Hosts France are set to clash with neighbors Spain in the football final at the Parc des Princes today, as both nations vie for their second-ever Olympic gold.
Having triumphed over North African opponents to secure their spots in the final, the two teams now compete for the prestigious top step on the podium. France, led by Thierry Henry, aims to capture their first Olympic football gold since 1984, following a heated quarter-final victory over Argentina.
The era of exporting raw gold, lithium and other crude mineral resources from Nigeria is gone for good, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said yesterday.
President Tinubu said many local companies have already adjusted their business plans to the new normal, urging others to do same.
The President said the creation of the policy of value addition to mineral resources before exportation by his administration was to halt the huge losses recorded through the exports of unprocessed mineral commodities.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Tinubu spoke in Abuja at the second day of the eighth edition of the Nigerian Mining Week, which was organised by the Miners Association of Nigeria.
“This administration has hit the ground running with remodeling the former Ministry of Mines and Steel Development into the ministry of Solid Minerals development and Ministry of steel developments, in order to demonstrate the resolve of the federal government to maximise the potentials of the mining industry significantly and improve its contribution to the revenue of government.
“The present administration has observed the huge losses recorded by the nation through the exports of crude mineral commodities and therefore has evolved a policy of value addition to its mineral resources before exportation, the policy will ensure that the teaming youths in the country will also be meaningfully absorbed in economic benches that will empower them while developing their skills.
“Through this policy, the era of export of crude minerals from Nigeria is gone. It is gratifying to note that many companies in Nigeria have already adjusted their business plans to this new normal and we hope others are encouraged to do same
“We are determined to use every potential to industrialised this great country. There is no reason why Nigeria and Africa should not be leading in any of the critical mineral value chains.
“The recent global trends in the energy transition initiatives have led to stunning discoveries which has opened Nigeria to geological exploration works that have grown the availability of huge lithium resources of high grade across many states in Nigeria,” he said.
TNG reports Tinubu was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume said at the second day of the eighth edition of the Nigerian Mining Week.
The event organised by the Miners Association of Nigeria was hosted by the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development at the International Conference Centre (ICC).
Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun on Monday said his administration would recover all monies owed by mining/gold companies operating in state fields.
Adeleke said this on the sideline of the inauguration of solid minieral sector committee in Osogbo.
He said the state had no record of any payment made by Segilola and other mining companies.
The governor, had earlier in the day, in a press statement through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Teslim Igbalaye, appointed Mr Sola Adewumi as Chairman , Revenue Committee, and Mr Samuel Ojedokun, Chairman, Solid Minerals Committee.
The full list of the committee members are; Mr Samuel Oyedokun; Bola Ojofeitumi; Mr Hashim Abioye; Prof. Lukman Jumoda; and Ajeigbe Seun.
Others are Mr Kolapo Alimi; Mrs Felicia Adeniran; Mrs Omolade Adiamo; Mr Akin Odejobi; Mr Lukman Ijiwoye; and Mr Gani Olaoluwa .
He said the state would beam strong searchlight on the solid mineral sector, especially the activities of Segilola company, and other similar companies, operating in Osun gold fields.
“Osun according to extant laws is entitled to 13 per cent derivation from every ounce of gold extracted from our gold and other solid mineral fields.
“Segilola and other operating companies are expected by law to pay 13 per cent derivation on value of gold and other solid minerals produced in the last 25 years,” the governor said.
The governor noted that the state had been subjected to intense environmental degradation, arising from activities of mining companies.
“River Osun has been polluted and our people are dying, as related sicknesses are spreading. These are sad realities which none of the mining companies has raised a finger to address.
“My administration will insist on the companies, paying for the cleaning up of our rivers and environment,” Adeleke said.
He explained that his administration would ensure that cleaning up of environment was going to be a continuous exercise, and the resulting expenditure to be borne by the mining companies.
Speaking on the mining asset, the governor said measures were on to conduct an audit of Osun assets in the mining sector.
“All state mining licences already diverted to private possession must be fully recovered and illegal mining activities stopped.
“Also, illegal mining syndicates will be arrested and prosecuted.
Adeleke warned that denying Osun of its legitimate revenue, through refusal to pay derivation and also polluting the state environment with impunity, would not continue under his watch.
He said the mandate of the inaugural committee include among others; to recover all money due to Osun from mining companies, based on derivation platform and pollution cleaning fund.
”You are to take inventory of Osun mining and quarry licences and ensure recovery of any licence already converted into private hands.
”Also , you are expected to proffer workable solution to addressing the challenges facing the mining sector as related to polluting our environment and rivers,” he said
The committee has 14 days to submit its interim report to the state government.
![[BREAKING] Tobi Amusan wins gold in 100m hurdle, breaks Commonwealth Games record](https://thenewsguru.ng/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Tobi-Amusan.jpg)
Nigerian Tobi Amusan wins gold in 100m Women’s Hurdles with a new Commonwealth Games Record.
Amusan is also the first World Champion to win Gold in the event and the first Nigerian athlete ever, dead or alive to be crowned champion at all levels of athletics in the same year.
She posted a games record of 12.30 secs to retain the title she won in Gold Coast Australia four years ago.
Amusan is now the world record holder as well as the commonwealth record holder for 100m hurdles
Amusan was one of the favourites to get the gold at the tournament following her impressive showing at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, the United States, which saw her break multiple records to
win Nigeria’s first gold at the World Championships.
“The goal is always just to execute well and get the win. So the world record is a bonus. I knew I had it in me but I could not believe it when I saw it on the screen after the semis.
“Before the final, I just tried to stay calm and to do my best. I took a deep breath knowing that I have some goals to accomplish and it worked pretty well. I knew it was very fast but not this fast,” Amusan
said after her final victory.
Coming up behind here were Bahamas’s Devynne Charlton (12.58secs) who took silver and England’s Cindy Sember (12.59secs) who took bronze with both some notable distance behind the eventual winner.
With this result, Nigeria has now won 10 gold medals and 31 medals in total.
Team Nigeria are now just one behind the gold medal record set by the 1994 team (11 gold medals) at the Commonwealth Games and six behind the total medals record (37 medals)
Nigeria’s Sprint hurdler Oluwatobiloba Amusan has successfully defended the 100m hurdles title after she raced to victory with a time of 12.57s at the ongoing 22nd African Athletics Championship holding in Mauritius.
Amusan won her first medal at the championship four years ago during the 21st edition and has now become the third Nigerian after Maria Usifo (1984 and 1985) and Glory Alozie (1996, 1998 and 2000) and fifth African to successfully defend the sprint hurdles title.
The reigning African Games champion couldn’t break Alozie’s 12.77s championship record set at the 11th edition of the championship in Dakar, Senegal in 1998 by an excessive 4.0m/s tail wind.
Amusan’s victory has increased Nigeria’s gold medal haul in the event to 12.
Recall that Amusan, who became first Nigerian woman ever to qualify for the final of the sprint hurdles at the Olympics after winning her semifinal heat in 12.62 seconds couldn’t make it to the podium as she finished fourth behind Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who won Gold with the time of 12.37s while Kendra Harrison of the USA came second, Jamaica’s Megan Tapper claimed the bronze.
Oluwatobiloba Ayomide “Tobi” Amusan is a Nigerian track and field athlete who specialises in the 100 metres hurdles and also competes as a sprinter.
She Won the 2018 Commonwealth and 2018 African champion in the event. She is also a two-time African Games champion.
Nigerian artiste, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has received a Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA, gold certification for his hit song Essence.
Wizkid’s third baby mama, and manager, Jada Pollock made this known via her Instagram page on Thursday.
The song becomes his second to be certified this year after his 2017 song, Come Closer, featuring Canadian rapper, Drake, was certified platinum and gold in the UK and Australia respectively in April.
TheNewsGuru recalls that in 2020, Wizkid became the first African artiste to be certified Gold in the United States, after 500,000 units of Come Closer was sold.
Featuring Tems, Essence was released in October 2020 as the 11th song on Made in Lagos, Wizkid’s fourth studio album.
The remixed version of the song featured Canadian popstar, Justin Bieber, who tagged it as, ‘song of the summer.’
In the same vein with Essence, Wizkid made history in July as he became the first African artiste with a record on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Folasade Oluwafemiayo increased Team Nigeria’s medals haul at the ongoing 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo on Monday by winning the gold medal in the women’s -86kg event of the powerlifting competition.
The 36-year-old won the event with a bang by setting a new world record, as well as Paralympic record wi9th a lift of 152kg.
The silver medalist in the women’s 75kg event at the 2012 Games lifted 147kg in her first attempt, and 149kg in the second attempt.
She went on to take a lead with a 151kg lift in her third attempt, leaving her opponents bewildered as she went on to lift 152kg in the final attempt.
Oluwafemiayo was way ahead of the pack which had China’s Zheng Feifei winning the silver with a lift of 139kg.
Great Britain’s Louise Sugden won the bronze medal with a lift of 131kg.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oluwafemiayo’s feat took Nigeria to 21st on the medals table, with a total haul of three gold, one silver and two bronze.
Earlier in the day, Loveline Obiji had won silver medal for Team Nigeria in the women’s +86kg event.
Bose Omolayo’s best lift of 141 kg on Sunday was good enough to win gold medal for Nigeria in the women’s power lifting -79kg in the ongoing 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Omolayo recorded the best lift of 141 kg to take the first position in her category.
Nataliia Oliinyk from Ukraine placed second with a lift of 133 kg, while Vera Muratova from Russian Federation lifted 132 Kg to win bronze to take.
NAN reports that the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan, which started on Aug. 24 is expected to end on Sept. 5.
Team Nigeria on Sunday finished third on the overall medals table after a total of four gold and three bronze medals at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.
Team Nigeria won two medals on the championships’ final day of action.
Hosts Kenya finished top with eight gold, one silver and seven bronze medals, while Finland narrowly beat Nigeria to the second position with four gold and a silver medal.
Team Nigeria’s first medal on the final day of action in Nairobi came from the women’s 4x100m relay event where the country scooped a bronze medal.
The quartet of Praise Ofoku, Favour Ofili, Anita Traviore and Tima GodBless returned a time of 43.90 seconds behind Jamaica and Namibia, who won the gold and silver medals respectively.
It was a completely different scenario in the men’s race where Nigeria did not finish.
Nigeria’s final golden moment in Nairobi came in the women’s 4x400m relay event.
The quartet of Opeyemi Oke, Imaobong Uko, Ella Onojuvwevwo and Favour Ofili, with a time of 3:31:46 secs secured what was the country’s fourth overall gold medal.
The gold for Uko was her third, following earlier winning feats in the mixed relay and the 400m individual events.
In the men’s 4x400m race, Nigeria finished just outside the medal zone in fourth position behind Botswana, Jamaica, and Kenya in that order.
Earlier in the day, Ezekiel Nathaniel ran the race of his life, breaking the 50 secs barrier for the first time in his career in the 400m hurdles event.
But it was not enough for a podium finish, as his new personal best time of 49.89 secs could only help him to finish in the fourth position.
Turkish athlete Berkem Akcam claimed the gold with a time of 49.38secs while Denis Novoseltsev and Devontie Archer from Jamaica, settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively.
The women’s long jump event also failed to produce any medal for Nigeria as Ruth Agadama finished in eighth place, with her best leap of 6.24m which she jumped on her second attempt.
The World Athletics Under-20 Championships, which began officially in Nairobi on Tuesday but with competition getting underway on Wednesday, ended on Sunday.