Nigeria U21 teams have qualified for the semifinals of the ongoing Zone 3 U21 Beach Volleyball Championship in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The duo of Emenike Ezike and Emmanuel Udah (Nigeria boys), schooled Benin Republic 2-0 (21-4, 21-6) in their first match before taking Niger Republic to the cleaners 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) in their second match on Friday.
The Nigeria girls team, Happy Wushiland and Esther Mbah did not waste time to dispatch Benin Republic 2-0 (21-10, 21-9) in their first match and won their second match convincingly against Ghana 2-0 (21-14, 21-8).
The coach of Nigeria U21 beach volleyball team, John Iwerima expressed satisfaction over the performances of the team at the championship.
Iwerima said the players exhibited a high level of technicalities in each of their matches.
He said, “I am happy over the performances of each of the players; they are hungry for wins and have shown to the world that they want to win the championship.
“If you look at the matches, you will see that players did not give their opponent chances to express themselves. The players showed a high level of technicality in their two matches. I strongly believe that if these players are given more playing time together, we will have a formidable beach volleyball junior team.”
Speaking from Cotonou, the President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimrod praised the team for making Nigeria proud in the group stages.
The Secretary General of Confederation of Africa Volleyball (CAVB) Zone 3 said, “I watched the team play and I must confess that they have shown much promise. We are not going to put pressure on the team and the coaches; I believe that they will emerge victorious.”
The Nigeria boys and girls team will face Liberia in their last group stage matches on Saturday.
Agriculture: Engineer Sule solicits additional CBN loans for farmers
Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has solicited for additional loans for farmers from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Engineer made this know while hosting officials of the CBN Lafia branch, at the Government House, on Thursday.
While appreciating the apex bank for granting loans to farmers in the state, the governor sought for additional loans for farmers in the state, especially that Nasarawa State is an agricultural state.
Engineer Sule equally appealed to the CBN to consider involving the state government in the disbursement of the loans, in order to ensure that the funds are not diverted to other businesses.
“I want to thank you for the loans that you have given our farmers. You know, we are an agricultural state,” he stated.
The governor pointed out through involving the state in disbursing the loans, government can ensure that the money is used for the purpose it was given.
“Agricultural activities is a development for us. Agriculture is business and we will not like it if someone takes N50m from you and instead of putting it into a farm, he puts it into a different business,” he said.
He appreciated the bank for remitting over N120m as taxes to the state, as well as embarking on corporate social responsibility by building a clinic in Wamba.
On the request by the CBN for a five hectares piece of land, the governor identified Shendam Road for citing the CBN housing estate.
While commending the CBN for completing and moving into its permanent structure in Lafia, Engineer Sule used the opportunity of the visit to inform the officials of the planned visit by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He told them that, as part of activities marking the visit, the President will commission the new CBN complex in Lafia.
Earlier in his opening remarks, leader of the delegation, Samson Isuwa, branch controller CBN Lafia, appreciated the governor and government, for supporting the CBN since takeoff, especially the donation of the land hosting the permanent site of the bank.
Isuwa said they were also at the Government House to formally inform the governor that the CBN has completed and already moved into its building located at Bukan Sidi area.
He therefore, requested the governor to undertake a tour of the facility, with a view to fostering synergy and partnership between the apex bank, government and people of Nasarawa State.
The CBN Lafia branch controller commended Engineer Sule for his efforts to ensure that the state is linked to the national grid through the completion of the Akurba power substation.
He disclosed that last year alone, 90 CBN staff from the Lafia branch, remitted about N120m as tax to the state government.
Isuwa equally disclosed that the bank’s development finance office, disbursed over N7bn as loans to farmers in the state, under the various schemes.
As part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility, he added that staff of the branch contributed money and built a cottage clinic in Wamba.
