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Nigerian Footballers Urged To Help Govt Fight COVID-19

Published

7 years ago

March 26, 2020

As Federal Government intensified the fight to prevent further spread of COVID-19, with a call on private organisations and Nigerians to support the campaign, Nigerian footballers playing in the lucrative European leagues have been urged to assist government in its fight against the global pandemic.

The pioneer executive chairman of Gombe State Sports Commission and proprietor of Nigeria National League side, FC Yarmalight, Malam Farouk Yarma, made the solemn call in a statement he released via his social media handle, yesterday.

Yarma said the Nigerian players should emulate the like of Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and tennis great, Rogers Federer, among others who have contributed towards fighting the scourge of global COVID-19 in their respective countries.

“We have heard of the contributions made by players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, among others towards fighting the Coronavirus in their countries and the world at large. “I’ve expected to hear same gesture from Nigerian players, especially those playing in the lucrative European leagues, but that didn’t suffice.
The entire world, Nigeria inclusive, is currently in trying period. Governments and the people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

“Nigerian masses are on top of the list of these neediest. Our footballers should be philanthropic and donate to the course of these masses. Many of Nigerian professional footballers can make contributions which will wipe away many tears.

“We are not praying for the proliferation of Coronavirus in Nigeria, but the country and its people need to take preventive measures. These measures need funds and the government alone should not be left with this responsibility.

I solemnly call on Nigerian footballers to donate adequately and help the government in assisting the country’s masses in the trying period. I know they can,’’ the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has announced plans to ban inter-state travel and possibly close down all motor parks as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, disclosed the plans, yesterday

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

Published

4 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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