The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) is set to investigate opportunities in sports manufacturing and how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can create opportunities for the continent’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the sports sector. According to a statement from the commission on Friday, the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the commission and African Sports Unified (ASU) will organise a sports, trade and manufacturing roundtable on Sept. 8 to explore the linkage between the sports industry and the AfCFTA. The webinar will provide an opportunity for dialogue among stakeholders in the sector to explore…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has inaugurated the 2021 Micro Enterprise Grant to 2,160 Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Borno State. The programme is being implemented in collaboration between the Borno State Government and SMEDAN under its Conditional Grant Scheme. Gov. Babagana Zulum, stated this at the inauguration of the exercise on Friday in Maiduguri. Zulum lauded the Federal Government for the launching of the programme in Borno, which he said was fast recovering from insurgency. He said the programme would create employment opportunities and help in projecting the business potentials of the state.…
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede, on Friday in Abuja briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on NIS’s activities aimed at safeguarding the nation’s borders. Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the closed door meeting with the president, Babandede said new measures had been put in place by NIS to check illegal movement of foreigners into the country. According to him, the agency has acquired sophisticated equipment and gadgets to help in exposing persons illegally staying in the country after the expiration of their visa. He said: “I came to brief Mr President because…
The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, has elected Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani as the new Chairman of its Board. A statement by Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi on behalf of TMG and made available to ASHENEWS on Friday, said Rafsanjani along with other members of the Board, were elected at the group’s Annual General meeting (AGM) that took place on Thursday, 26th August at Zeus Hotel, Mabushi – Abuja. Earlier in the day, the AGM kick started with an Electoral Summit with the theme: The Future of Nigeria Election; The Way Forward. “The Summit looked at various issues that can improve or impede elections…
…As Sylva, board members hail Corporation Following the Presidential applause for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on its posting of ₦287 billion profit after tax in the 2020 financial year, the Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, has given an insight into the measures adopted by his management to achieve the feat. Speaking at a press conference Thursday at the NNPC Towers, Abuja, the GMD attributed the turn-around of the Corporation from a loss of ₦803 billion in 2018 to profit of ₦287 billion in 2020 to the aggressive implementation of cost-cutting measures, improved efficiency through business automation, emphasis on…
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to have only 5,000 spectators at next week’s FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Liberia. Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, said in a statement on Friday in Abuja that NFF had applied to have 12,000 spectators at the venue of the match. The match, a Match Day 1 fixture in the qualifying competition, is scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos. “As it is known, we would like to reiterate that the CAF and FIFA COVID-19 match protocols clearly state that all…
Kylian Mbappe arrived at the training ground of French clubside Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Friday amid the expectation Real Madrid would push to complete his signing in the coming hours. Mbappe wore a white baseball cap and white T-shirt, and whether by accident or design that only fuelled anticipation of a blockbuster move to Los Blancos. One deal Real Madrid did complete on Friday was with midfielder Casemiro, who has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2025. The Brazilian’s original deal was set to expire at the conclusion of next season. According to…
Dr Salihu Lukman, Director-General, Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), says state police can only operate in Nigeria, under the supervision of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Lukman said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja, saying that the idea of amending the Constitution to enable State Governments establish state police was unavoidable. “However, there are conditions that must be met before any decision to establish state police can serve as a good response to Nigeria’s security challenges. “This includes the requirement that processes of regulating the operations of the state police should be centralised as part of the functions of…
Sokoto state governor and Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal has reacted to the ruling by Justice Nusirat Umar of Kebbi High Court, who on Thursday, ordered the reinstatement of its national chairman, Uche Secondus. Secondus was earlier sacked by the High Court in Port Harcourt. The party also appointed the Deputy National Chairman (South), Yemi Akinwonmi as the acting national chairman on Thursday. Tambuwal said the party would abide with the restraining order on Secondus issued by the High Court in Port Harcourt. According to Tambuwal, “We are a law-abiding party that believes in the…
Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello on Friday, received the freed children of Salihu Tanko Islamic School Tegina at the government House, Minna. The schoolchildren were released on Thursday night barely 24 hours after the governor went in security tour to boost the morale of joint security operatives who successfully flushed out bandits in Ma’undu community that was deserter by residents due to incessant banditry activities for about a year. Addressing newsmen in the presence of the schoolchildren and their joyful parents, Sani-Bello disclosed that 91 children and two passers-by were kidnapped out of which 92 regained freedom and one of…