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Tag: Shehu Dikko

  • Dikko  seeks perfect 3 legal framework for smooth NSC take-off

    Dikko  seeks perfect 3 legal framework for smooth NSC take-off

    The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has reiterated his vision to harness and expand Nigeria’s sports economy, positioning it as a major contributor to the Nigerian economy and national development across many sectors.

    In a chat with journalists in Abuja, Dikko emphasized that enacting deliberate and fit for purpose legal framework and polices is pivotal in creating the foundation needed to drive the sports sector forward.

    “Establishing a strong and clear operational and Legal framework within the NSC Act  is essential for cultivating a sports industry that can thrive effectively as envisaged by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Dikko said.

    He pointed out that this approach could transform Nigeria’s sports sector in ways similar to the remarkable growth witnessed in the communications industry in recent years.

    Read Also: NFF to select best match commissioners through exams

    Dikko’s vision includes fostering a sustainable sports ecosystem, one that supports talent development, generates employment opportunities, foster sports infrastructure growth and attract investments across various sports and indeed a vehicle for achieving national cohesion and projection of the positive and unique attributes of our culture and national identity.

    This initiative reflects Dikko’s commitment to creating a well-regulated and dynamic sports environment that will, over time, contribute significantly to the nation’s economy and in the long term ensure Nigeria credible and competitive participation at all tournaments and competitions.

  • Egbe urges Dikko to focus on infrastructure dev’t

    Egbe urges Dikko to focus on infrastructure dev’t

    • Lauds FIFA’s global certification of pitches

    Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Group, Ebi Egbe, has urged the newly appointed chairman of National Sports Commission (NSC) Shehu Dikko to pay special attention to infrastructure development in order to lift revamp  

    The renowned stadium facilities construction expert said for Nigeria to compete and win laurels at the highest level of international competitions, the country must invest properly in the area of sports infrastructure.

    “Most times we heap all our sporting woes on the administrators and athletes forgetting what the real problems are,” Egbe explained. “The biggest challenge facing sports in the country is that we lack state of the art facilities.

    Read Also: Alex Iwobi: I’m more than a footballer

    “You don’t expect an athlete who is not exposed to world class facilities to dazzle for instance at the Olympics no matter how talented the athlete may be.

    “We must invest in sports facilities if we are to make any head way,” Egbe noted.

    The Bayelsa State-born sports buff noted that it is a shame that Nigeria cannot boast of any other arena that can host Super Eagles matches outside the Uyo Nest of Champions.

    “As a nation, we should have at least 10 stadiums where the Eagles can play. This is why I am urging Dikko to focus on infrastructure.

    “Nigerians would clap for him if he can bring the Super Eagles back to Abuja and Lagos,” Egbe stated.

    In a related development, Egbe has lauded FIFA’s global certification program for natural grass fields, adding the standardization of pitches will enhance improvement of African football particularly.

    Speaking against the backdrop of the recent rejection of the renovation being carried out at the Kenya’s stadium by CAF, Egbe noted that the era of low-quality grasses should be eradicated in Africa.

    He said: “We applaud FIFA’s global certification program for natural grass fields which will guarantee high-quality pitches for FIFA/CAF games and consequently eradicate inadequate construction practices.

    “Of course, some would say ‘all green (grasses) is green’ but not in all cases for professional football because there is FIFA’s standardization,” he added.

  • JUST IN: Shehu Dikko appointed DG NSC

    JUST IN: Shehu Dikko appointed DG NSC

    Mallam Shehu Dikko has been appointed Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

    This was after President Tinubu scrapped the Ministry of Sports and replaced it with the NSC.

    Minister of the defunct Ministry of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan Enoh, has been reassigned as Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

    Read Also: SHEHU DIKKO -‘I want NPFL to drive our economy’

    Shehu Dikko was formerly the League Management Company chairman. He was appointed on December  26, 2014 and reappointed Chairman on April 4, 2019. 

  • Policemen storm NFF to arrest Pinnick, others

    Security personnel attached to the Presidential Investigative Panel on Friday invaded the Nigeria Football Federation to effect the arrest of the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick and four other top officials.

    The Policemen who were armed arrived the NFF glasshouse at about 11am with a warrant of arrest to pick up Amaju, NFF first and second vice presidents, Seyi Akinwunmi, Shehu Dikko, NFF Secretary general, Mohammed Sanusi and NFF technical committee chairman, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh. Unfortunately, none of them were around.

    A source who witnessed the drama informed said the security guards at the federation made an attempt to challenge the policemen, but had to withdraw after they shown the warrant of arrest.

    Read also: We are accountable to people — NFF

    “They searched the offices and did not find anything or the people they were looking for, after the security guards allowed them access.

    “I just wondered what would have happened if they were around,” our source said.

    Recalled Chairman of the panel, Okoi Obono-Obla had on Wednesday said the five officials must clear their names following alleged fraud, mismanagement and misapplication of funds leveled against them.

    But they failed to show up thus leading to the panel applying the use of force.

  • No cabal in NFF, Pinnick declares

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has debunked claims that the football glasshouse was being run by a ‘cabal’. According to him, no such thing exists.

    He said this in a monitored interview on television in Lagos last weekend. Pinnick noted that he always put Nigeria first in all he and everyone under his leadership does before any personal interest.

    In his words “I laugh a lot because Nigerians believe that everything is controlled by a cabal. If you look at my language, I use, “we”, not I and that we includes myself, Seyi Akinwumi, Shehu Dikko, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed, the General Secretary, members of the executive committee.

    If you want to carry people along, they say it is a cabal. If you want to do it alone, they say you don’t carry people along, but the word “cabal” does not exist in Nigerian football under my leadership. I always tell, not just the players, but the administrators, that we must always think of Nigeria first in anything we are doing. It is very key to whatever we want to achieve. You must have that in-built in you. That is what I say to all of them.”

    Read Also: Rewards coming, Pinnick hints Falcons

    Pinnick, who also doubles as the first Vice President of the Confederations of African Football (CAF), also said that it is important for football leaders to have a cordial relationship with his players, to get the best of them.

    It is important to have a build a very strong relationship with not just the players, but their family. I can tell you clearly that I have been touched with Victor Moses, because I have a very smooth relationship with him. We talk regularly.

    “When I travel to London, I can call Alex Iwobi and we hang out. It is a psychological thing. Don’t let them have the feeling of seeing you as a high and old President; make them feel you and you will get their best” he said.

     

     

  • Champions League Final: CAF appoints Shehu Dikko Match Commissioner

    Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC) and 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Shehu Dikko, has been appointed the Match Commissioner for the 2nd leg CAF Champions League clash between Al Ahly and Esperance Tunisia on Friday, AOIFootball.com reports.

    Dikko, who was recently appointed into the Ad-hoc Committee of the lnter-clubs competition, will be at the helm of affairs when the two North African neighbours go head to head in battle, with Al Ahly holding a 3-1 advantage from the first leg.

    The appointment further adds to the cap of Dikko, who is also a member of the CAF Organising Committee for inter-Clubs Competitions, as well as FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee.

    Having won the title for a record eight times, Al Ahly will be targeting their ninth trophy, whilst Esperance will be looking to avenge their 2012 loss.

    Interestingly, another Nigerian, Dr Christian Emeruwa, a FIFA accredited Security and Safety expert, will take charge of Security during the finals in Tunisia on Friday with Samson Adamu, the Director of Competitions at CAF.

  • AFCON qualifiers: Rohr inspects Ahmadu Bello Stadium

    Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, on Wednesday inspected the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna as part of preparations for the team’s qualifiers for the 2019 AFCON, an official has said.

    Ademola Olajire, the Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said in a statement on Wednesday the inspection was an indication preparations have begun in earnest.

    The senior men’s national football team have five matches remaining in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying series.

    Nigeria play away to Seychelles in Victoria on Match Day 2 on Sept. 7 and then host Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in Nigeria on Match Day 3 on Oct. 10.

    “The Technical Adviser checked out the facilities at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in company of NFF’s Second Vice President Shehu Dikko and Super Eagles’ Team Administrator Dayo Achor,’’ Olajire said in the statement.

    Read Also: Rohr to inspect Stephen Keshi Stadium

    He added that the former Germany defender Rohr would on Friday release his list of invited players for the away clash with Seychelles.

    After hosting Libya, the Super Eagles will visit the Knights three days later, before heading to South Africa for the return tie against the Bafana Bafana on Nov. 17.

    The last match of the series will see the three-time African champions hosting Seychelles on March 22.

    The Eagles had, in their opening game of the qualifying series in June 2017, lost 0-2 to the Bafana Bafana in Uyo.

    The finals of the 2019 AFCON, which is the 32nd edition, are scheduled to be staged in Cameroon in June.

  • NFF building Eagles beyond Russia 2018-Dikko

     

    *Hails Cadbury over Tom Tom deal

    FIFA Stakeholders Committee Member and 2nd Vice President Nigeria Football Federation, Shehu Dikko, has declared that the Glass House is building the super Eagles not only to shine at the World cup in Russia but to remain a reference point thereafter.

    He made the revelation in a chat with The Nation at the unveiling of Tom Tom as the official candy of the Super Eagles in Lagos. Nigeria according to him has become a major stakeholder in world football and as such must compliment her new status with a formidable team that can be reckoned with.

    “We are building a very big platform, a sustainable platform that will transcend the world cup and after that remain as a structure that will be on cruise control. The corporate world like Cadbury have seen what we are doing and have keyed into it in a partnership that will further consolidate on our dream for the game in Nigeria,” he enthused

    Dikko who is also Chairman of the League management Committee (LMC) described the Tom Tom deal as worthwhile and timely, adding that it will ginger the national team in their quest to make a mark in Russia. “It is a deal between two brands Tom Tom and Eagles both with unique selling point and we are optimistic it will yield positive result. We see Cadbury as partners in progress, “he said.

    On the possibility of Super Eagles going beyond the Group of 16 Dikko opined that the team stand a chance of winning just like the remaining 31 countries in contention in Russia. “The team is well prepared; we were the first to release our world cup program and have been following it to the letter and when you prepare well you stand a good chance. There are 32 teams in contention and none is going there for a party.  We want to go as far as possible and if we can win it why not? We should, “he added.

     

     

     

     

     

  • NFF partners travel agency to support Super Eagles World Cup campaign

    NFF partners travel agency to support Super Eagles World Cup campaign

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says Geo Travel and Tours is its official travel partner to support the Super Eagles for the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    The News men reports, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, made the disclosure in Lagos on Monday night.

    Pinnick said the travel agency would adopt a flexible payment plan for Nigerians hoping to book now and pay on a later date.

    The NFF president noted that the partnership was the first of its kind and was geared toward making travelling to the World Cup as easy as a “phone call’’.

    He said the partnership was to connect football-loving Nigerians to the Super Eagles when they face their counterparts in Russia.

    “It is important to make the Super Eagles feel the presence of home support by turning up massively in Russia,’’ Pinnick, who was represented by NFF 2nd Vice-President, Mr Shehu Dikko, said.

    Read AlsO: NFF announces names of coaches for five national teams

    According to him, the NFF and the travel agency will collaborate with the local football-loving community to give their full support to the Nigerian football national team.

    The Head of Business, Geo Travel and Tours, Mr Damilola Osikoya, said the partnership with the NFF was part of its commitment to redefine travel and tourism in Nigeria.

    Osikoya explained, Nigerians would have the option of choosing from its number of customised packages that would give them the flexibility of choosing to see the first, second and third game only.

    He added, Nigerians could also choose the combination of the first and second group games, first and third games, second and third, or all the three games.

    NAN

  • Swede coach vow to rebuild Falcons, says “I won’t be a flying coach’’

    Swede coach vow to rebuild Falcons, says “I won’t be a flying coach’’

    Thomas Dennerby, the new Head Coach of Super Falcons, on Tuesday promised to rebuild and improve the senior national women football team, saying “I won’t be a flying coach’’.

    Dennerby, while speaking at his unveiling by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at the National Stadium in Abuja, said he was taking up the post as a challenge.

    “I am honoured and excited to be here. It is a big challenge and I look forward to doing my best

    “I believe in hard work, building up a network with domestic and professional coaches abroad.

    “My philosophy is to get best out of every player and the coaching staff. The best way to improve the team is to work together and I am looking forward to work with the members of staff,’’ he said.

    Dennerby, who would be assisted by fellow Swede Jorgen Petersson, also has Olarenwaju Oni and Maureen Madu as assistants and Tunde Omobolanle as goalkeepers’ trainer to work with.

    He however warned that he was going to place huge demands on his players to do their best in every training session or game and being professional every single time.

    Read Also:  NFF signs top Swedish coach, Dennerby, for Super  Falcons

    “Even when eating, sleeping, being fit and all, this is what I demand.

    “I have a strong will-to-win attitude and I am sure that the players have such attitude. So, I look forward to doing my job.

    “I am not going to be a flying coach, I am going to live here,’’ the coach said.

    On his part, NFF’s Second Vice-President, Shehu Dikko, who represented the federation’s President, Amaju Pinnick, said the federation ensured it chose a qualified and well-experienced coach for the team.

    “ Over the years we have achieved so many successes within the African space, but it is time for us to move to the world stage.

    “Everybody knows we have the passion, belief and quality, and all we need is a little push both administratively and technically to shake the world.

    “This is what led us to Dennerby. We found him as someone, who is well experienced and valuable to what we want to achieve, following his successes as a coach.

    “ So, I believe that we have the right man. With the right support, this project will lead us to where we want to be among the world powers of football.

    “We hope to be able to participate well in every tournament and be among the key contenders in all events and that is what Dennerby is here to do,’’ he said.

    Also present at the unveiling were reigning African Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala and Falcons teammate Onome Ebi, amongst others.

    NAN