Abuja Airport closure: Organisers postpone Intl Trade and Investment Conference

The Nigeria International Trade and Investment Conference (NITIC) 2017 with focus on agribusiness, manufacturing and financial services billed to hold in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital in March, has been postponed till June.

Organisers, Africa International Trade and Development Trust said the postponement was due to the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for upgrade of its dilapidated runway.

The spokesman for the conference organiser, NITIC, Mr Sand Mba Kalu disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

The conference, themed: “Multiple Frontiers-Moving Away From Oil”, aims to bring together local and international stakeholders to a common platform to strengthen the positive contributions from International Trade and Investment in the non-oil sector, focusing on agribusiness, manufacturing and financial services.

NITIC 2017, endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) amongst others, scheduled for March 2017 at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, is now slated for June 2017 at the same venue.

He said the change in date was necessary to accommodate the interest of stakeholders while allowing for the completion of maintenance and extensive repairs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, by the Federal Government.

“Efforts to convince registered participants and embassies to use the Kaduna International Airport were fruitless;

“We have talked to several of them but they seemed not interested in Kaduna. So, the only option was to postpone it to June, when the renovation work at the Abuja airport runway would have been over.

“This change in date is at a huge cost, with travels and other logistics altered”, said Kalu

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Zamalek beat Enugu Rangers 4-1

Nigeria representative in the CAF Champions League, Rangers International FC of Enugu suffered a 4-1 defeat to Zamalek in the competition’s round of 32 first-leg at Cairo’s El-Salam Stadium on Sunday.

The Cairo giants outclass Flying Antelopes and scored three goals in the first half of the encounter, courtesy of an early Stanley Ohawuchi header and goals from fellow attackers Hossam Salama and Ayman Hefni.

Mostafa Fathi added a fourth from the spot nine minutes after the break before forward Bobby Clement grabbed a lifeline for the visiting side in the final minutes of the game.

Five-time Champions League holders Zamalek will visit the Nigerian league holders for the return leg on March 17 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu State

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Ex-Zamfara governor Shinkafi defects to APC

Alhaji Mamuda Shinkafi, a former Governor of Zamfara on Sunday defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Shinkafi, who became the state governor in 2007 on the platform of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2008.

He however lost to the APC in 2011 and had since then remained in the opposition.

Shinkafi announced his decision to join the APC at a ceremony in Gusau, the state capital.

According to him, it is the outcome of a long negotiation between me and stakeholders who have faith in me and my leadership qualities.

He told all his supporters to join him as he strived to make the APC stronger.

Shinkafi said that after series of meetings with stakeholders, he had sincerely made up his mind to join the APC.

He also announced that all his former cabinet members, including his former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Mamman Bawa, had joined him in the APC.

The return of Shinkafi to the APC might be a grand plan by the stakeholders in the state to re-elect him as governor in the 2019 elections.

Alhaji Muntari Anka, who served as a deputy governor with Shinkafi, also moved to the APC in Anka Local Government constituency a fortnight ago.

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President Buhari felicitates with renowned poet, Niyi Osundare at 70

President Muhammadu Buhari has joined the literary world in congratulating a renowned academic, poet, columnist and dramatist, Prof. Niyi Osundare, as he turns 70.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina in Abuja on Sunday, Buhari felicitated with all the friends, colleagues and family members of the literary icon.

The president noted that Osundare, who through courage and the power of the pen, had contributed immensely to the political history of Nigeria.

According to him, the septuagenarian’s sacrifices over the years can only be rewarded with strong democratic institutions that guarantee free and fair elections, and effective governance that provides security, good health facilities and sound education to its citizenry.

President Buhari commended “the disciplined, forthright and diligent spirit of the erudite scholar whose written works already span the globe’’.

He further noted with delight that the written works had continued to attract “numerous awards, and whose voice of wisdom will continue to resonate through generations’’.

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