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Int. Day of Sports and Peace: Keep Hope Alive, Minister Urges Nigerian Sportsmen and Women

Published

7 years ago

April 6, 2020

Joel Ajayi

Youths and Sports Development Minister Mr Sunday Dare has urged Nigerian athletes to keep hope alive on the occasion of the International Day of Sports for Development and peace despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement released on Monday morning by the Media office of Youth and Sports in Abuja.

According to Dare” On this historic day of the celebration of the United Nations International Day of Sports Development and peace which is celebrated soberly due to the Covid-19 scourge.

“I urge all our sportsmen and women to remain steadfast, strong and to keep hope alive. As athletes, you remain the beacon of hope to unite Nigerians to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Sports and Peace. You must use sports to foster peace, unity and lend support to those that are down. As sportsmen and women, you have an obligation to take up the symbolic role of lifting the spirit of our fellow country men and women.

“Despite the experience the world is going through, we must not allow our spirit of unity, love, care for each other to wane. In our little corners, let us celebrate by geting active through exercises in our homes, a walk in the park and encouraging each other to stay safe. When we stay together, we win together. In the spirit of sportsmanship, we must never give up the fight against the spread of covid-19.

“This fleeting, sober moment for sports , business, social, and economic meltdown will pass and we shall emerge victorious.”

Dare affirmed that “Sports remains the most powerful tool that unites the world during peace and war, and this experience would only strengthen our resolve to win always. Sports fosters peace and unity, it breaks all human barriers and promotes healthy living.

“As we seek to overcome this pandemic, let us encourage those that have caught the virus to be strong and resolute. Together we shall overcome.

“I encourage every Nigerian not to allow their spirit to be dampened,but use the occasion of the International Day of Sports and Peace to spread the message of peace through sports.”

Minister further said, “Despite the sobering moment, the world will always celebrate the advent of the modern Olympics which concides with the world sports Day.

“Sports can be used to drive change, unite the world and keep hope alive even in challenging times like this. We must not be discouraged or disillusioned, but sustain the fight against the spread of the virus . When we have conquered, we shall celebrate through the vehicle of sports . My message is that we must not give up.”

The United Nations had on August 23rd proclaimed April 6th of every year as the International Day of Sports and Peace in commemoration of the opening date of the modern Olympics which started in Athens in 1896. This year is being celebrated without the usual fanfare due to the Covid-19 scourge.

The United Nations has urged everyone to mark the occasion with increased awareness about the Covid-19 pandemic and how to stay safe.

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

Published

5 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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