Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

A United Arab Emirates (UAE) official has contradicted the claim by the Nigerian government that it has lifted the visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers. According to CNN, the official from the Gulf state disclosed this in a chat. “There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far,” the source asked not to be named was quoted to have said. Presidential spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, had claimed that the visa ban was lifted after President Bola Tinubu met with Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his UAE counterpart, on Monday. Daily Trust had reported how President Bola Tinubu…

Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and forward Asisat Oshoala are among 24 players invited to the Super Falcons’ camp for next week’s 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations first round, first leg qualifying match against Sao Tome and Principe. Also on the roster are captain Onome Ebi, defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Michelle Alozie and Rofiat Imuran, midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade and Toni Payne, and forwards Ifeoma Onumonu, Vivian Ikechukwu and Gift Monday. Nine-time African champions Nigeria will host the Sao Tome and Principe girls at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Friday, 22nd September, with the return leg scheduled for Tuesday, 26th September. The winner…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso to serve as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). According to a press statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday evening, Cardoso will serve for a term of five (5) years at the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Nigerian Senate. “This directive is in conformity with Section 8 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which vests in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the authority to appoint the Governor and Four (4) Deputy Governors for the…

Tottenham’s James Maddison emerges Premier League’s Player of the Month award for August. Maddison was superb in the opening month of the new season as he settled into life at the Tottenham Hotspurs stadium, scoring once and providing two assists for Spurs in the first three games of the campaign. His efforts have helped Tottenham cope with the departure of former club captain Harry Kane and the England international has contributed immensely to Spurs being second on the Premier League table, just two points off leaders Manchester City. Maddison has already started staking a claim for the September award as…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday said it has arrested a syndicate who specialises in importing banned crusader soaps containing mercury into the country. Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos said that the syndicate used forged customs documents to import the product into the country. According to Adeyeye, the importation of the soap into the country was banned by NAFDAC years ago because it contains mercury. She said: “In the course of its regulatory activities, the investigation and enforcement (I&E) Directorate of NAFDAC has discovered a syndicate that specialises…

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for August 2023. The 58-year-old joined Spurs from Celtic in June as the club’s permanent successor to Antonio Conte and has made a bright start to life in north London. Despite losing all-time record scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich one day before the start of their Premier League campaign, Postecoglou’s Tottenham went through August unbeaten. They began the season with a credible 2-2 draw at Brentford before earning their first win a week later at home to Manchester United, seeing off the Red…

England striker Callum Wilson has signed a new contract with Newcastle United that runs until summer 2025. The 31-year-old, whose previous deal would have expired in 2024, joined the Magpies from Bournemouth for about £20m in September 2020. Wilson has scored 40 goals in 79 league games for Newcastle, including 18 last season as the club finished fourth to qualify for the Champions League. “I’ve been welcomed ever since I came through the door,” said Wilson. “Now the club’s going in a fantastic direction and on a journey, so it’s nice to commit my future to being a part of that.…

The Chicago State University (CSU) has confirmed that President Bola Tinubu attended the university and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree. CSU made this known in a statement issued to CBS Broadcasting Inc. generally referred to as CBS News, one of America’s biggest and most influential news network, on Thursday. The institution, however, said that it was restrained by the United States’ federal law to provide any further information about Tinubu’s record, without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order. Recall that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar,…

Premier League Everton are set to have new owners after Farhad Moshiri agreed to sell his 94% stake in the club to American investment fund 777 Partners. The takeover would bring to an end the tumultuous tenure of British-Iranian Moshiri, who first invested in 2016. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, subject to Premier League, Football Association and Financial Conduct Authority approval. The takeover would mean half of the 20 top-flight clubs are American-owned. Moshiri said in a statement: “The nature of ownership and financing of top football clubs has changed immeasurably since I…

At least 8,000 people have died in flash floods that tore through Libya, Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Thousands more are feared missing after entire buildings were “wiped out” when a seven-meter wave hit the northern coastal city of Derna, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday However, some media reports have quoted officials giving higher tolls. The mayor of Derna estimated between 18,000 and 20,000 people have died in the floods. Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi told al-Arabiya TV these figures were based on the number of districts completely destroyed when two dams burst at the weekend. More grave…

The Federal Government has walked back its earlier pronouncement regarding the resumption of flight operations of United Arab Emirates (UAE)-owned Emirates and Etihad Airlines in Nigeria. According to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, there is no timeframe for the two airlines to resume flight operations in Nigeria. This declaration contradicted an earlier announcement made by the presidency after a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and his UAE counterpart, Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi on Monday, September 11, 2023. Presidential Spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said both leaders reached a historic agreement, which resulted in the immediate cessation of the…

Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh expresses displeasure over non-inclusion of Nigerian referees among match officials listed for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. “I was duly informed that at the last AFCON (2021), Nigeria had only one assistant referee listed amongst the match officials. Two years prior, we didn’t have any centre referee too. Going into the next AFCON, we still won’t have any Nigerian official. “I am going to interrogate this matter. We will have engagements with the NFF, the  Referees’ Association, and the League Board because we need to get to the bottom of…