Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has invited 30 home-based players for training as the Nigeria Football Federation emphasizes its commitment to qualifying the Super Eagles B team for the upcoming African Nations Championship finals.

The 8th edition of the tournament, exclusively for players competing in their domestic leagues under standard contracts, is set to take place in February 2025 across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Among the notable players invited is the experienced midfielder Rabiu Ali from Kano Pillars, who has made a significant impact this season with eight goals. He is joined by Remo Stars’ goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, Rivers United’s defender Steven Mayo, and the promising forward Sunday Megwo from Abia Warriors.

Additional players include Enyimba FC’s goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, wing-back Ismail Sadiq from Remo Stars, Kazeem Ogunleye from Enugu Rangers, and Anas Yusuf, a forward from Nasarawa United.

The squad also sees the inclusion of Nasarawa United’s Victor Collins and Adamu Abubakar from Plateau United, both of whom were previously called up for last month’s AFCON qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda.

All selected players are expected to report to the Remo Stars Sports Institute in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, as they prepare for the crucial first leg of the qualification fixture against Ghana’s Black Stars B, scheduled for December 22 at the Accra Sports Stadium. The second leg will be held at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on December 28.

Historically, Ghana has presented challenges for Nigeria, having prevented the Super Eagles from reaching the African Nations Championship finals in both 2009 and 2023. In past encounters, Nigeria faced setbacks despite strong starts, and they are determined to turn the tide in this upcoming qualification series.

Below Are The 30 Home Based Players Eguavoen Invited For Training

Goalkeepers:

– Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC)
– Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars)
– Nurudeen Badmus (Kwara United)

Defenders:

– Ismail Sadiq (Remo Stars)
– Waliu Ojewole (Ikorodu City)
– Imo Obot (Enyimba FC)
– Taiwo Abdulrafiu (Rivers United)
– Junior Nduka (Remo Stars)
– Victor Collins (Nasarawa United)
– Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International)
– Steven Mayo (Rivers United)

Midfielders:

– Jide Fatokun (Remo Stars)
– Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars)
– Saviour Isaac (Rangers International)
– Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors)
– Emmanuel Ogbole (Kwara United)
– Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)
– Kazeem Ogunleye (Rangers International)

Forwards:

– Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United)
– Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United)
– Osy Martins (Lobi Stars)
– Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars)
– Temitope Vincent (Plateau United)
– Samuel Ogunleye (3SC)
– Abiam Nelson (Kano Pillars)
– Meyiwa Oritseweyimi (Bendel Insurance)
– Ngbemena Ikechukwu (Heartland FC)
– Sunday Megwo (Abia Warriors)
– Umar Al-Amin Ibrahim (El-Kanemi Warriors)
– Adams Aminu Sani (Kano Pillars)

The Executive Director of Patriots for Advancement of Peace and Social Development, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has declared total support for the tax reforms proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

He submitted that most Governors who are opposed to the tax reforms are lazy and unwilling to work to build the internally generated revenue of their states.

Shinkafi made the submission on Monday while speaking as a guest on Arise News.

He argued that most of those against the bill have not studied it, nor do they understand the content.

He further dismissed claims that the tax reforms are anti-north, clarifying that the new revenue-sharing formula prioritises performance-based allocation.

“Because of how the monies are going to be shared based on your performance, based on your contribution, that is why they are complaining. Most of these states are lazy, most of them are not ready to develop the state to generate the revenue, that is why they are complaining,” he said.

In defending the bills which are before the National Assembly, Shinkafi also defended the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the legislative session in which the bill was debated by the lawmakers.

He submitted that opposition to the bill is politically motivated and based on misinformation.

“The attack by the Northern Youth Assembly is uncalled for.

“All the attacks, blackmail, [and] mischief-making are politically motivated against the Deputy Senate President,” Shinkafi stated.

Shinkafi further submitted that Northern Governors who are against the bill do not understand its content.

“If they have gone deeply into it, the governors will not be crying foul… These governors are responsible for the economic failure, insecurity, chronic unemployment, acute poverty, and educational backwardness in the northern region,” he argued.

He listed some of the benefits of the tax reform bills and why all stakeholders should embrace it.

“Small businesses with turnover not exceeding ₦50 million are exempted from paying annual taxes. Pharmaceutical products, food items, educational materials, agricultural equipment, and export goods are also exempted from VAT,” Shinkafi stated.

He added that the reduction of income tax for small businesses from 30% to 25% is a significant advantage.

Shinkafi also dismissed speculations that the tax reforms are skewed in favour of Lagos State, and attributed such narratives to misinformation.

“People are being misinformed on the new tax bill against the presidency… The most important thing is for you to be upright in your decision and very transparent and accountable,” he said.

As a solution to the controversies surrounding the bill, Shinkafi called for public hearings to enlighten the public on the contents and merits of the bill.

“The issue of attribution and derivation is clear. With public hearings, all these would have been avoidable,” he noted.

Teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have launched a strike just three days before the completion of terminal exams, protesting the failure of area councils to implement the new minimum wage of ₦70,000.

As a result of the industrial action, students who showed up on Monday to continue their first-term exams were sent home.

The strike has disrupted the education of primary school pupils in the FCT, who have already experienced multiple work stoppages by their teachers this term.

The latest strike follows a similar one on September 18, which lasted for 14 days before being called off on October 7, leaving students at home for almost three weeks.

Comrade Ameh Baba, Chairman of the Nigeria Teachers’ Union (NUT) in the Kubwa chapter of the FCT, explained that the strike was prompted by the continued non-payment of arrears by the area council chairmen.

He stated, “And now the ultimatum of December 1st deadline given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for any state to comply with the minimum wage of ₦70,000 has come into effect. Hence, we don’t have any option but to comply.”

Baba noted that while the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had approved the minimum wage and arranged for the first payment with the November salary, teachers under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) had not received this adjustment.

He added that primary school teachers in the FCT are also still waiting for the ₦40,000 peculiar allowance and ₦35,000 wage award that have been owed to them for up to a year, leading them to continue their strike until the issues are addressed.

Nigeria’s inaugural private television station, Desmims Broadcast Nigeria and Alheri Radio (DITV) has declared a halt to its operations due to challenging economic conditions.

Naija News reports that the oldest private radio station in Northern Nigeria announced this development in a statement released over the weekend in Kaduna.

The Acting General Manager and Chairman of the Management Committee, Idris Mustapha, noted in the statement that the surging operational expenses, especially the rising costs of electricity, have rendered it unfeasible for the station to operate effectively.

This announcement represents a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s media sector, particularly for the Hausa-speaking audience, which has consistently supported DITV and Alheri Radio throughout the years.

“The escalating cost of power has made it impossible to operate the station effectively,” the management announced, expressing its regret over the development and assuring the public that standard transmission would resume as soon as the financial situation improves.

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience this may cause our millions of viewers and listeners,” the statement added.

Mustapha elaborated that the financial challenges were intensified by the failure of numerous businesses that had previously advertised on the television station to fulfil their financial commitments, which had a considerable impact on revenue generation.

The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has insisted that the proposed tax reforms by President Bola Tinubu should not be implemented as they are.

Governor Zulum maintained that if the bills are passed, most of the money from the Value Added Tax (VAT) will go to Lagos State.

He, however, warned that if President Bola Tinubu uses his power and influence to get the bills passed by the National Assembly without making the necessary adjustments, there would be consequences for the people.

While insisting that he is not against the administration of President Tinubu, Zulum asked for more time for consultations on the tax reform proposals in the spirit of democracy.

The Borno State Governor added that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the Governrs are not against the President.

“We know the power of the president. I’m a system man; I respect him. If the president wants to use his power to pass the tax bill, he may have his way, but it has its consequences on the people,” Zulum said during the interview with Channels Television on Sunday.

Naija News recalls the President in October, asked the National Assembly to consider and pass the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583; The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) BILL, 2024- SB.584; The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585; and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.

Despite opposition from some quarters against the bills, the Senate has passed the bills for second reading.

Abdulrasheed Shehu, an aide to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said the idea of a merger or alliance with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, remains a possibility.

Naija New reported that Atiku and Peter Obi reignited discussions around the possibility of both uniting for a run at the 2027 presidential election after their Saturday meeting in Yola.

Obi was the keynote speaker at the 20th anniversary of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), which Atiku owns.

Although spokespersons for both politicians denied any political undertones to the invitation, social media was abuzz, especially after Atiku posted a video of the breakfast meeting with Peter Obi at his Yola home.

However, there are speculations that the meeting was part of preparations for the 2027 presidential race, as the crises within the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) show no signs of resolution.

An X user, Theo Agada, wrote, “Repeat the 2019 ticket and promise to do one term. Then watch the Nigerian people do their thing.” 

Quoting Atiku’s tweet, the LP’s Lagos State governorship candidate in the last election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour,  wrote: “We must form a united opposition to end this T-pain remix that we are all featuring in,” referencing the current hardship in the country.”

In a post via his X handle, Doyin Okupe, who served as Peter Obi’s campaign director but recently switched allegiance to President Bola Tinubu, offered a different perspective.

He said, “The politically naive, ignorant, or bigoted have always insulted me whenever I state that politics is a game, not religion. No permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests! Interesting times ahead. We now move from Consumption to Absorption. End of discussion!” 

However, speaking with Daily Trust, Abdulrasheed Shehu clarified that there was no discussion about the 2027 election or a merger during Peter Obi and Atiku’s meeting on Saturday.

He noted that the two politicians would make their position on possible mergers known at the appropriate time.

He said, “There was no conversation around 2027. He only welcomed Obi to Yola and had breakfast with him, after which they went to AUN together where Obi gave a powerful lecture. But you know, Oga (Atiku) is the one who started the call for a coalition of opposition leaders after the 2023 general elections to defeat the APC in the next election. When the time comes, their position will be made known.” 

Barring any last-minute change of plan, the workers in the Federal Capital Territory,  Cross River, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Kaduna and Zamfara states may down tools on Monday (today) following the failure of the state authorities to negotiate the payment of the N70,000 new minimum wage.

Though the implementation panels set up by the concerned states have been meeting with labour leaders in a bid to ward off the strike action, the various state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress have expressed their readiness to embark on a strike from today.

The FCT Council of the NLC had earlier directed the workers in the six Area Councils to embark on an indefinite strike on December 1 until further directives were issued.

This was contained in a letter signed by the Chairman of the FCT Council of the NLC, Stephen Knabayi, on Saturday.

This followed the directive of the NLC leadership to workers in 14 states and the FCT to embark on industrial action from Sunday over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage.

Knabayi faulted the failure of the area council chairmen to respond to the demand for the implementation of the minimum wage, despite receiving the communique of the National Executive Council of the NLC dated November 14, 2024.

The Nasarawa State chapter of the NLC on Sunday declared its readiness to declare a strike if the minimum wage was not paid.

The state NLC Chairman, Ismaila Okoh, disclosed that a notice of strike had been issued to all the labour members.

He, however, revealed that the Nasarawa State government had reached an agreement with the union to pay N70,500 to the workers, adding that no document had been signed regarding the implementation.

He said, “We have notified all our members to embark on strike tomorrow (today) because of the non-implementation of the national minimum wage in the state.

“Although the minimum wage committee set up by the state government has agreed to start paying N70,500, no document has been signed to that effect up till this moment.

“So, we are observing the situation to see if the documents on the minimum wage will be signed before tomorrow morning. However, if nothing is done between now and midnight, our members will have to fully comply with the strike as they were directed.”

To avert a shutdown, the Kaduna State Government said it had commenced the implementation of the new national minimum wage, with the least-paid worker in the state receiving N72,000 as gross salary in November.

The PUNCH reports that many states agreed to pay above the N70,000 minimum wage, with Kaduna State offering its workers  N72,000 as minimum wage.

Despite the positive development, the state chapter of the NLC confirmed its planned strike.

The state’s chairman of the NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, said the workers would embark on a strike as directed by the NLC leadership.

When asked if the NLC was prepared to embark on a strike, Suleiman replied, “Yes, we are set for the strike.”

However, a  statement on Sunday by Ibraheem Musa, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, insisted it was “a misrepresentation  for the NLC to claim that  the state has defaulted in the payment of the new minimum wage.”

Musa noted that the state government had complied with the letter of the National Minimum Wage Law.

“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has complied with the spirit and letter of the National Minimum Wage Law, by paying the lowest paid civil servant N72,000 last month,” he said.

He added that the NLC had been pushing for consequential adjustments but the state government argued that there was a difference between salary increments and the minimum wage.

Musa explained that the state government received an average of N8bn from the Federal Allocation and generated around N4bn monthly, totalling N12bn  revenue.

However, he said with the implementation of the minimum wage, the monthly wage bill had increased from N5.4bn to N6.3bn, including N4bn deduction for loan payments every month.

This, he said, left only N2bn for rural transformation, healthcare, education, and other public services in the state.

“It will be unfair for Kaduna State Government to spend almost all its revenue on consequential adjustments, after paying the mandatory minimum wage.

“There are over 10 million people who are also entitled to the accrued revenue of Kaduna State. There are 84,827 civil servants in the state. So, it is unreasonable for the government to spend over 90 per cent of its revenue on just about one per cent of the population,” he added.

Musa urged the NLC to exercise patience over the consequential adjustments, pending when the state government’s revenue improved.

“Governor Uba Sani is labour-friendly. He has demonstrated this by providing buses for civil servants to commute to work free of charge, as part of the palliatives to cushion the prevailing economic challenges,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the NLC in Ebonyi State, Dr Oguguo Egwu, disclosed that the state workers had been directed to join the ongoing industrial action from today.

According to him, the warning strike, which will last one week, was sequel to the failure of Governor Francis Nwifuru to implement the new national minimum wage.

He said, “Talking about the new national minimum wage as it concerns Ebonyi State, our governor on September 11 at the Ojiji festival of Izzi Kingdom announced the new minimum wage of N70,000 and we are all aware of that.

“We were very happy and excited that Ebonyi would be among the first states to implement the wage. But subsequently, there was no communication and no information.

“And we heard that the governor wanted to implement the national minimum wage without any due process of collective bargaining where both the workers and government angle would meet to agree on the consequential adjustment.”

Also, the Zamfara State NLC secretary, Ahmed Abubakar, said workers in the state had yet to receive the new minimum wage, and as such had no alternative but to join the strike.

He said, “We are going to join the strike as directed by the national body of our great union to express our anger over the non-payment of the new minimum wage.”

Abubakar, however, explained that the union would continue to dialogue with the state government on the issue.

The organised labour in Cross River is set for an industrial action over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage in the state.

The Cross River State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Gregory Ulayi, disclosed that the union would embark on an indefinite strike if the state government failed to implement the new minimum wage to workers.

However, it was learnt that the state government reached an agreement with the state chapters of the NLC and TUC late on Sunday night to pay the N70,000 wage to its workers.

Calls to the NLC and TUC officials to clarify whether the state workers would still embark on strike were not answered as at the time of filing this report.

President Bola Tinubu says the good life that Nigerians thought they were living prior to his administration was fake and capable of collapsing the country.

Speaking on Saturday during the 34th and 35th combined convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Ondo state, Tinubu said the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of exchange rates were necessary to save Nigeria from the brink of collapse.

Tinubu announced the end of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, during his inauguration.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also announced the unification of all segments of foreign exchange markets.

The president, represented at the event by Wahab Egbewole, vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said his administration took decisive action to avert economic disaster and secure the future of Nigerians.

“As you are all aware, we took the baton of authority at a time when our economy was nose-diving as a result of heavy debts from fuel and dollar subsidies,” Tinubu said.

“The subsidies were meant to support the poor and make life better for all Nigerians. We are all aware of the fact that the poor and average Nigerians were the sufferers of what was supposed to give them succour and improved standard of living.

“Unfortunately, the good life we thought we were living was a fake one that was capable of leading the country to a total collapse unless drastic efforts were urgently taken.

“The need to salvage the future of our children, and bring the country back from the brink of collapse necessitated the strategic decisions to remove the fuel subsidy and also unify the exchange rates.  I am not unaware of the consequences of the tough decisions on our people. I sincerely wish there could be softer options.”

The president expressed optimism that the policies are already yielding positive outcomes.

He noted that the country’s macro-economic indicators are improving daily, while the micro-economy, which directly affects citizens, is gradually taking shape.

Tinubu added that Nigeria is transitioning from a consumption-driven economy to one focused on production across all aspects of human endeavours.

‘YOUTHS MIGRATION HAVE LED TO BRAIN DRAIN IN NIGERIA’

Tinubu called on the graduands to join hands together with his administration “to recover our lost glory and virtues.”

The president also condemned the widespread migration of youths in search of “greener pastures”, stressing that the trend has resulted into a significant brain drain in all sectors of the nation’s economy.

“​Many of our youths have chosen the supposed easy option of emigrating to the proverbial greener pastures where their citizens had rolled up their sleeves to bring their nations back from the brinks in their times of trouble,” Tinubu said.

“Such inclination has led to the brain drain syndrome that we now experience in all areas of our endeavours as a nation.

​“Our intellectuals and experts on whom the nation has massively invested huge resources to train in the interest of our country are migrating overseas in large numbers at a time their services are most required at home.

“It is heart-rending and the syndrome is not the solution to our problems. We are not Nigerians by accident, and I believe that the Almighty God who made us Nigerians has given us the required wisdom to turn things around for our betterment.

“The present challenges call for a high degree of patriotism and I can assure all Nigerians that there is light at the end of the tunnel. After rain comes sunshine. The brighter days are almost here.”

Tinubu said the renewed hope agenda is on track, assuring Nigerians that his administration will remain steadfast in its pursuit of a better and greater nation.

offloads equity in Lafarge to Chinese firm

Holcim, a Swiss building materials company, has agreed to sell its Nigerian business to Huaxin Cement Ltd., a Chinese firm.

The deal, valued at $1 billion, would lead to the sale of Holcim’s 83 percent stake in Lafarge Africa, according to a statement on Sunday.

Lafarge Africa Plc is a member of the Holcim Group — a maker of roofing and other housing products, such as cement, aggregates for construction and ready-mix concrete. 

The company said the agreement has been signed, noting that the transaction is expected to close next year.

“Holcim has signed an agreement with Huaxin Cement Ltd to sell its entire 83.81% shareholding in Lafarge Africa Plc, at an equity value of $1 billion on a 100% basis,” the statement reads.

“The transaction is expected to close in 2025, subject to customary and regulatory approvals.”

Holcim, however, did not give reasons for its exit.

On May 24, Kimberly-Clark, makers of Huggies, said it plans to stop localmanufacturing and sales in Nigeria after 14 years of operation.

According to the firm, the decision was made owing to its recently refocused corporate priorities globally as well as economic trends in the country.

Pick n Pay, a South African grocery retailer, in October, also announced plans to exit Nigeria by selling its 51 percent stake in a joint venture.

Sean Summers, chief executive officer (CEO) of Pick n Pay, said the move was part of plans to restructure outside of its home market.

In 2023, three pharmaceutical companies exited Nigeria.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Nigeria Plc ceased operations and transferred its business activities to a third-party organisation.

Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited, a French pharmaceutical company, also halted its direct operations in the country in November 2023.

One month later, Procter & Gamble (P&G), an American multinational consumer goods company, disclosed plans to transition from local production to solely importing its products.