Sports

FG inspects national game facilities for official inauguration

Published

4 years ago

February 1, 2023

The Federal Government in collaboration with the National Lottery Nigeria, a private company on Tuesday in Abuja inspected facilities in readiness for the official inauguration of Nigeria’s National Game.

Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, the Director-General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), after the inspection, expressed satisfaction over the facilities on ground, saying “they are impressive”.

Gbajabiamila said that the standard had been set for the operations of lottery gaming in the country.

“These are the kinds of the setup that we see when we go on a visit abroad and I just hope they are going to maintain them because the facilities are very impressive and I am glad with what I have seen so far.”

He said Nigerians would benefit immensely from the game when officially launched as it would create more employment for Nigerians.

On addictive gambling by the juvenile in lottery operations in Nigeria, the D-G assured that the facilities would also serve as tools to checkmate the excessive involvement of the underaged being a digital online operation.

“I believe in the terms and conditions that NLRC takes on responsible gaming and underaged gaming and other concerns on addiction of gaming, I believe the company knows what to do as I earlier discussed with them.

“The fact that it is a digital online operation, it will be easy for them tactically to identify those players who are becoming addictive in gaming. “

According to him, the model of operation will be different from every other game as it will add values to the national sports and economic development of the country.

Responding, Mr Layi Onafowokan, the Managing Director of National Lottery Nigeria, expressed delight over Gbajabiamila’s visit to inspect the facilities in readiness for the official inauguration of the game in Nigeria.

“His visit is to inspect our facilities in readiness in terms of going live on the operations of the national games and I am happy that he is pleased with what he met on ground.

“This shows our commitment to deliver on these national games to Nigerians. As you can see, our facilities, studio and everything is ready and that is the reason for his visit here today.”

According to Onafowokan, the games, which involve instant games, mega-naija-jackpot and other games to be unveiled on the official launching day, are looking at not just the regional level but also at the national level.

He said it also would help to alleviate a lot of tough times faced by many Nigerians.

“This is a mere fact that we come up with these national games to change people’s lives and we will bring that credibility to Nigerians who believe in us that we are here to change the lives of Nigerians.

“What we are doing here today will be to the economic benefits of our country, to our community in general.

Share on Facebook

Sports

Flamingos’ Historic World Cup Feat Draws Musawa’s Commendation

Published

19 hours ago

November 8, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to claim Nigeria’s first title in the competition and make history as the first African nation to win the tournament.

Awawu Bashiru gave Nigeria the lead in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku extended the advantage two minutes after the restart. Japan’s Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on to secure a memorable victory.

In a congratulatory message was signed by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze on Sunday in Abuja, Musawa described the achievement as a defining moment for Nigeria and a significant milestone for African women’s football, attributing the success to the team’s resilience, talent and determination.

“This is more than a trophy. It is a story of young Nigerian girls who refused to give up, who rose after defeat, and who carried the hopes of a continent to the top of the world,” she said.

The Minister noted that the Flamingos had broken new ground by becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria also became the first African country to win both the men’s and women’s U-17 World Cup titles.

The team further achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the first side in the competition’s history to lose its opening match and eventually emerge champions.

Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage encounter, the Flamingos recovered impressively, recording six consecutive victories to lift the trophy.

Musawa particularly praised Umejiaku, who claimed the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player, and Bashiru for their crucial contributions in the final.

She also commended the entire squad for their discipline, teamwork and determination throughout the competition.

According to her, the victory demonstrates the creativity, courage and excellence of Nigerian youths on the global stage.

The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the achievements and inspiring stories of young Nigerians who continue to bring honour to the country.

“Our girls have shown the world what Nigeria is made of. We celebrate you today, and we will continue to stand with you,” she added.

Share on Facebook