AFCON 2023: NIGERIANS RENEWED FRESH CONFIDENCE IN NFF AND SUPER EAGLES AFTER IVORY COAST WIN

Published

8 months ago

January 20, 2024

The Victory of the Super Eagles against host Ivory Coast has given Nigerians fresh confidence that the current crops of Super Eagles players can actually “Do it again”.

Nigeria came into the AFCON tournament with a mantra of Let’s do it again but deep down the heart of many that was just a phrase of cruise and not a tangible reality.

But the mantra is now begining to make sense and looking achievable after the win and performance against an opponent like Ivory Coast.

Before the Ivory Coast game the Eagles played a disappointing one all draw with Equitorial Guinea to further add to the already existing doubts some have had concerning the team.

The Eagles have not been flying under Jose Peseiro and their recent games prior to the AFCON further left many guessing if the coach is really the right man for the job.

Their recent two rounds of World cup qualifiers against lowly rated countries did not live up to expectations with two draws so the skepticism was there coming to the AFCON .

But like what has become a traditional pattern for the Super Eagles in recent years, when you least expect them to show up , they show up big time .

This was exactly what happened against the Elephant of Ivory Coast in front of their home fans.

Coach Peseiro finally got his tactics spot on and decided to play to the strength of the players.

He adopted a very rigid but effective tactics by deploring a 3-4-3 formation that reduced the Ivorians to just playing from side to side without creating any clear cut chances for ninety minutes.

Peseiro choked the midfield and played with three centre-backs making penetrations from the middle a tough job for the Ivorians.

And in the middle of the park, the likes of Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi , Ademola Lukman worked their soaks out.

I have personally being calling for this three at the back formation for sometimes now because I see it as the best option for our team giving their strength and weaknesses.

The next task for the team is to build on this momentum and ride on it as long as they can , which many now believe could take them all the way to the final.

The team’s last group game is against Guinea Bissau and it will be very interesting to see how the Eagles will fair after the Ivory coast game in terms of tactics, performance and mentality.

I personally believe the coach should not tamper with this formation but find additional solutions to how it’s going to be better in terms of personnel.

One player that will further make this formation stronger is the return of Alhassan Yusuf to the team.

The box to box Nigeria version of Ngolo Kante will add more steel and grit to the Midfield.

He has been one of the revelations of the tournament with his sixty minutes performance in the first game against Equitorial Guinea before he got injured.

Making his debut in that game, he shone like a million stars with his work rate, his reading of the game and his calmness with his passess.

The Eagles team and the tournament as a whole desperately yearn for his return and I see Nigeria’s 4th AFCON title coming home.

Written By Michael Obasi
Sports Affairs Analyst/ Presenter Hotsports on Hot FM Abuja

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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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