Nigerian University To Award Segun Odegbami Honorary Doctorate

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January 25, 2023

The former national team captain is receiving an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Human Kinetics

A former captain of the Nigeria national football team, Segun Odegbami has been selected as one of the recipients for Honorary Doctorate Degrees at the forthcoming graduation ceremony of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).

Odegbami, a key member of the Eagles when they won the first African Cup of Nations in 1980 on home soil is to receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Human Kinetics at the university’s 7th Convocation ceremony coming up in February

Odegbami has, over the years, been one of the shining examples of successful Nigerian sporting figures that have also excelled academically.

He earned the nickname ‘Mathematical’ having attended and graduated from Nigeria’s premier technical institution, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied Mechanical Engineering.

The talented winger, who is arguably one of the best players to don the country’s green and white jerseys, has other known academic accomplishments.

While he is understandably delighted at the honour set to be bestowed on him, Odegbami admitted it is a pleasant surprise for him.

“Even in an atmosphere of ominous dark, grey clouds, some sunlight shines through. “Odegbami began in a Facebook post announcing the well thought out gesture by FUOYE.

“A week ago, completely out of the blue, I received a call from an emissary, followed by an official letter from the office of the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, giving me the good news of the desire of the university to confer on me an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Human Kinetics at the university’s 7th Convocation ceremony coming up in February.

“I was going to keep it to myself but wiser counsel by a few friends that I shared it with prevailed. So, here I am, using this small medium to publicly acknowledge this offer,” he added.

Odegbami expressed profound gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, the Governing Council, the Senate, Staff and Students of FUOYE for finding him deserving of such an exalted honour.

“This is fuel to my spirit and my being. I shall continue to make my humble contributions to the fields of sports, society and humanity,” Odegbami concluded.

It is heartwarming that more Nigerian football stars are also warming up to academic degrees, with the likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Taiwo Awoniyi, Rasheedat Ajibade and many more celebrating academic accomplishments even while actively playing football at the top level.

UNILAG Hints Admission Seekers On Ban Of Two Courses

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 25, 2023

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The University of Lagos has said there will be no admission into Biochemistry and Petroleum & Gas Engineering for 2023.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Public Relations Officer, UNILAG, Joke Alaga said, “We can’t accommodate those two courses right now and it is for those currently buying UTME form.”

A statement by the institution read, “All prospective UTME and Direct Entry candidates for the 2023 admission exercise should please note that the University of Lagos will not run two programmes, namely: Biochemistry and Petroleum & Gas Engineering. Hence, there will be no admission into the two programmes.

“Candidates are hereby advised not to choose these two programmes, while those who have done so already should change to other programmes.”

CBN Insists Old Naira Notes Deadline Jan 31

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 24, 2023

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it will not extend the January 31 deadline for N1,000, N500 and N200 notes to cease being legal tender despite pressure from Nigerians on the need for an extension of the deadline.

The nation’s apex bank also warned commercial banks in the country to desist from dispensing the old naira currency through their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) or face sanction from the bank.

Addressing traders at the Katsina Central Market Thursday on the need to change their old currency, the CBN Director of Currency Operations, Ahmed Bello Umar, said the bank has no plan to extend the deadline.

The old notes are expected to be out of circulation by January 31 yet there is scarcity of the new notes as banks keep dispensing old notes to their customers across the country.

But Umar explained that the apex bank has enough new naira currency which have since been distributed across commercial banks for onward disbursement to their respective customers through ATMs.

He added that the management of the CBN has directed that from Friday last week, “all ATMs must carry only new notes. If the banks don’t have the new notes they should not load the old notes”.

He said: “The January 31 deadline is fast approaching and the CBN has no plan to extend the deadline. So, all those who have the old notes should please take them to their banks so that they will be exchanged or credited to their accounts.

“We are going round towns and cities in Nigeria to ensure that all the ATMs are loaded with new notes. And there is relaxation on the policy, they can dispense any of the notes either N1,000, N500 or N200 notes.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria across the whole country has enough new notes to go round to everybody. So, we will expect that in the next few days, every ATM in Nigeria will have the new notes. We are going round to check.

“So, we are appealing to the general public that if they go to any ATM and see them dispensing old notes they should report them to the Central Bank of Nigeria so that we can take action on the bank to know why they are not loading the new notes.”

He added that the CBN was using the ATM because it is the most democratic way that money will go round to every Nigerian, saying individuals can withdraw up to N500,000 and corporate organisations N5 million in a week based on the newly adjusted cash limit policy.

President Buhari Commissions First Phase Of Lagos Blue Line Rail

By

Angel Gimalo

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January 24, 2023

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In Lagos State, history has been made with the completion of the Lagos Blue Line Rail Phase 1 scheme (Marina-Mile2) infrastructure, with testing scheduled between Wednesday and first quarter of 2023, when the line will be fully operational.

The official opening took place in January 24, 2023, at the same time that the second phase will commence.

The first phase of the project, executed by the State Government, which spans 13 kilometers, has five stations – Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, National Theatre and Marina.

This iconic Marina Station would be the largest and busiest in Africa. It has the capacity to process about 450 passengers per minute, meaning that in an hour this station can process about 25,000 passengers.

The master plan has six rail lines and one monorail, 14 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, over 20 water routes and a number of major roads.

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday officially commissioned the first phase of the 13km Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) train popularly called the Lagos Blue Line.

The rail project according to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is to restate the state government’s commitment to bring the entire stretch of the blue line to completion.

He said the blue line commissioning is a product of the timeless vision of the state that dates back to 20 years, adding that one of the greatest legacies was developing a comprehensive roadmap for the future of Lagos that clearly defines the pathway for a modern, prosperous and globally competitive megacity.

The Lagos State Governor stated that the Lagos State Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) was envisioned as a sixth metro line of which the blue line which is a 27 Kilometer stretch, running from Marina to Okokomaiko was the first to be completed.

“With the Federal Government support, we have received tremendous assistance, especially on the Lagos Badagry expressway which is the main corridor for this rail project,” he said.

He pointed out that the benefits of the blue line will reduce travel time and improve the quality of life of citizens while making Lagos one of the most resilient megacities not only in Africa but also competing with other megacities in the world.

“You might also know too that these blue line systems will be powered end to end by high voltage electricity to be supplied by a dedicated independent power source as well as a backup system. This means that the operation of this line will have zero carbon emission impacts on the environment.

“This iconic Marina station that we are hosting here today will be the largest and the busiest in Africa. It has the capacity to process about 400 to 450 passengers every minute, meaning in an hour, the station can process about 25,000 passengers.

“Mr President, I want to thank you for your commitment. And thank you for the support you have given us, Sanwo-Olu added.

He commended the President for assisting with clearing waivers on custom duty to bring in the trains, saying that the completion of the blue line is the first rail system by a sub-national in Africa.

Earlier, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Cui Jianchun, said the blue line is a sustainable project demonstrating the Lagos State government’s commitment to making the state thrive.

He added that the Chinese government is seeking efforts towards harmonizing and fostering economic growth between Nigeria and China.

“We seek harmony in coexistence, harmony in development. With the commissioning of this blue line, we can achieve a sustainable line of time, sustainable line of federal life,” he said.

He noted that the Chinese government has identified 15 specific projects, urging both countries to work together to develop their respective economies.

“We believe that in the coming years, we can achieve political consonance, economic cooperation, military and security collaboration, international affairs and people to People communication,” Jianchun stated.

On his part, the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the completion of the infrastructure of the first phase of this people-oriented project has five stations – Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, National Theatre and Marina, adding that the Lagos blue line was divided into phases for ease of implementation and is expected to move more than 500,000 passengers when the entire line is eventually completed.

President Buhari Commissions Largest Rice Mill In Africa

By

Angel Gimalo

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January 24, 2023

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Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated the long-awaited 32-metric tonnes per hour Lagos Rice Mill located in Imota, Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos.

The president arrived in Lagos on a two-day visit that will see him commission a host of projects in the commercial capital of the country.

According to reports from, Buhari, arrived in Imota around 5:30 p.m. and took a brief tour of the mill in the company of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, amongst other dignitaries and government officials. The president unveiled the rice and observed a brief display of how it is being produced and packaged.

Details of the rice mill: The Lagos Rice Mill, Imota is a two x 16 metric tonnes per-hour mill standing on an area of 8.5 hectares of land.

The project has an annual paddy requirement of over 240,000 metric tonnes to produce 2.5 million bags of 5OKg rice per annum.

The mill is located in an area of land of about 22 hectares big, with the mill itself occupying 8.5 hectares. The rest of the land is to be used for an industrial park.

The rice mill is regarded as the largest mill in Africa and the third-largest mill in the world.

Speaking at the event, Sanwo-Olu said that Lagos was ready to support Buhari’s rice revolution. According to him, the Lagos Imota Rice Mill is part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s agricultural revolution.

“When he started his government, he says Nigeria must grow what they eat and they should eat what they grow. “We are happy that Lagos is the testament for that. With 2.8 million bags of 50kg rice per annum, Lagos is ready to support rice and food revolution in Nigeria.

“The units rice mill will create close to 250,000 direct and indirect jobs. We want to thank the local communities of Imota in Ikorodu. We thank you all for waiting patiently.

“Mr president is indeed excited that we have stated another first in Nigeria and in sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.

Also speaking, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, Commissioner for Agriculture, said that the mill would produce wholesome rice for Lagos residents at an affordable price.

Dr. Rotimi Fashola, Special Adviser to the governor on Rice Initiative, said the mill would perform cleaning, boiling, drying, sorting, hauling, polishing, and bagging of rice using the digital, automated, and latest machine in the world.

In his contribution, Dr. Femi Oke, Chairman, of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State and South-West Zone, commended the state government for the laudable initiative. Oke said that farmers would continue to support the mill by providing more paddy.

Mr. Raphael Hunsa, the Chairman, of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, said the new rice mill would encourage farmers to produce more in the state.

“This project is very wonderful, it is a thing of joy to us as rice farmers in Lagos. I am happy that such a thing is happening in Lagos,” he said.

Flying Eagles to Play Zambia’s U20 in Two Abuja Friendlies

By

Emenike Agu

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January 24, 2023

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Seven-time African champions, Flying Eagles of Nigeria will take on their Zambian counterparts in two friendly games in Abuja as part of preparations for this year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

The tour has been consummated following a request letter from the Nigeria Football Federation on 13th January, and which met with the ready acceptance of the Football Association of Zambia.

Through a letter dated 14th January 2023, Adrian Kashala, FAZ’s General Secretary, said the Zambia football-ruling body was agreeable to the proposal. The proposal for the tour includes FAZ flying the Junior Chipolopolo to Nigeria while the NFF will bear the cost of accommodation, feeding and other logistics for the Zambia delegation.

The two matches will take place on Friday, 27th Januaryand Monday, 30th January 2023respectively.

Free-scoring Flying Eagles have scored a total of 10 goals in two friendly games since resuming camp after the yuletide period – the latest being a 5-1 mauling of Galadima FC in Abuja on Wednesday.

Champions of the WAFU B U20 Championship held in Niger Republic in May 2022, the Flying Eagles have been drawn to play hosts Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique in Group A of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations taking place 19th February – 11th Marchthis year.

Zambia, champions of the 2017 Africa U20 Cup of Nations which they hosted, reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Korea Republic the same year, before losing to Italy after extra time in Suwon.

In Egypt, Zambia will be up against Tunisia, Benin Republic and The Gambia in Group C, while Uganda, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Congo battle things out in Group B.

All four semi-finalists in Egypt will qualify to represent Africa at the 23rd FIFA U20 World Cup finals slated for Indonesia 20thMay -11 Junethis year.

Serie A: Osimhen Scores Again As Napoli Go 12 Points Clear

By

Emenike Agu

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January 24, 2023

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Osimhen who is the Serie A top scorer almost got a second goal in Saturday’s outing

Victor Osimhen scored his 13th goal in the Serie A this season as Napoli breezed to a 2-0 victory over Salernitana on Saturday.

Osimhen, who is enjoying a superb run of form this season, has now scored in three consecutive Serie A games even as Napoli continue to push for their first league title in over two decades.

For Saturday’s tie, goals on either side of halftime ensured Napoli extended their lead at the top of the log to 12 points ahead of second-placed AC Milan and one more ahead of third-placed Inter.

50 – Napoli are the third side in the three points for a win era to have reached 50+ points in the first half of a single Serie A season, after Juventus and Inter. Olympus.

Both Milan teams will be in action on Sunday as they look to cut Napoli’s lead.

Though getting the three points at stake was the ultimate, Napoli were far from their usual best in Saturday’s away tie.

Nonetheless, Luciano Spalletti’s men shot into the lead three minutes into first-half injury time

It was Andre-Frank Zombo Anguissa who embarked on a driving run to the by-line before letting off a fine pass to Giovanni Di Lorenzo at the far side of the area and he crashed home an effort in off the post.

Napoli’s advantage was doubled three minutes into the second half.

Eljif Elmas’ fine curling effort from the edge of the penalty area came back off the post and Osimhen was on hand to slot home the rebound.

The gangling Nigerian striker who is the Serie A top scorer almost got a second heading Piotr Zielinski down low to the goalkeeper’s right but Guillermo Ochoa dived to push the ball away.

Though there were a couple of other chances, the scoreline was intact at 2-0 as Napol increased their lead at the top while Salernitana remain in the 16th spot.

Senate Seeks Old Naira Notes Extension Till June 30

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 24, 2023

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The Senate on Tuesday again urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend the use of old Naira notes till June 30, 2023.

This followed a motion on naira redesign moved by Senator Sadiq Sulaiman (APC-Kwara North) on the floor.

The Upper Chamber on December 28, 2022 advised the CBN to extend the phasing out of old currency notes scheduled for January 31, 2023 for six months.

However, the CBN has vowed to go ahead with its January 31, 2023 deadline.

Senator Sulaiman said the call has become necessary in view of the financial hardship the “rushed” phasing out of the old Naira notes would inflict on Nigeria, especially the rural populace, who don’t readily have access to banking facilities.

He insisted that the redesigned notes are scarce and not available for those wishing to change their money to the new notes.

Relegation-threatened Everton sack Lampard

By

Emenike Agu

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January 24, 2023

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With seven losses from the last eight league matches, Lampard was given the boot as the team continues to implode

The English Premier League witnessed another managerial casualty following the sacking of Frank Lampard as Everton’s head coach on Monday.

Lampard’s sacking has long been anticipated following the poor string of results under his watch; the latest being last weekend’s 2-0 loss to fellow relegation battlers, West Ham.

With Saturday’s result, Everton have 15 points from 20 games this season; their worst ever in the history of their participation in the Premier League

Lampard, 44, has overseen just three Premier League wins all season while Everton also failed to progress past the third round in the FA Cup and League Cup.

The decision to sack Lampard comes a year and a week after Rafael Benitez was also given his marching orders after just seven months in the post.

Lampard’s departure marks a sad end to a managerial tenure that held so much promise in its early days.

Many still have fond memories of the emotional night at Goodison last May when the Toffees secured their Premier League survival with a stunning come-from-behind win over Crystal Palace.

Though Lampard may not have gotten the required results to keep his job, his positive influence on some of the Everton players cannot be wished aside.

Particularly, many will be proud of the vast improvement made by Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi under the former Derby County and ex-Chelsea manager.

Iwobi aside from becoming a super regular and playing virtually every minute week in and week out has also contributed greatly in terms of goals and assists.

While an official statement is being awaited on who takes over from Lampard, many names are already in the hat as possible replacements.

The long list includes Sean Dyche, Nuno Espirito Santo, Wayne Rooney, Marcelo Bielsa, and Duncan Ferguson, among many others, as Everton kickstart the process of hiring their eighth manager in 10 years.

Obasanjo Scores Hat-Trick In College Old Boys Football Tie

By

Emenike Agu

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January 24, 2023

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The novelty match pitted old students of Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta against former teachers of the school

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday led the football team of Baptist Boys High School (BBHS), Abeokuta in a football novelty match play held as part of activities to mark the 100th year of the college.

Mr Obasanjo, who is a former student of the school, was the star attraction for spectators, many of whom are also former students of the school.

In the novelty match which pitted old students of the college against former teachers of the school, the former president scored a hattrick to end it 3-0 in favour of his side.

Notable old students in the game include Bukola Olopade, a former Sports Commissioner in Ogun State; and Hakeem Akintunde, who is the Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in the state.