The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Canada

  • D’Tigers to play Canada, Dominican Republic friendly matches

    In its quest to prepare the D’Tigers for the 2019 FIBA Men’s World Cup, the Nigeria Basketball Federation has lined up grade-A friendlies against the Dominican Republic and Canada ahead of the World Cup.

    D’Tigers’ two-legged encounter against the Dominican Republic will take place in Santo Domingo between July 19th and 25th before playing Canada in Quebec and Ontario between August 5th and 11th 2019.

    According to arrangements put in place for the team, D’Tigers will open camp in the United States of America before moving to Canada.

    Lagos, Nigeria will be the venue of the final phase of preparation with NBBF already in advanced talks with a yet to be named World Cup-bound team for a 2-legged friendly.

    NBBF President, Engr. Musa Kida disclosed that the Federation is determined to give the team the best preparation that it can afford to ensure that the team does the nation proud in China when the World cup starts on the 31st of August.

    “We have locked down 2 grade A games with the Dominican Republic and Canada who will both be at the World Cup.

    These games alongside those we are still planning to organize when the team comes to Lagos, we believe, will provide quality tests for the team.”

    Kida revealed that though the choices of camp sites in the USA and Canada have not been made due to factors such as quality of facilities, playing personnel and most importantly funds, agreements have been concluded with the Canadian and Dominican Republic Basketball Federations for the games.

    Meanwhile, the team is also billed to participate in a friendly tournament featuring some teams that will take part in the mundial in China between 21st and 26th of August.

  • France 2019 shape up: Canada beat Super Falcons 2-1

     

    Few days after world Cup bound Super Falcons walloped their Icelandic counterparts 6-1 in a friendly match in Spain, the Thomas Dennerby tutored side failed to continue the run  losing 2-1 to Canada at the Pinatar Arena on Monday.

    Interestingly Super Falcons shot into the lead in the encounter thanks to Desire Oparanozie who found the net after enjoying a timely assist from Uchenna Kanu in the 26th minute.  Oparanozie’s goal was beautiful to watch as she calmly displaced the goalkeeper Erin McLeod before placing the ball neatly in the right hand corner.

    The falcons only managed to maintain the lead for 45 minutes before Janine Beckie leveled up for Canada in the 46th minute.

    Sophie Schmidt increased the tally for Canada in the 54th minute and the Canadians held tenaciously to their lead to the final whistle.

    Match Statistics indicate that the Canadians had a better outing maintaining 66.8% to 33.2% posted by the Falcons. They had nine shots on target to Falcons four, and perhaps would have increased goal tally but for a number of impressive saves made by Falcons goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi.

    Coach Dennerby made five changes in the course of the encounter bring in Rasheedat Ajibade, Iniabasi Umotong,Ogonna chukwudi,Alice Ogebe and Chinaza Uchendu for Ngozi

    Akobi,Uchenna Kanu,Halimatu Ayinde,Anam Imo and  Desire Oparanozie respectively. Falcons have played no fewer than a dozen matches since winning their 9th   African Women’s Nations Cup in Ghana as part of preparation for the World cup less than two months in France.

  • Buhari sympathises with Ethiopia, others over tragic air accident

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed profound shock at the plane crash involving an Ethiopian Airliner bound for Nairobi, Kenya, in which all the 149 passengers and eight crew members died.

    On behalf of the government and the people of Nigeria, the President extended his sincere condolences to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, the people of Ethiopia, Kenya, Canada, China and all other nations who lost citizens in the air disaster.

    The President also commiserated with the families of the victims and prayed God Almighty to grant the gentle souls of the departed eternal rest.

    Reacting to the accident in Daura, Katsina State on Sunday, Buhari said: “Such large scale loss of human lives in a single incident is shocking beyond words.

    Read Also: Buhari’s second term will be better – Adiukwu

    “I am profoundly touched by this devastating report of air accident involving one of the world’s most successful and efficient Airlines.

    “Given its remarkable safety record, this couldn’t have come at a worse time for Ethiopian Airlines.”

    President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, also said “Like every other African leader, I am proud of the fact that Ethiopian Airlines represents one of Africa’s success stories.”

    The President hoped that the tragic accident will not have a negative effect on Ethiopian Airlines’ passion for excellence.

     

     

     

  • Nigeria, Canada to revive stalled bilateral agreement

    The Federal Government and the Canadian government have started moves to revive a stalled bilateral agreement between the two countries.

    Both countries agreed there should be a resolution on the stalled bilateral treaty. Nigeria has therefore requested for the amendment or renegotiation of the agreement. The two parties made the move during a visit by the Canadian High Commission, Mr. Philip Baker to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enalema in Abuja.

    A Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) was signed by Nigeria and Canada in May 2014, which Canada ratified in 2014.

    But Nigeria decided not to ratify the agreement because it was later found to be unbalanced and not consistent with Nigeria’s 2016 Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) model.

    Speaking during the visit, Enalemah said: “”We will collaborate with you; we will work with you; we believe that your African experience will be useful during your work in Nigeria. I know relationship between the two countries must count. I am confident of the ability of Nigeria and Canada to harness their mutual interests and synergies effectively.”

    Baker commended the country’s efforts on the ease of doing business and its positive effects on the economy.

    He said the task before the minister is to increase trade between the two countries as a means of building future relationships and sought to know how that would be achieved.

    Executive Secretary of Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Yewande Sadiku, said under a country-focused investment promotion strategy, NIPC has undertaken diligent process of identifying countries that are strategic to Nigeria’s quest for direct investments.

    “The deep-dive analysis conducted to determine the priority countries was based on five broad criteria related to Nigeria’s trade relations, global and sectoral investment flows, and Nigeria’s strategic relationships.

     

     

  • Visa on arrival: 38,000 passenger processed at Lagos Airport

    No fewer than 38,000 passengers including potential investors have been processes at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos  under the Visa On Arrival scheme and Ease of Doing Business policy rolled out by government in the last one year sources close the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) has revealed

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that the bulk of the passengers are investors and tourists seeking business opportunities in the country.

    An immigration source told The Nation that many investors are latching on the The immigration source  said investment is booming in the country as more and more investors are finding their way to the West African country to trade and do other forms of businesses investing both funds, technology.

    According to her,  the over 38,000 came in from all over the world but there were frequent influx from countries including  the United States, China, Britain, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and a host of others.

    She said, “The visa on arrival is seriously helping and It is a good omen for this country. The Nigeria Immigration Services has done something great and this has helped access of investment as people will make their application and come in and pay for it, instead of going to the embassy.”

    Read Also: Row over missed flight at Lagos airport

    On the duration of the Visa, she explained that the VOA, has always been a duration of one month, stating that once approval was granted by the Comptroller General, the approval has a two-week validity.

    “You only need approval from the Comptroller General to get the VOA. in fact, once the approval is given, it has a validity of two weeks, if not used within that time, you start the process of re applying for approval. However, when you have approval and everything is done the duration of the visa is one month. It is also renewable,” she told our reporter.

    She also said that enlightenment is still ongoing for those that seek greener pastures by hook or crook, stating that the trend is reducing but that the service at all borders are trying to dissuade young ones from taking that route.

    “Human trafficking has reduced, not only at the airport but at other border posts. We cannot say it is completely eradicated but we are doing all we can to make sure we reduce it.”

  • Sales intensify for EDPA’s Emotan Gardens

    …as demand chases available units

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s affordable housing programme has stirred a mild revolution in the state’s real estate sector, as increased confidence in the administration has led to a rush for units in the state government-backed 1800-unit Emotan Gardens housing project.

    Emotan Gardens, an ambitious affordable real estate project, is being developed by the Edo Development and Property Agency (EDPA) and MIXTA Africa, a renowned real estate company in Africa.

    Receiving interim report of the state government’s outing at the 27th Edo National Association Worldwide (ENAW) Convention in Toronto, Canada, Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, expressed his delight at the endorsement of the Edo community in the diaspora for the housing project.

    “I am glad that the Emotan Gardens project resonated with our people in the diaspora. We have several other projects in other sub-sectors of the state’s economy that have been carefully designed to improve the wellbeing of all Edo people, irrespective of where they currently reside,” the governor said.

    Executive Chairman, EDPA, Isoken Omo, said since sales commenced for units in Emotan Gardens, the agency has been inundated with calls from different parts of the world, noting that the overwhelming response is as a result of the seamless and trustworthy mechanism set up to manage the process.

    Read Also: Obaseki attracting foreign investment to Edo – Osagie

    “The demand is pursuing the units available. It has mostly come from Edo people in the state and in the Diaspora, particularly at the just-concluded Edo National Association Worldwide (ENAW) convention in Canada, where Edo sons and daughters bought many units.

    “The local diaspora, that is Edo people in other states of Nigeria, are also snapping up units. Non-indigenes from other states have joined in the rush for the houses. So, anyone who is yet to make their intention known should do so as soon as possible,” she urged.

    She attributed the demand to the solid land reforms of the Obaseki-led administration; transparency in land allocation and collection of titles which is spearheaded by the Edo Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) agency, and the absence of middlemen in the sales of the housing units in the Emotan Gardens project, as against the old system where those in the diaspora lost monies through friends and relatives.

    According to her, “The confidence in this administration is one of the reasons for the impressive response we have received. There is also the assurance that monies invested in the project are being judiciously utilized due to the integrity of our partner, MIXTA Africa, as well as Governor Godwin Obaseki’s sincerity.”

  • Etsu Nupe for world leaders forum in New York, Canada

    THE Commonwealth Business Women Network Nigeria, led by Mrs. Afoma Clara Adigwe, has confirmed the Etsu Nupe, chairman, Niger State Council of  Traditional Rulers, and  chairman Coordinating Committee of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, Dr Yahaya Abubakarh, as the guest speaker at the Commonwealth Africa Forum.

    The forum will hold in New York and Canada on October 9 and 12 with the theme Africa Open for Business.

    According to information, the monarch will also be honoured with an award of excellence for his outstanding contributions towards Agriculture and Food Security in Africa from the Commonwealth Africa Initiative (CAI).

    The monarch will discuss the mutually-reinforcing linkages between sustaining peace and prosperity in Africa and the 2030 agenda at the Africa Forum in New York, which is aimed at bringing together Africa and North American business leaders representing multi-nationals, large corporations, SMEs, confederations, and multilateral and regional institutions. The session will also have a question and answer segment and a high level one-hour panel on September 28 in New York.

    The Africa Forum is organised by The Commonwealth Africa Initiative, a Pan Commonwealth Organisation based in London.

  • UK foreign minister attacks Google over ‘child abuse content’

    British Foreign Minister, Jeremy Hunt, accused Google ( GOOGL.O ) on Thursday of abandoning its moral values by failing to remove child abuse content while launching a version of its search engine in China that will block some websites.

    The government has repeatedly criticised online platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook for failing to remove abusive material or sexual content posted online even after they were notified.

    “Seems extraordinary that Google is considering censoring its content to get into China but won’t cooperate with UK, U.S. … in removing child abuse content,” Hunt said on Twitter.

    “They used to be so proud of being values-driven.”

    Alphabet’s Google plans a search engine in China that will block some search terms and websites, two sources told Reuters earlier this month, in a move that could mark its return to a market it abandoned eight years ago on censorship concerns.

    Google declined to comment on Hunt’s remarks.

    Britain, the U.S., Australia, Canada and New Zealand invited major technology companies to attend a meeting on tackling child abuse and extremism on their websites, but the firms declined to attend, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday.

    Read Also: Trump accuses Google of hiding ‘fair media’ coverage of him

    Google did offer to send an executive to the conference but the offer was not taken up, a source at the company said.

    In January, Prime Minister Theresa May used an address at the World Economic Forum in Davos to say investors should use their financial power to force internet firms into taking more responsibility for stopping militants and pedophiles using their platforms.

    Google, which quit China’s search engine market in 2010, has been actively seeking ways to re-enter China where many of its products are blocked by regulators.

    Leading human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have urged Google not to bow to censorship demands in China because by doing so, they allege, the company would be complicit in the repression of freedom of speech.

    Search terms about human rights, democracy, religion and peaceful protests will be among the words blacklisted in the search engine app, which The Intercept website said had already been demonstrated to the Chinese government.

    The project is code-named “Dragonfly” and has been under way since the spring of 2017, the news website said.

  • Asian shares gain on U.S.-Mexico trade optimism

    Asian shares advanced again on Tuesday while major currencies held on to gains as the U.S. and Mexico made a deal to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement.

    Oil prices were buoyant, with Brent up 25 cents to 76.46 dollars a barrel and U.S. crude rising 19 cents to 69.07 dollars.

    Investors expect Canada too would agree to the new terms to preserve a three-nation pact, ultimately dispelling the economic uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to ditch the 1994 NAFTA accord.

    MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 0.3 per cent for a second straight day of gains. Australian shares added 0.5 per cent while Japan’s Nikkei jumped 0.8 per cent.

    New York’s S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes hit record highs and bond yields rose, while prices for copper, considered a barometer of global growth, climbed.

    Read Also: Asian LNG prices hit highest in over two months on tight supply

    Investors will keep an eye on U.S. economic data with consumer confidence figures due later in the day and the latest estimate for second-quarter gross domestic product expected on Wednesday.

    “The NAFTA agreement is clearly a positive to the extent that it reduces the risk of a generalized global trade war,” JPMorgan analysts said in a note.

    The dollar index paused near one-month lows against major currencies to be last at 94.762.

    Against the yen, the greenback held at 111.20.

    The euro held near a one-month top at 1.1680 dollars.

    The Australian dollar, which is often used as a liquid hedge for global growth, hovered around 0.7345 dollars to stay well above a trough of $0.7248.

    The Chinese yuan held near a four-week high to the dollar, a day after the country’s central bank took steps to support the currency.

    Commodity markets showed signs of optimism in global economic growth prospects. Copper, a favoured indicator of industrial momentum, held near a two-week high of 6,112.00 dollars a tonne.

    Gold too was firm too with spot prices at 1211.36 dollars an ounce.

  • Obaseki sends Edo primary school teachers to Canada

    Four outstanding teachers championing Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) Programme across the state have clinched an all-expense paid trip to Canada.

    They will attend and showcase public education reforms by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration at the 27th edition of the Edo National Association Worldwide (ENAW) convention.

    The teachers are Idehen Ejiye Isaiah, of Eguare Primary School, Ujiogba, in Esan West Local Government Area (LGA); Erhabor Osasumwen Priscillia of Aisologun-Akenzua Primary School, in Ikpoba-Okha LGA; Ogboko Edoghogho Yvonne of Okogbo Primary School, Okogbo, in Orhionmwon LGA and Noragbon Enogie Osaru, Headteacher, Emotan Primary School, Oredo LGA.

    The trip, according to the Special Adviser to the governor on Basic Education and Chairman-designate, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, is a form of motivation for them to showcase reforms by the administration to Edo people in the diaspora.

    “SUBEB created an online portal two weeks ago, asking teachers in Edo State to apply or nominate someone for the all-expense paid trip to Toronto, Canada.

    “The criteria included that they should tell us about themselves and why they think they are the best for the trip. At the end, we got 89 entries. After screening we came up with the semi-final list. Those picked were made to face a panel.

    ‘’One Headmistress, Noragbon and three teachers finally got the slot to represent Edo State in Canada after the final selection. Their passports were processed on Wednesday,” Dr. Osa Oviawe said.

    In a message to the teachers, the SUBEB boss explained that the trip will be a mixture of educational and sightseeing experiences, as the teachers will meet Edo people, key government functionaries, and visit schools in Canada.

    She said: “You are going to Toronto on the governor’s entourage to attend the annual convention of Edo people in diaspora. By God’s grace, we will aim to leave by August 29. So, prepare yourself.

    ‘’After the convention, you will stay behind and visit schools in Toronto and surrounding areas. If there is time, we will visit Ottawa, which is the Canadian capital.

    ”We will do a tour of the Canadian parliament and visit the residence of the governor general of the country. The governor general is the symbolic head of state of Canada, representing the Queen of England. If there is time, we may also visit Montreal, the French speaking part of Canada. Part of the visit  to schools will be to observe their open day among other events.”

    She said the teachers would talk about Edo-BEST to the Edo in diaspora, and urged them to be honest about their experiences in the programme.

    Obaseki will lead the delegation, which will showcase a bouquet of programmes, projects and reforms, including the 1800-unit Emotan Gardens, Edo-BEST, the new security architecture, and aggressive industrialisation drive.