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Nigeria Cricket Federation Hires Foreign Coach Set To Unveil In December

Published

3 years ago

November 30, 2020

JOEL AJAYI

The Nigeria Cricket Federation is pleased to inform all stakeholders, players, fans, and the general public that a new head coach has been hired and will resume officially on the 1st of December 2020.

Over the last 3 years, the Nigeria Cricket Federation has experienced tremendous growth and development in all areas of the sport. There are five (5) Key strategic development pillars for which this present administration believed would lead to sustained growth and development of the sport in the country and one of those pillars is to “Improve the quality of our players and officials at all levels through regular local and international competitions and development events.”

The successes recorded in the last 3 years have seen our national teams play at the highest level in world Cricket with our famous participation at the ICC Under-19 world cup 2020 in South Africa, senior men’s Twennty20 world cup qualifier 2019 in the UAE, and the national women’s team world cup qualifier in Zimbabwe also in 2019.

In a bid to continuously improve and maintain the standard of our national team’s performance at the elite level, the Federation has taken a bold step by hiring the services of a foreign coach of international repute and qualification with a proven track record at the highest level. This decision became imperative as Nigeria looks to compete at more international tournaments in the near future and also improve her performance in world Cricket rankings.

Brief Profile:

Asanka Gurusinha (born 16th September 1966) is a former Sri Lankan Australian Cricketer who had an 11-year international career, playing 41 Tests and 147 One Day Internationals for Sri Lanka. A specialist left-handed batsman and a key member for the 1996 Cricket World Cup-winning team for Sri Lanka, scoring 65 runs in the finals against Australia. He is a Level 3 certified coach and was appointed as the Cricket Manager for the Sri Lanka national team in 2017. He has also served in the capacity as the Consultant Regional Coach for Cricket Australia.

The new coach is expected to head the high-performance unit of the Federation and also act as a coach trainer and mentor to our indigenous coaches.

Reacting to the Appointment, the President of the Federation Prof. Yahaya Adam Ukwenya described the move as timely and purpose-driven and one that has enjoyed the support of the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare.

“The appointment of Asanka marks another milestone in this administration’s desire to raise the standard of the game in the country both at the elite and development level. Internally, his appointment will greatly impact on our development structure as we look to begin our Accelerated Growth Program. On the big stage, Nigeria can no longer take a passing interest in World Cricket, we should be able to compete at all levels we play and not just make up the numbers” He said.

The official unveiling of the head coach is scheduled to take place on the 8th of December 2020 at the VIP Lounge, National Stadium Package A, Abuja. Officials of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD), Officials of the Federation, Media, Players, and more are expected to attend.

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FG to Harness the Digital Economy to Empower Youth

Published

21 hours ago

April 17, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Honourable Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande has disclosed that the Federal Government is making efforts to harness the potentials of the digital economy in empowering the youth and creating sustainable jobs.

He made this disclosure in Abuja when he received the participants of the Senior Executive Course 46, 2024 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State who were on study tour to the Ministry.

Mr Olawande said over 50% of the population below the age of 30 have a significant demographic advantage in the digital age.

“Our youths are tech-savvy, innovative and eager to contribute to the country’s economic growth. However, they face numerous challenges including limited access to quality education, skills training and job opportunities.

The digital economy offers a unique opportunity for Nigeria to leapfrog traditional development challenges. With the rise of e-commerce, digital payments and remote work”. “Our youths can assess global markets, skills training and job opportunities like never before,” he added.

According to the Minister, challenges hindering the growth of the digital economy in Nigeria must be addressed.
He explained that to overcome the challenges, the Ministry has implemented initiatives such as digital skills training programs for youths, focusing on areas like software development, data analytics and digital marketing especially in the NYSC.

This, he disclosed is alongside partnering with Galaxy Back Bone to improve infrastructure, Internet connectivity and alternative electricity supply as well as funding opportunities such as grants, loans and venture capital for startups of small businesses with launching of the National Youth Investment Fund.

The Honourable Minister who hinted that the Ministry’ s goal is to create an ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for youth stated: ” We recognise that sustainable job creation is critical to Nigeria ‘s economic growth and stability”

”I urge you all to join us in this journey to harness the potential of the digital economy for youth empowerment and sustainable job creation in Nigeria.”, he added.

Mr Olawande further said that the opportunities and challenges underscore the need for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to harness the potential of the digital economy for sustainable development.

The Minister who observed that there is a gap between the Government and the young people expressed his heartfelt desire for the Youths of the nation to feel the Government. He opined that the country has the most intelligent youths in the world.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation from NIPSS, Barrister Nima Salman Mann, mni said they are in the Ministry to research, proffer solutions, recommendations and strategies to help Government chart its course for the the year, with the theme : ‘Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities’.

.She also added that Ministry of Youth Development is very germane to this year’s theme .” We are with the Ministry of Youth to listen to what you are doing to help the youth, how you are doing it, strategic plans and way forward as well as how we can use the digital economy to chart the goal for sustainable job creation,” she concluded.

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