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My Visit To Nigeria Is Toward Sports, Education Devt.-Dr. Corttrell Kinney

Published

7 years ago

September 18, 2019

American Sports Agent and Consultant, Dr Corttrell Kinney who has arrived in Nigeria for a sports development project in conjunction with Bereckiah International Sports Agency has revealed that the quest towards sports, Education and humanity development remain the reason for his coming to the country.

He made known on Wednesday in a media briefing that his sports development project in Nigeria with Mr. Wonders Nwigwe Nduka is all about growth and development of Sports and Education

According to him, this is the first time I will be launching a project with such magnitude as regards education and sports with Bereckiah International Sports Agency with the immense help that the agency has administered in bringing other partners on board.

While speaking about his partnership with Wonders Nwigwe; Dr. Cottrell Kinney said: “Yes, it’s about Sports, Yes, it’s about education and it’s also about humanity. Touching the lives of all kids and also helping the youths to realize their own abilities and their prominence in the world. We all know about the talents that are abounding in Nigeria, and if they are given the opportunity to connect, then we connect.

“It’s not only about soccer [football], but it’s also about American football, baseball and also basketball, and so we are looking at a multiplicity of sports; tennis as well”. Kinney disclosed.

As regards the scholarship that would be given; Kinney said; “The scholarships would be full scholarships for students to study; which would have housing [accommodation], food, transportation which would be paid for from our end and also have sponsors in America; and eventually we hope to have a sports-life academy here [in Nigeria] with the involvement of Bereckiah International Sports Agency to have a bigger platform in searching for talents and nature them to limelight”

With the ongoing rise of racism, Dr. Kinney made known: he revealed “Whether Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, you represent a tribe. Racism has to speak of what kind of character you have first, your integrity, knowing who you are. But doing a program of the united front, we can tackle racial issues with a cultural train, by training the mind to be very confident and making yourself not being attacked through racism. Education is Key, and they will respond.

Dr. Cottrell Kinney expressed his gratitude to be in Nigeria, to work with Beraciah International Sports Agency’s CEO, Mr. Wonders Nwigwe Nduka, the youth of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo(GCON), Governor’s, Senators, House of Representatives and also Nigerians who have given him a warm welcome since he arrived the country.

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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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