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Adekuroye, Amusan, others get adopted as Minister launches initiative to support athletes*

Published

5 years ago

December 17, 2019

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday has called on on well meaning Nigerians to come together to ensure that Team Nigeria succeeds in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

He made the call Monday, while speaking at the launch of the Adoption Campaign at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island Lagos.

The Minister who acknowledged that the government could not do it alone, informed guests at the event that Nigeria needed N14bn to prepare for the Olympics in 2020 but had just N2bn in the budget. “This is why we want the corporate world to come in and support our quest to do well at the Olympics. Government can not do it alone,” He said.

He urged all at the event to help keep the hopes of the athletes alive by supporting the initiative. “The hope of the athlete is to be at the Olympics, or the World Championship for their sport; to stand on the podium, and fly their country’s flag. They want to be the reasons why Nigeria’s flag should be hoisted and the national anthem is sung while the world watches.

This their reward; but it is also our honour and prestige, and pride among nations. It is this hope that drives them to invest in themselves, to work hard, to endure all odds, and try to surmount every challenge. We are that hope tonight. Let’s not dash it”, the Minister appealed.

The Minister who also said Nigeria’s sports sector that has the biggest potential to catapult the country into the top ten economies in the world, has not achieved that because the sector struggles with the biggest challenges which includes very low investments.

He added, “For the Adoption Programme, we hope to reach at least 25 number of athletes in 11 number of sports, with our 2020 Tokyo Olympic hopefuls. It is our belief that we have partners here tonight who will adopt one, all or any number of the athletes and support them to win gold. By this, we hope we can give them the right pedestal to flourish, guarantees increased chances of success at the games”.

“Adopt just one – an athlete, a facility, a stadium – or it could just be a training track, or a boxing ring, or the volleyball court at the corner of that community”, Mr. Dare urged.

“There’s something we can each do.
These athletes and youth; they are each travelling the road of their dreams. And only need a little support from us. We can just line the sidelines of their path with a cup of water, or offer a simple clap to provide some push, or just a cheery shout that tells them “we are game!” Sometimes all they need is the little air around them to breathe. We are, by our collective or individual choices, creating and providing that air tonight.
Our actions, no matter how little, will assure them that their journey is not a solo performance, but a team work. And we’re that team”, he charged the gathering.

The Minister’s speech paid off as some dignitaries at the event keyed into the Campaign. Notable among them, business mogul Sir Kessington Adebutu, also known as Baba Ijebu, agreed to renovate the National Stadium in Surulere and recieved a standing ovation from all at the gathering.

The Deputy Governor of Edo state Rt. Hon. Philip Shuaibu also adopted a Nigerian based athlete. Another philanthropist known as ‘Halogen’ adopted Adekuroye Odunayo while Tobi Amusan was adopted by another philanthropist. The Overseas based Adopted athletes are to get $20,000, while those at home would pocket $10,000 from the individuals and corporate bodies that adopted them.

Popular Nigerian musicians, Dare Art Alade and Nice were on hand to thrill the gathering with nice renditions.

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RMRDC: Making Giant Strides Under Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso

Published

7 hours ago

September 19, 2024

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

As we embark on a journey, we always pray for an able, experienced, and courageous driver, pilot, or sailor depending on the means of transportation.

This is because the captain will have enough experience and boldness to navigate out of turbulence and to bring all the passengers and crew to the intended destination.

Interestingly, these fine qualities of ability, experience, boldness, and many more, abound in the man, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso, who we all are pleased was appointed the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, the Director General/CEO by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a few months ago. This is because he has brought his knowledge, ability, experience, and doggedness to bear in carrying out his assignment in charge of the Council.

The RMRDC, operating under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is pivotal in driving Nigeria’s industrial growth by optimizing local raw materials exploitation, development, and utilization. RMRDC, ab initio, was conceived as a child of necessity when Nigeria was reeling from the throes of global recession and plummeting crude oil prices.

Without an iota of doubt, today, the council is experiencing a transformation with massive innovation in raw material exploitation, development, and utilization, supporting business and industrial growth, and contributing to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja to commemorate his 100 days in office, he said the council is laying a solid foundation through numerous innovations that will further enhance growth in the country.

According to him, “In the past 100 days, my strategic pursuits have been to lay solid foundations for enduring success in these goals.

“Upon assuming this position, I set five crucial deliverables which include, refocusing the Council as a premier research institution; Strengthening the Council’s productivity and operational efficiency; and Significantly improving the staff welfare to be the best in the class of similar organizations.

“Others include, Boosting the Council’s visibility and instituting remarkable culture change that encourages ownership and productivity as well as Strengthening and deepening the Council’s place in the international arena.”While speaking on his Achievements so far, the DG revealed further: “My first task, therefore, was to implement a strategic goal-setting for the Council’s staff to define and set out clear objectives and targets to be achieved by the Council within a specified period towards refocusing on this historical mandate. We unleashed five significant initiatives in that regard.

“The nationwide raw material data collection exercise that focused on technical and investment information to drive our mission forward.

“The restructuring and renaming of the former Technology Innovation Complex (TIC), at the Obasanjo Space Center at Airport Road, Abuja, to a Research and Demonstration Plants Complex (RDPC). This complex will be Africa’s first center of excellence in raw material research, featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, technology development workshops, and proof of concept demonstrations.

“We have reactivated the Council’s Journal and repositioned it internationally. The repositioned Journal of Raw Material Research (JORMAR) will host RMRDC’s researchers’ publications, which are crucial in promoting awareness, facilitating knowledge sharing, and informing stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s raw materials sector. “The collaboration with universities and academies will strengthen our capacity for conducting market-guided research, ensuring sustained workforce training while deepening our orientation in science.

“The council has reformulated a new template for all our research proposals to ensure and sustain a clear departure from the old culture of blue-sky and deliberately endless research.”Speaking further, Prof Nwanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso stated that Staff welfare remains a top priority as an issue of unpaid salaries is settled as well as set up a comprehensive welfare program. “Similarly, we established the RMRDC Training School to sustainably build our staff and stakeholders’ capacity to further the staff welfare improvement goal.

“We are committed to openness, inclusiveness, and performance management and have initiated steps to continuously improve staff ownership, orchestrate transformative culture change, boost our corporate visibility, and enhance.

“To further strengthen our visibility and communication strategies, we are upgrading our media infrastructure, which includes the launch of the RMRDC online media platform, The RMRDC TV Online.

“Additionally, we are working hard to effectively enhance the intellectual property and patent portfolio of RMRDC from its current 40 to approximately 200 new patents within the next 24 months. This proactive approach secures valuable IP assets and positions the Council as a leader in innovation within the raw materials sector, contributing to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.“As well as launching an e-registration and certification portal to enhance transparency in the raw materials sector,” DG revealed.

He however reaffirmed his commitment to reshape the future of research, technology, and innovation, driving Nigeria towards an industrially vibrant and technologically resilient economy.

“As I mark 100 days in office, I boldly say that the Council is on the verge of rewriting its history.

“I believe that in no distant future, RMRDC will play a leading role in enhancing raw materials’ development to boost raw materials’ industrial trial processing and attain sustainable industrial growth in Nigeria.

The DG, however, applauded the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for his unwavering support and mentorship, saying the Minister’s leadership has been instrumental in the progress made so far.

In his opening remarks, the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, Mr Chucks Ngaha commended the hard-working DG who has weathered the storm further to put the Council on the ladder of more prosperity.

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