Day: April 23, 2023

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will depart the country on Sunday for the 2023 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Algeria, an official said on Saturday.

Francis Achi, the team’s Media Officer, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja they would be leaving with the optimism of securing a FIFA World Cup qualification.

Achi said a total of 26 players would be traveling alongside the team’s backroom staff on Sunday ahead of their opening fixture against Group B opponents Zambia on April 30.

“We have been in camp for a long time now and have had lots of friendly matches during which the team have performed well.

“Everyone is very optimistic. The technical crew is impressed with the players’ performance and how they interpret the coaches’ instructions.

“Our target is to qualify for the World Cup. If we can do that and win the tournament as well, that would be great. But, for now, we will focus on the World Cup ticket,” he said.

The media officer also added that the team was in high spirits and hopeful of taking it game one at a time.

“We are going to face top opposition, especially in the group stage where we will face Morocco, South Africa and Zambia.

“But we hope to take each game as it comes, one at a time. We are not afraid of any team, we will play our game and remain mentally focused,” Achi added.

NAN reports that the two-time African champions will take on Zambia in their first game before facing Morocco on May 3 and South Africa three days later.

The four semi-finalists at the tournament will be CAF representatives at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in November.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has restated its commitment towards evacuating stranded Nigerians in Sudan.

The Director-General of the agency, Mr Mustapha Ahmed stated this in a statement issued by the Head of its Press Unit, Mr Manzo Ezekiel on Saturday in Abuja.

NEMA, he said, has set up a committee which was already working on all possible options of ensuring the safe return of Nigerians from the conflict-ridden Sudan, especially students in its various universities.

He said the committee comprised of professional emergency responders, search and rescue experts, who would constantly evaluate the situation and recommend the safest approach for the evacuation.

“It has become necessary to inform the public that NEMA is in constant communication with all relevant partners including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and security agencies.

“While seeking for an appropriate window of opportunity to evacuate all stranded Nigerians back home in a safe and dignified manner.

“The current emergency situation in Sudan is very complex with fighting between waring factions going on and all airports and land boarders closed,” he said.

He assured Nigerians that NEMA was working assiduously with all its partners, and is constantly compiling updated information on the situation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that clashes erupted amid an apparent power struggle between the two main factions of Sudan’s military regime.

The Sudanese armed forces are broadly loyal to Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the country’s de facto ruler, while the para militaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a collection of militia, follow the former warlord Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

The power struggle has its roots in the years before a 2019 uprising that ousted the dictatorial ruler Omar Al-Bashir, who built up formidable security forces that he deliberately set against one another.

When an effort to transition to a democratic civilian-led government faltered after Bashir’s fall, an eventual showdown appeared inevitable, with diplomats in Khartoum warning in early 2022 that they feared such an outbreak of violence.

In recent weeks, tensions have risen further.

The UN said no fewer than 180 people have been killed and another 1,800 injured in three days of fighting between the rival factions in Sudan.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The supreme ruler of the Bamendjou kingdom in the West region of Cameroon, has personally debunked claims that he is dead.

Unverified information alleging his demise was circulated on Saturday, April 22.

Fon Sokoudjou Jean Rameau, one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Cameroon, came out to clarify public opinion, saying “I am a true king in the Bamelike tradition. When my day will come, it will come like that of a true Bamelike king. It will not come haphazardly. I will not go without saying goodbye” the king declared.

“If anyone is in a hurry, let he or she go ahead, my days are still long. As for now, despite what some people might be wishing, I think it’s not yet my time. I’m doing very well” he told Balafon radio.

It is also indicated that during his absence, he was in Belgium for medical checks. No further details have been given about his health situation.

This comes three months after the monarch celebrated 70 years on the throne. He is presently 83, and was enthroned at the age of 13.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Angolan diplomat considered the mobilisation of financing for developing countries a big challenge for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The statement came from the charge d’affaires of the Permanent Mission of Angola to the United Nations in New York João Gimolieca, at the UN headquarters.

The diplomat, who was speaking at the Forum on Financing for Development, said that this challenge also has an impact on the implementation of Agenda 2063: The Africa we want.

“Now, we live in multiple and interconnected global crises and we must embrace change by taking immediate action to increase development cooperation and investments in the SDGs, reform the international financial architecture, strengthen cooperation on macroeconomic policies and implement actions to accelerate sustainable development in support of developing countries”, he pointed out.

According to João Gimolieca, Angola welcomes the efforts made by the UN Secretary General to fill the SDG funding gap and looks forward to further discussions on the proposal to stimulate the SDGs.

The aim, he said, is to address the high cost of debt and the rising risks of rising sovereign debt, to massively increase long-term financing for development and to expand contingency finance to countries in need.

For the diplomat, new and additional climate finance for developing countries is extremely important to help and support the implementation of policies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change and to improve access to this climate finance.

During his speech, he highlighted the urgent need for developed countries to provide the means of implementation necessary for developing countries to face climate change, including concessional financing, at least double the adaptation financing, as well as to finalise the operation of the damages and facilitate the full transfer of technology and technical assistance necessary for just transitions.

He highlighted that, despite the vigorous reforms implemented over the last five years by the Government, which created the necessary conditions for the sustainable development of the country, Angola has experienced successive periods of economic recession, to which are added the negative effects of the current health and geopolitical tensions, which resulted in the deterioration of indicators socioeconomic.

In view of this situation, he added, the Government of Angola was forced to review its development strategies, having defined three priority areas for the next 2023-2027 Development Plan, the first being the development of human capital, with the aim of increasing productivity.

Second, expansion and modernisation of infrastructure, to improve mobility, and third, diversification of the economy, with a focus on food security.

The Ambassador emphasized that funding in these three areas is crucial to achieving and fulfilling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In the opening session on Monday (17), the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called on the group of the largest global economies, the G20, for a stimulus of at least 500 billion dollars a year so that the economies in development achieve global goals.

The four-day high-level meeting addressed threats to sustainable progress.

Source: Angola Press News Agency