Author: Chief Editor

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other stakeholders yesterday launched the Agric for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP) initiative aimed at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 on food production in the country. The joint venture for the private sector via out- grower and farmers’ scheme was aimed at increasing the supply of locally grown food while simultaneously creating employment opportunities in the agricultural sector. Other key stakeholders in the initiative are the state governments and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Andrew Kwasari, said the pandemic has…

The United States government has sanctioned six Nigerians for conducting an elaborate online scheme to steal more than $6 million from its citizens across the United States. The US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said that the six individuals designated on Tuesday manipulated their victims to gain access to their sensitive information and financial resources. He noted that technological advancements that provide greater interconnectivity also offer greater opportunity for exploitation by malicious actors who target at-risk Americans. However, the US government did not disclose the identities of the Nigerians involved in the scam. It…

The family of late Rashidi Yekini on Tuesday said they were yet to receive the N30,000 monthly stipend promised by the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The NFF board led by Amaju Pinnick had pledged to support the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare’s pronouncement to place late Rashidi Yekini’s mother and that of late Samuel Okwaraji, with monthly stipends of N10,000 each. The sister to late Rashidi Yekini, Simiat, on June 16 confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the minister had redeemed his promise and the family had received the stipend…

The Premier League returns on Wednesday after 100 days in the deep freeze, with Liverpool on the brink of winning the title in a radically changed football universe. The English top-flight follows Germany’s Bundesliga and La Liga in Spain in rebooting their seasons after the coronavirus lockdown, aiming to cram 92 games into six weeks of breathless action. Aston Villa kick-off against Sheffield United, to be followed later on Wednesday by Manchester City v Arsenal, before a cascade of matches. Despite vocal complaints from some clubs and stars including Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, “Project Restart” has largely gone smoothly,…

Maurizio Sarri takes on his former club Napoli in Wednesday’s Italian Cup final looking for his first trophy as Juventus coach days before Serie A resumes after a three-month shutdown.Juventus are chasing a record-extending 14th Italian Cup against five-time winners Napoli in Rome after the Turin giants’ four-year cup-winning streak was ended last season. Sarri took over at Juventus one year ago after a season with Chelsea during which the Premier League side won the Europa League. Before that the 61-year-old spent three seasons with Napoli, battling Juventus for the title, before falling out with club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.…

Champions League winner Rafael Benitez and former Barcelona star Paulinho have arrived back in China after being locked out by coronavirus, but now face 14 days’ quarantine and an indefinite wait for the season to begin. About a third of the foreign players and coaches in the Chinese Super League have been unable to come back since late March after the country barred entry to most foreigners. Dalian Pro coach Benitez and Paulinho, Guangzhou Evergrande’s Brazilian international midfielder, were two of the highest profile figures stranded abroad. However, former Real Madrid and Liverpool manager Benitez, 60, wrote on the Twitter-like…

Former English champions, Manchester United, yesterday added Nigeria and Leicester City holding midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi to their shopping list this summer as the club aims to return to winning ways it enjoyed over two decades under the watch of Sir Alex Ferguson. According to UK’s The Express, the 23-year-old AFCON 2019 bronze winner with the Super Eagles last summer in Egypt, is also on the wish list of French champions PSG and former UEFA Champions League winners, Real Madrid in the recent time. According to reports, while other big teams are looking at the Nigerian player passively, Manchester United Manager,…

By Tunji Olaopa There is no longer any doubt that the black race is under siege. This fact has been on the table for centuries. And there is no longer any surprise, but bemusement, as to why it remains an issue in the twenty first century. We have the tragic death of George Floyd as a terrible reminder that race is still alive and kicking in the United States, in the whole of North America and Europe, and all across the globe. This needless death is also the signifier of the connection between Africa and the African diaspora that gives…

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says he is at a turning point in his career and it will be a difficult decision whether to extend his contract at the London club or not. The Gabon international, whose deal ends in June 2021, has scored 61 goals in 97 appearances since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 but has yet to lift any major silverware in England. “I haven’t had an offer recently, but I did speak to the club quite a few months ago, and they know why nothing has happened yet,” Aubameyang, who turns 31 on Thursday, told French football…

Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Iker Casillas announced on Monday he was ending his bid to run for the presidency of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “I would like to inform you that I have decided not to run for the upcoming RFEF elections,” the Porto goalkeeper wrote on social media. The 39-year-old said he was pulling out of the race for the top job in Spanish football as a result of the “exceptional social, economic and health situation that our country is suffering”. He said the COVID-19 outbreak which has claimed…