Nigeria Archives | Page 21 of 30

Marwa charges elites to join crusade against substance abuse, drug trafficking

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago08 mins

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has charged the Nigerian elites to key into the whole-of-society strategy by the NDLEA to curb the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country. Marwa gave the charge in his keynote speech at the Island Club Business Forum in Lagos on Tuesday 19th November 2024. According to him, This is not a challenge for government alone. All of us are stakeholders on this issue and it is an assignment for all Nigerians. The standard whole-of-society approach to the drug issue is such that everyone is a stakeholder. The future of Nigeria belongs to us all. “As we are doing our bit at NDLEA, we expect society to complement our efforts by taking a huge role in preventing the young ones from falling into situations that encourage experimentation with drugs, whether licit or illicit. Every one of us has a role to play, and the simplest role is one of advocacy. By spreading the message, we can all become anti-drug abuse advocates. Spreading the word about the dangers of misuse of drugs can go a long way in shielding more lives from the ruins of illicit drugs. The Island Club can also join in this effort to safeguard the wellbeing of our society from the drug menace,” Marwa stated. He told the gathering of business leaders, students and parents that since the retooling of NDLEA three years ago after he assumed leadership, the Agency has ramped up its drug demand reduction and drug supply reduction efforts leading to significant results, adding that the call for everyone to support the ongoing effort has become imperative because of the forecast by UNODC in 2021 World Drug Report that drug use in Africa will rise by 40% in Year 2030 especially among those within 25-29 and 30-34 age groups as a result of population growth. “By and large, the outlook of the future will depend on our action or inaction at curbing the drug abuse trend. I, being an optimist, believe the future favours Nigeria―only if we get the matrix right. A lot has been said about the future belonging to Africa. Indeed, the potential is glaring, when you factor in the continents burgeoning youth population, the digital aptitude of the younger generation and the enterprising spirit of young people. “But a lot of work has to go into the making of that vision. If we read the statistics correctly, the worlds biggest drug problem of the future could be in Africa. So, the future could be bright or bleak; it could be one of boom or gloom; it could be decades of prosperity or problems depending on the amount of work we are willing to do today. Tomorrow, the saying goes, belongs to the people who prepare for it today,” he stated. He said the enormity of the problem is further reflected by the anti-drug activities of the NDLEA in the past three years. In just three years, we have arrested 52, 901 traffickers, including 52 barons, and 9, 034 have been convicted. The barons we have arrested are not anonymous people in society. They include big business people and socialites some of them have chieftaincy titles and also government officials, including those tasked with maintaining law and order. That tells how deeply the rot had eaten into the fabric of our society. Within the period, we have seized 8.6 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms. Other invited guests who spoke on the menace of drug abuse at the forum include: Prof Harry Ladapo, a consultant psychiatrist and Prof Lere Baale, President, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy. In his welcome remarks, Chairman of the Island Club, Omoba Rotimi Olasode Martins acknowledged Marwas unwavering commitment to combating drug abuse adding that his wealth of experience in tackling this scourge inspire us all. He described drug abuse as a menace that has infiltrated every layer of our society, threatening our youth, destabilizing families, and undermining the socio-economic fabric of our nation.” “Today, we are gathered not only to discuss its devastating impact but, more importantly, to explore practical, sustainable solutions to this epidemic. This event exemplifies what Island Club has stood for since its inception a hub for meaningful discourse, community engagement, and solutions-driven dialogue. “As we embark on this journey today, let us remember that the fight against drug abuse is not just about enforcement or legislation, it is about building a society that offers hope, opportunities, and support to its citizens. Together, we can create a Nigeria where our young people can thrive, free from the shadows of addiction”, he added.

Shettima: Ifeanyi Ubah’s free spirit pulled down political, ethnic barriers

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Vice President Kashim Shettima @officialSKSM today joined his former colleagues at the Senate in paying glowing tributes to the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, saying the free spirit of the late lawmaker who passed on earlier in the year, broke down political and ethnic barriers. Shettima’s tributes followed the valedictory session held at the Senate Chambers in honour of the late senator whilst his remains were laid at the foyer of the White House Wing of the chambers. Reading his tribute during a valedictory session on Tuesday, the Vice President described the late Senator Ubah as “the youngest member of the 9th Senate and one of its brightest stars, whose age belied his political dexterity and grassroot affiliation. “His bridge-building capacity elevated his political journey beyond older and more established giants in the arena and he was easily on his way to bigger conquests when the lord called him home,” Senator Shettima noted. Recalling one of his encounters with the late Anambra-born Senator, while serving as Governor of Borno State, the VP recalled that Senator Ubah’s generosity “knew no bounds and his free spirit broke down political and ethnic barriers”. While condoling the family, friends and associates of the late lawmaker, the Vice President reminded the gathering that “death is an inevitable destiny that is hanging on everyone’s neck,” adding that “we are travelers on our journeys home, from God to God.” Earlier in his remarks, the Senate President @SPNigeria, Senator Godswill Akpabio announced that the day had been set aside to honour the life and time of Senator Ubah, drawing the attention of Senators to their departed colleague’s seat adorned with the Nigerian flag and four symbolic candles as a mark of respect. Senator Akpabio described the late businessman from Otolo, Nnewi North, Anambra State as a visionary leader with extraordinary empathy for all and a champion for economic empowerment and community development. The Senate President said the death of Senator Ubah has created a huge deficit in the political terrain of the country, regretting that the vacuum created will be difficult to fill. Senators took turns during the valedictory session to pay tributes to their departed colleague, praying God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

WCL: Edo Queens’ Essien, Odoma top CAF Best XI

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago03 mins

Edo Queens duo of Emem Essien and Cordeila Odoma have been shortlisted as one of the eleven top performers following the conclusion of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024 group stages. According to CAF’s Technical Study Group (TSG) Odoma alongside AS FAR’s Nouhaila Benzina, Shadia Nankya of FC Masar and Karabo Dhlamini of Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies complete the back four as full-backs. The attacking trio is led by Edo Queens’ lethal Emem Essien, who is assisted by AS FAR teenage-star, Doha El Madani as well as Lacho Marta of TP Mazembe. UWC’s highly experienced Amogelang Motau anchors the midfield, just behind the attacking pair of AS FAR’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Sandrine Niyonkuru of FC Masar. AS FAR shot-stopper Khadija ER-Rmichi, with just one concession in the group stages, rightfully earns the goalkeeper position. The CAF TSG comprises various African football experts, including coaches, analysts, and technical advisors. The Best 11 is headlined by four AS FAR players, two each from tournament debutants, Edo Queens as well as FC Masar, while Mamelodi Sundowns, University of the Western Cape (UWC) as well as TP Mazembe make up the final 11. The CAF Technical Study Group also confirmed the best performing players and coach for the group stages as follows: Top Goalscorer Doha El Madani (5 goals) AS FAR #7 Best Player Sanaa Mssoudy AS FAR #18 Best Goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi AS FAR #1 Best Coach Ahmad Ramadhan FC Masar The tournament enters the exciting knockout stages today (Tuesday), 19 November, when Edo Queens takes on TP Mazembe at 4pm Nigeria time before former champions AS FAR take on FC Masar at 7pm.

Ademola Lookman tops CAF Awards final shortlist

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

The Confederation African Football (CAF) has officially unveiled the Top Five Nominees in each of the Men’s Categories of the upcoming CAF Awards 2024. The 2024 edition of the CAF Awards is set to take place in Marrakech, Morocco on 16 December 2024. Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire / Brighton & Hove Albion), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea / Borussia Dortmund), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain), Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta) Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns) have all been lined up for CAF Awards 2024 Player of the Year Top Prize. Other categories announced today include Goalkeeper of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Club of the Year, National Team of the Year. The glittering ceremony designed to celebrate African football excellence recognizes exceptional performances in both club and national competitions, culminating in the prestigious tites of CAF African Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s categories. A total of seven (7) categories have been confirmed by CAF in the Men’s Category of the awards, shortlisting the five top performing players, coaches and teams in each of the categories. The CAF Awards 2024 cover the period between January 2024 and October 2024. PLAYER OF THE YEARSimon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire / Brighton & Hove Albion)Serhou Guirassy (Guinea / Borussia Dortmund)Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns) GOALKEEPER OF THE YEARAndre Onana (Cameroon / Manchester United)Yahia Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire / Angers SCO)Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt / Al Ahly)Stanley Nwabali (Nigeria / Chippa United)Ronwen Wlliams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns) INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEARIssoufou Dayo (Burkina Faso / RS Berkane)Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ (Egypt / Zamalek)Hussein El Shahat (Egypt / Al Ahly)Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt / Al Ahly)Ronwen Wlliams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns) COACH OF THE YEARPedro Goncalves (Angola)Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)Sebastien Desabre (DR Congo)Marcel Koller (Al Ahly)Hugo Broos (South Africa) YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEARKarim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire / Salzburg)Oumar Diakite (Cote d’Ivoire / Reims)Yankuba Minteh (Gambia / Brighton & Hove Albion)Eliesse Ben Seghir (Morocco / AS Monaco)Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco) CLUB OF THE YEARAl Ahly (Egypt)Zamalek (Egypt)RS Berkane (Morocco)Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia) NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEARCote d’ivoireDR CongoNigeriaSouth AfricaSudan

Ugo Ugochukwu lifts FIA FR World Cup

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

American driver Ugo Ugochukwu romped home as champion in the FIA FR World Cup on Sunday, despite four safety cars. The 17-year-old R-ace GP driver has dominated the 27-vehicle field from beginning to end. Early on the Guia Circuit that was no longer damp, Ugochukwu was challenged by Germany’s Oliver Goethe and Mexico’s Noel Leon. British Freddie Slater tried to overtake Leon, to no avail though. The race was later marked with a pile-up of vehicles near the notorious Lisboa corner, prompting a red flag. But the incident did not pose any distruction to the early momentum built by the front runners. After pit stop repairs, Ugochukwu sustained his dominance, leaving his rivals in the slipstream. With 11 laps remaining, China’s Liu Ruiqi suffered a glitch, bringing another safety car onto the circuit. Ugochukwu supercharged ahead to leave Goethe at least one second behind, with Leon closely trailing behind. The gap between the first two then widened to two seconds. In spite of so, Goethe succeeded in pulling off the fastest lap time of the race. Shortly afterwards, a third safety car emerged to respond to another vehicle malfunction. The outcome of the race was almost certain in the last two laps although Freddie Slater from the UK attempted to challenge Leon’s third spot. However, his bid was short-lived as the SJM Theodore PREMA Racing driver rammed into a barrier.

Rivers Hoopers through to 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago03 mins

Defending champions Rivers Hoopers have secured a spot in the Final of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Eight after edging Gboko City Chiefs 79-73 in a hard-fought semi final showdown on Sunday. Kelvin Amayo led the charge with 22 points, while Okiki Michael and Buchi Vincent Nwaiwu chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Nwaiwu made it a double-double with 12 rebounds while adding 2 assists and one three pointer midway through the third quarter. Rivers Hoopers continue to dominate the league, boasting the best offensive and defensive record. Their stifling defense was on full display, as they recorded an impressive 11 steals and 5 blocks. The game was marred by controversy as Gboko City Chiefs repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions, prompting a 30-minute delay. The contest eventually resumed 6 minutes into the third quarter. Timothy Kwaor who finished with a game high 24 points for City Chiefs shot 6/11 from deep. Kwaor made three straight threes at the start of the fourth quarter. He however ran into foul trouble and was made to leave the game with four minutes remaining to play. The KingsMen did more than enough to seal the victory over Gboko City Chiefs. This victory marks the KingsMen’s fourth victory in four meetings over Gboko City Chiefs, underscoring their dominance in the league. The first outing was at the Final Four in Port Harcourt last November and twice in the Chief of Defence Staff Basketball Championship in Abuja last month. Unbeaten this season (11-0), Rivers Hoopers aim to secure back-to-back Basketball Africa League (BAL) appearances when they face Hoops & Read in Monday’s final.

Davido to donate N300m to Orphanage homes

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago03 mins

A Nigerian singer David Adeleke popularly known as Davido has pledged to donate the sum of N300million to Orphanage homes across the country. Davido made the pledge on his official X handle on Monday. The Songwriter stated that the donation to the Orphanage homes is to celebrate his 32nd birthday on November 21. He wrote; “Once again, my birthday this year we are donating to orphanages and charity that helps young people stay away from drug and addiction. “This year is N300m. “Details to folow soon.” Davido founded the Davido Adeleke Foundation in 2022 with the help of other charitable organisations, in a bid to help vulnerable children. In July 2023, he proudly announced the foundation donated over 200 million to orphanages in the country and 13,818 children benefited from it. In the press release posted at the time, he said: “I founded the DAF in 2022 with a strong desire and passion to continually assist and create a proper framework for the ongoing charitable works to benefit the good people of Nigeria. Through this Foundation we have raised millions of Naira and dispersed much-needed funds to hundreds of orphanages significantly improving the lives of countless children.” The charitable tradition began back in 2021 after the singer’s birthday, when he made over ₦200 million in donations after sharing his bank account details on his Twitter (now X) page. After amassing the large sum of money, the singer announced that he planned to donate it all to orphanages across Nigeria, “I am delighted to announce that all the funds received totaling ₦200,000,000 will be donated to orphanages across Nigeria as well as the Paroche Foundation,” he said.Keeping to his word, he disbursed the funds after adding ₦50 million.

I almost gave up but Nigeria stood by me -Chidimma Adetshina

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Miss Universe first runner-up Chidimma Adetshina has revealed that she almost gave up during her difficult times. Adetshina who is law student and model born and raised in South Africa represented her father’s country Nigeria in this year’s beauty pageant. She withdrew from the ten finalists of Miss South Africa in August after facing xenophobic attacks on social media. And four months later, she became the first runner-up to Miss Denmark who was crowned Miss Universe 2024. “To Nigeria: Thank you is not enough for all the support you’ve shown. You picked me up when I was at my lowest. “I’ve never opened up much but I was ready to give up on my life but you became my strenght to fight. “I’m so grateful for each and everyone for walking this journey with me. “To Africa: Thank you for showing your love and support. As much as I represent Nigeria, Africa fought for me. My voice, my story touched many and brought us together, This journey has taught me the power of unity, I want us to live in a society where we can all accept and celebeate one another. “This is not the end but the beginning of my journey. “Love Miss Universe 1st runner,” wrote after emerging runner-up at Miss Universe pageant. Meanwhile, the Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has hailed the emergence of Chidimma Adetshina, on her emergence as the first runner-up at the 2024 Miss Universe. Adetshina, Nigeria’s representative at the 73rd Miss Universe Competition held in Mexico, trailed behind Denmark’s Victoria Kjaer Theilvig who was crowned the winner of the contest. In a statement on Sunday by her media aide, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the NiDCOM boss described Miss Adetshina’s feat as a “reward for her doggedness and resilience.” Dabiri-Erewa expressed excitement that despite all odds, Chidimma remained focused and attained her goals. She recalled “Adetshina’s controversial official withdrawal from the Miss South Africa 2024 contest, of which she had advanced to the final stage , some few months back, noting that Nigeria warmly welcomed her, after being literally forced out of South Africa,” the statement read. “Describing her as brilliant, focussed and determined, she urged others to emulate the spirit of Nigerianess in Chidimma by being proud of the country and not run it down under whatever guise.” The beauty queen was warmly received at the NIDCOM Lagos office, and thereafter hosted to a grand reception at Idris Olorunnibe’s “The Temple,” Victoria Island, with music legend, D’banj in attendance.