Featured

Excitmement, As Fans Troop Out To Grace Kunav Football League Opening Match

Published

7 years ago

March 15, 2020

Joel Ajayi

It was a carnival like atmosphere as jubilant fans in Vandeikya and its environs thronged the Vandeikya Township stadium to witness the opening ceremony and first match of the Kunav Football League on Friday, 13th, March, 2020.

The curtain raiser which was between Township Ward FC and Ningev Ward FC had in attendance a creme de la creme of guests as well as other sports enthusiasts and well wishers.

Notable among the guests at the opening match were, Hon. Kukase Tyoer Garba, PDP Chairmanship flag bearer, Vandeikya Local Government, Emmanuel Viashima, renowned transporter who was accompanied by his wife, Hon. Bemgba Chia, PDP chieftain VLG, Hon. Ayua, sports secretaries of Ohimini, Kwande and Katsina Ala as well as royal fathers who added colour to the match, amongst others.

The fans enjoyed quality brand of football from both sides with the township team running away with a 3:0 victory over their opponents in the first match.

The Vandeikya Local Government Football Council Boss, Bob Terry Akpenpuun, expressed joy at the turn out of guests and fans for the opening match as well as the quality displayed by both teams.

“To start something is not as easy as many think, but I’m happy today at the turn out of fans, our special guests and the quality of play from both teams.. This to me is a good beginning and I believe Kunav Football League will play to its hype,” he said.

He commended the Organizing Committee and other supporting commitees of the league for a good job and urged them not to rest on their oars. He also assured that the VLGFC will continue to do her best to rid Vandeikya of crime and youth restiveness through football programs that engage the youths positively, while ensuring that outstanding players are supported to further their careers.

” We have a mandate to help these youngsters progress in their chosen career and this we’ll do to the best of our abilities. Therefore, I’m using this opportunity to plead with the committees and other stakeholders not to rest on their oars until success is achieved.” Bob Terry said.

He commended the League sponsor, Dochiss for their great support as well as other Kunav sons and daughters who in one way or another have graciously supported VLGFC to ensure this football project succeeds, and prayed God to reward their labour of love

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Featured

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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