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Coaches, Players Talks Tough Ahead Goddosky FC VS WACO FA: Friday’s Game

Published

7 years ago

March 11, 2020

Joel Ajayi

With just three days to the Game between the Nationwide League One (NLO) side Goddosky FC, of Ezinifite iin Nnewi, Anambra state and the champions of the FCT FA league WACO Football Academy Coaches and players of the two clubs are talking tough ahead of the titanic friendly clash.

The epic friendly which set to be organised by Pretty Sports Media (PSM) is scheduled for Friday, March 13, 2020, at the FCT Area 3 Playing Ground in Abuja.

Head coach of Goddosky FC, Nduka Edmund while speaking in a press briefing to herald the game in Abuja on Tuesday, Edmund stated that his led technical crew are doing everything humanly possible without breaking the rules to win the most anticipated encounter.

“The game is not just a normal friendly match, it wants to use the games to access and expose our team ahead of the start of the nationwide leagues one season coming up soon,” he said.

“So we will be at our best when we play against the FCT league champions because we know that they are a very good side as our team,” he said.

In the same vein, Waco FA coach, John Wakili said that the Abuja based is ready to take the bulls by the horn.

“We have to be responsible and win this match, we are ready technically and physically, but we have to be focused from the very first minute, the match will serve as a game to prepare the team for the task ahead”.

“We have a passion to continue our positive results. We believe in ourselves and we have to play positively”.

On his parts, the Captain of Goddosky FC, Eze Chibuzo, said the team is fully motivated by the club’s chairman Chief Eloka Agbasimelo, AKA (Oga ndi Oga) to carry the day.

“We the players have been motivated by our chairman Chief Agbasimelo, and we want to appreciate his kind gesture to the team and make our families happy by winning the game”

Similarly, WACO FA captain, Enoch Tanimu noted that the team will consolidate on their impressive run and get one over Goddosky FC.

“We players want to continue on the impressive performance we had during the season, we know what is at stake. Because we will be playing in front of our home fans by God grace we will emerge winners”.

Meanwhile, Coach Abimbola Samuel, who represented the FCT FA chairman, Adam Mouktar Mohammed , said all facilities and medical equipment needed to ensure a successful event have been put in place.

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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

3 days ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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