immersing them in the joys of reading and writing, we seek to build a sturdy ground work for the future of Nigerian literature.

“To ensure inclusivity and amplify a plethora of voices, the Abuja chapter has broadened its membership scope in alignment with the ANA constitution.

“We now extend a warm invitation even to secondary school students to become custodians of our prestigious association,” he said.

Also, Prof. Emeka Aniagolu, the keynote speaker, commended ANA Abuja for providing a platform that brings together writers to share ideas.

“On several occasions, I have had the distinct privilege of participating in the deliberations, poetry recitations and other activities hosted by ANA Abuja, that breathe new and invigorating life into that literary organisation.

“ANA Abuja, through the enlightened chairmanship of Architech Chukwudi Eze and his able EXCO, has come alive like never before, bringing innovation and dynamism,” he said.

NAN reports that highpoints of the event was the unveiling of the ANA Abuja Anthology of Poems and Short Stories, “Flights of Imagination.”

Certificates of Merit were also presented to members and other stakeholders who have contributed to the growth and development of the writing craft. (NAN) (nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

Institute initiates mentoring scheme to enhance corporate governance practice
General News

Institute initiates mentoring scheme to enhance corporate governance practice

By Rukayat Moisemhe

The Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD), has initiated a mentorship scheme to bridge gaps in knowledge and competencies within the corporate governance space.

Its President, Alhaji Tijjani Borodo, at the institute’s inauguration of the scheme in Lagos, said it was first initiated in 2022 by the immediate past president, CIoD, Dr Ije Jidenma.

Borodo said as leaders, the need for continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and skill development in the complex and dynamic environment cannot be overemphasised.

He said the role of company director was crucial in leading the organisation with a clear vision, strategic direction, and unwavering integrity.

He added that directors were entrusted with the responsibility of making well-informed decisions that balanced the interests of various stakeholders.

Borodo stated that most importantly, directors were expected to position today’s talents and upcoming leaders for future seamless transition and to lead the transgenerational sustainability.

“This is why the CIoD Nigeria Mentoring Scheme is timely and crucial.

“It aims to foster a culture of excellence in corporate governance, develop the next generation of directors and leaders, provide guidance and support for professionals.

“All these while navigating complex governance issues and enhancing the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses globally,” he said.

The CIoD president described mentorship as a powerful tool for personal and professional growth that provided a safe space for learning, reflection, and exploration.

He said the institute’s mentors were seasoned professionals with vast experience in corporate governance, leadership, and management.

According to him, they will share their expertise, experiences, and networks to support the development of mentees.

“We aim to create a community of practice where knowledge is shared, expertise is developed, and relationships are built.

“Our mentees will have access to regular development sessions, CIoD Nigeria’s resources and network, and opportunities for professional certification and recognition.

“Let us work together to elevate the standards of corporate governance in Nigeria as we strive for excellence, integrity, and accountability in all that we do,” he said.

Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, former Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings Plc, tasked the mentees on positive, creative attitude to knowledge and organisation’s goals.

Okonkwo noted that a creative attitude was the fuel of progress and growth as sooner or later, those who win are those who think they could.

He added that the most significant change in a person’s life was a change of attitude as the right attitudes produced right actions.

“A positive attitude is not a destination but a way of life and the difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible as positive attitude is like a magnet for positive results,” he said.

Dr Olusegun Osunkeye, a boardroom guru, said the part of the mentorship scheme was to foster professional growth and leadership development.

He charged the mentors to guide the mentees in achieving professional growth and knowledge competency.

He said with the rise of digital application and in reverse mentorship, a type of mentorship, the mentees (younger directors and employees) could help with older mentors with current trends.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

NNMDA woos stakeholders on pharmaceutical grade starch production
Science & Tech

NNMDA woos stakeholders on pharmaceutical grade starch production

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The Nigerian Natural Medicines Development Agency (NNMDA), has called on stakeholders in the cassava production value chain to collaborate in their Pharmaceutical Grade Starch project.

Its Director-General, Prof. Martins Emeje, made the call at their Consultative Stakeholders Engagement on the Development of Traditional Medicine in Nigeria webinar.

The meeting focused on “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: Natural Medicine, Cassava Cultivation and Pharmaceutical-Grade Starch Production for Health, Wealth Creation, Student, Youth and Women Empowerment-The NNMDA Approach.’’

Emeje recalled the project was approved by the National Assembly following an outcry by the agency to develop homegrown cassava starch fit for medicinal purposes.

“It is a shame that Nigeria, as the largest producer of cassava in the world, will be importing pharmaceutical excipients such as pharmaceutical grade starch to make drugs in Nigeria.

“Instead of rushing into the laboratory, we created a sustainability spectrum and came up with the name- Cassava Value Chain Initiative.

“We want to have a seamless synergy and connection with everybody in cassava value chain cultivation and anything relating to cassava production, including those in academia.

“We want to have a database of everyone into cassava production, location, services rendered, products you supply, so we can do proper geo-allocation of our initiative and decide where you can make an impact on the value chain.’’

He further said that cassava planting for food differed from cassava for medicine, stressing the need to have specialists cultivating cassava for medicinal purposes.

“Those we will take in this area are not going to be planting cassava for starch, for food, but your job will be for our project, we will designate you as the centre for excellent farming in cassava for medicinal use.

“Some of you will be cultivating specifically for us to get the starch that we will convert to pharmaceutical grade, the rest will be left for us to research in our laboratories across the country,’’ he said.

Emeje said they were not deterred in spite of few players in cassava production but would bridge the gap to ensure that cassava for pharmaceutical use was produced locally.

The director-general said the Federal Government had the objective to achieve what was right, which was stopping the importation of pharmaceutical excipients and reactive ingredients.

“We will galvanise people already in the system to achieve this goal and we are not going to reinvent the wheel,’’ he said.

He said they were engaging in a community-based approach to address cassava production for medicinal use, with evidence to discourage resistance in the system.

Emeje recalled that they had stakeholders’ engagement with youths in the past week and would engage the National Association of Nigerian Students, and policymakers, among others.

He said reports on the outcome of the engagements would be collated, and experts deployed to the field to bridge existing gaps in the value chain. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Oluwafunke Ishola

Band Corps festival of security agencies holds in FCT
Culture & Tourism , Defence/Security

Band Corps festival of security agencies holds in FCT

By Joshua Olomu

The maiden edition of the national festival of the Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitary International Band Festival (AFOPPIBAF), is scheduled to hold in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2025.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the festival is aimed at promoting unity among bands of security agencies.

Mr Justin Duru, Director-General of AFOPPIBAF, stated this during a news conference to unveil plans for the festival on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, the event with the theme, “Togetherness: Unity in Diversity, Our Strength”, is to promote synergy, harmony, and cordial working relationships among the band corps.

He said the event is a unique initiative aimed at uniting Nigeria’s military, Police and paramilitary bands, while promoting cultural diversity, creativity and regimental music.

“Military,Police , Paramilitary and Marching Bands play vital roles in providing regimental and ceremonial music for social, national and international events, and essentially in promoting national unity and peace.

“The festival is aimed at celebrating the best of regimental tattoos and music by the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitary bands in a competitive, creative and performing arts showcase.

“It will awaken the latent talents of the activities and services of these integral departments in the promotion of the values, and virtues of the Nigerian AFOPPIBAF.

“It is packaged to improve on and promote experience sharing, synergy, creativity, service delivery and new trends in military, Police and paramilitary regimental tattoos and music performance, aimed at enhancing bonds.

“It will also showcase their creative talents while promoting careers in the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitary band corps for talented and desirous Nigerian youths in music, creative and performing arts.

“This is the first ever festival bringing all the Nigerian security agencies together to celebrate and promote their bands corps in a ceremonial regimental tattoo culture under one platform.

“The theme of the festival is anchored on the song of legendary Nigerian musician, late Sonny Okosun (Ozzidi) “Togetherness”, and is paraphrased, ‘Togetherness: Unity in Diversity,Our Strength”, he said.

Duru said the historic event also tagged National Drumline Festival, will feature regimental music colloquium, serenade and street Parade.

Others are marc-past, creative and cultural displays, drum-battles, tributes and prizes, among other highlights.

He said special guests to grace the event will include past and living military, police and paramilitary leaders as well as heads of Customs, Fire Service, Civil Defence, FRSC and the Correctional Service.

According to Duru, the festival is officially coordinated and produced by African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) in partnership with AfroNem Linx and Klaymann and Gremann.

Others include the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police and the Paramilitary bands.(NAN) (www.nannews,ng)

Edited by Joseph Edeh

Forum tasks grassroots leaders on LG autonomy
Politics

Forum tasks grassroots leaders on LG autonomy

By Fortune Abang

The National Councilors Forum of Nigeria (NCF) has underscored the need for grassroots leaders to prioritise the Local Government autonomy policy to advance democratic dividends in Nigeria.

The National President of the Forum, Yusuf Babawapa, Councilor representing Kano Municipal Local Government, Kano gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He spoke on sideline of the National convention and election of new excos 2024.

The convention with the theme: “Consolidating constitutional local government financial autonomy; derivatives and internal outsourcing for sustainable growth and development” holds from Dec. 11 to 13.

Babawapa said, “As Councilors we need to make sure we explore the Local Government autonomy policy, to bring more dividends of democracy in governance.

“We need to also reach our people at the grassroots. By so doing, Nigeria will achieve more meaningful socio-economic transformative growth at the grassroot level.

“We started this convention in the past three years with the inception of my tenure as National President.

“Our goal is to sensitise and empower our people at the various Local Government Wards to the importance of good governance, particularly as Nigeria has lots of human and natural resources at the grassroots.”

He said not less than 2000 Councilors had so far registered for the convention, saying more were expected from across the 774 Local Governments in the country.

He reiterated that through their participation more people would be reached.

“We are here to educate the various councilors and ensure their effective implementation of the Local Government autonomy policy at the ward levels in Nigeria,” he added.

Highpoints of the event were remarks by Prof. Sheriff Ibrahim, Principal Consultant to the Forum, paper presentation by Dr Bibi Farouk and Prof. Tochukwu Okeke, as well as discussions and interventions. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

NOUN VC focuses on staff development to check brain drain
Education

NOUN VC focuses on staff development to check brain drain

By Emmanuel Afonne

Prof. Olufemi Peters, Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), says the institution will “do everything possible” to prevent the migration of its staff to other countries.

Peters said this in Abuja at the unveiling of an application and registration app developed by Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL), managed by the university.

He regretted that NOUN had, in the past, watched helplessly as some of its staff, who were among the pillars of their units, moved to other establishments and other countries, in search of better opportunities.

According to Peters, time has come to put an end to such development where the institution trains and develops its workforce for others to poach.

“I will not forget that there are some of our staff who got employment to work abroad; some of them were members of our ICT unit,” he fumed.

He said that efforts would, henceforth, be geared towards developing the capacity of staff to discourage them from looking elsewhere.

Peters urged ACETEL to utilise its facilities to the fullest, especially the recently inaugurated registration app and the university data centre.

He said that ACETEL was now ready to admit international students with the inauguration of its application and registration portal.

“We have about 150 International students registered with this centre and their payment has been a bit difficult, but with this new app, they will be able to pay directly to our remitta and become our students.

“First, I must say that this development is a requirement; what we are doing here is a requirement of the funder of ACETEL.

“They must see that we have carried out this exercise, and that we have exposed these facilities to the University community and they are ready to be used.

“We must use them because that is part of the verification and assessment that the funder of this project looks up to. That is the reason ACETEL has invited all of us to be a witness.

“There is going to be a report to our funder ‘World Bank’, about what we are doing, to see that the funds that they have given to us were not wasted, and that we have applied them judiciously,” Peters said.

Director of ACETEL, Prof. Grace Jokthan, said the innovation was a testament to what the centre had become.

Jokthan, while commending the Software Developer, Mr Buhari Al-Hassan, said that the registration portal and the data centre met international standards.

She also commended Mr Sule Onuh, Head Software Development Unit, NOUN, for his steadfastness during the course of the assignment.

“We are happy we can deliver the right services to the students and will also ease the burden of work on the staff.

“So it’s cost effective and it’s also efficient.

“For the data centre, we are happy that we are providing an infrastructure that the university can rely on in terms of data analysis, decision making and efficiency in the running of processes in the university.

“So far, 21 staff of the university have been trained as end users, which means that every segment of the university was trained in order to utilise information from the data centre.

“Our staff were also trained to generate information that can be keyed into the data centre; that is the component of utilisation.

“We will continue to create awareness to ensure there is a handshake between all units of the university,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that former VC of NOUN, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, and representatives from the National Universities Commission, were among invited guests that graced the occasion. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Golf: Nigeria wins bid to host 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy
Sports

Golf: Nigeria wins bid to host 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy

By Victor Okoye

Nigeria has won the bid to host the next edition of the prestigious All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) in 2026.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the AACT is a biennial continental ladies golf championship in Africa that had its inaugural edition in May 1992 in Zimbabwe.

Nigeria hosted the AACT in 1996 at the Ikoyi Club 1938, while in 2010, the AACT was played at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

This would be the third time Nigeria will be hosting the championship.

Interestingly, the West and Central Africa Challenge Trophy (a regional version of the championship) was also held for the first time in Nigeria at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estates and Resort, Lagos, in 2023.

Evelyn Oyome, the President, Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN) who was the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the championship’s 16th edition in Morocco told NAN that
Nigeria emerged winner amongst the 20 countries that took part in the bidding process.

“Nigeria had earlier hosted the West, Central Africa Challenge Trophy in October last year at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate and Resort in Lagos, showcasing its outstanding golfing facilities, with no fewer than 10 countries participating.

“So, hosting that championship successfully last year kind of gave us the edge amongst so many other countries who also bidded and winning was a huge victory for Nigeria,” she said.

Oyome revealed that the Federal Capital Territory would be the host city for the AACT 2026 edition, with no fewer than 30 countries expected to participate in the championship.

“The FCT met all the criteria for a host city, and it will be a great opportunity to welcome the whole of Africa into the nation’s capital.

“The AACT is a great opportunity to promote Nigeria. It is indeed equivalent to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in football,” she said.

NAN also reports that the AACT 16th edition hosts, Morocco, hosted the championship for the first time on the Golf de Tazegzout in Agadir from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30.

The Moroccan national women’s team won brilliantly, marking a new stage in the growth of Moroccan golf.

With the participation of 20 nations, including South Africa, holders of 14 of the 15 previous editions, the emblematic competition of African women’s golf saw Morocco shine.

Thanks to an excellent collective performance, the Moroccan national team, composed of Sofia Cherif Essakali, Rim Imni, Nadia Sanz Ouezzani and their captain Raja Hasnaoui, won with a total score of -7, ahead of South Africa by two shots (-5). Kenya finished 3rd in the competition (+7).

The Nigerian team, which comprised of the LGAN President, Evelyn Oyome, Nnenna Ahube, and Pearl Omaruaye, tried their best but settled for the 12th position though coming 1st amongst West African countries.

Nnenna Ahube, however, told NAN that it was a great and exciting experience for her being the first time she was playing in the AACT.

“For me personally, it was my first time playing the AACT competition, and it was a great experience, though not without some challenges.

“Countries like South Africa went well ahead to train to master the course under the sponsorship of their government, while we went two days before the competition and had only one day to practice.

Nnenna Ahube said that with the identification of talented golfers, sponsorship as well as early training and preparation, the country would perform much better in the next edition.

She expressed her gratitude to LGAN President, madam Evelyn Oyome, for the opportunity as well as Bonny Island Golf Club (BIGC), RA Club, and her community members for the huge support.

“In all, it was a very beautiful experience. A lot of lessons learnt and a lot to fix,” she said(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

NSC tasks federation presidents on transformative sports development
Sports

NSC tasks federation presidents on transformative sports development

By Muhyideen Jimoh

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Malam Shehu Dikko, has charged Presidents of the various National Sports Federations on the need to transform sports development in the country.

Dikko stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a strategic meeting with Presidents and Secretaries of all the Sports Federations in the country.

He said the new vision of the NSC was to transform Nigerian sports industry into a sustainable sports economy in line with international best practices.

Dikko stressed the need for a strong synergy between the NSC and the Sports federations in taking sports to the next level.

“We believe we are all partners with the various Sports Federations, working together for the same goal — to reposition Nigerian sports.

“We came here with a clear mandate from Mr. President to get sports working again by building a sustainable sports economy.

“We can’t just measure our sports by participation in tournaments, but by its contributions to the entire economy, and that is the new mandate and direction,” Dikko said.

The NSC boss subsequently outlined a three-pillar strategy for Nigerian sports development: Reset, Refocus, and Relaunch.

“Our thinking is that competitions are basically consumption, while development is production.

“At the end of the day, we want the success of all of us to be measured by the development we put on the ground to get the sports growing and create value. Then we can move to the next level of competitions,” he said.

Dikko said plans were underway to establish a National Sports Development Fund and a National Sports Infrastructure Board through legislative Acts.

According to him, these structures are expected to provide a solid financial and infrastructural foundation to support sports development across the country.

Earlier, the Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, stressed the need for strategic reforms, emphasising the Commission’s commitment to athlete development and governance restructuring.

“One thing we have also worked on is getting a consultant to come work with the Commission. Mr Bambo Akani, Founder/CEO of Making of Champions will be our Consultant.

“He will work closely with the commission to develop a relationship with the elite athletes across all the Sports through the Elite Development and Podium Board,” Olopade said.

He also announced plans to establish a training fund for exceptional athletes, which would commence in February 2025.

He explained that the fund would ensure athletes received financial support for training well ahead of major competitions.

“Once we do that, we will start paying their training funds long before a major event. The days of athletes getting training grants at competition venues are gone,” he said.

Olapade said as part of plans to improve governance, all sports federations will now have a Chief Operating Officer who would act as marketing heads to raise funds for them.

Responding on behalf of the sports federations, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Musa Kida, commended the NSC’s fresh approach to sports development.

He said the sports federations would work more closely with the NSC to reposition sports in the country.

“Having listened to the remarks of both the NSC Chairman and the D-G, there is a breath of fresh air.

“As Federation Presidents, we are already seeing solutions coming for the country’s sports,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Appointment of SMDF boss followed due process
Economy/Business

Appointment of SMDF boss followed due process

By Martha Agas

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has stated that the re-appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Hajia Fatimah Shinkafi, followed the requisite due process.

The Assistant Director of Information & Public Relations, Mrs Chinwe Ekwugha, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Mrs Ekwugha stated that the re-appointment of the Executive Secretary by President Bola Tinubu was in accordance with the provisions governing the establishment of the agency contrary speculations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Presidential Aide, Bayo Onanuga, announced on Friday that President Bola Tinubu approved the renewal of Shinkafi’s appointment.

She explained that no part of the SMDF Act specifies a term limit for the Chief Executive Officers of the agency.

“The approval, done weeks ago, followed due process and aligns with the extant laws governing the agency, as well as the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act (NMMA) 2007.

“Section 35(2) of the NMMA 2007 stipulates that the executive secretary shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development.

“ No provisions on tenure limit exist in the act governing the agency. The act does not stipulate term limit for the chief executive. Therefore, her re-appointment by the president is in order and does not contravene any law.

“SMDF under her stewardship has been reorganised for capital mobilisation, leading de-risking of investment tools for the mining sector and enabling targeted exploration to fast track mine development amongst others.

“Hence, her pivotal role in our efforts to reposition the mining sector is invaluable, ”She said.

According to the official, the ministry assures mining stakeholders of its continuous support to the SMDF to expand access to lines of credit and lead efforts to strengthen partnerships that will unlock financing to drive economic growth.

She said that the move was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at making solid minerals a significant contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Gabriel Yough

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