joseph1832: Why can't the FG key into this, and make transport by train available allover the country.
I know NRC still have trains operating, but it doesn't go every, like road transport. It's even safer to transport goods by train track, rather by road all the time.
That's what they are doing. That was concieved during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, started during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan and is still ongoing (I wish I can post the maps).
1) Western Line: The Western Line was the first line that was built by the Colonial Government. The primary reason for building it was to transport raw materials and agricultural goods like Al-Hassan Dantata's groundnuts from Kano to the port in Lagos.
The line begins at the Lagos Terminus in Iddo (there's also a branch line to the Apapa Port) and goes through Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ilorin, Kaduna and terminates in Kano. It is a narrow gauge line.
2) Eastern Line: The Eastern Line was primarily built to move coal from Enugu to the port at Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt was also built for the same reason (to serve as a port for the shipment of coal). Coal was shipped to Great Britain and to the power plant at Ijora in Lagos.
The Eastern Line was extended to Jos, to move tin from the tin mines there and it was also connected to the Western Line in Kaduna. The Government of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa extended the Eastern Line to Maiduguri. It is a narrow gauge line.
3) Central Line: The Central Line was constructed by the government of General Ibrahim Babangida. It was built to convey iron from the iron mines at Itakpe to the steel mill at Ajaokuta and to convey the steel from Ajaokuta to Warri Port. It is a standard gauge line. The line was not completed.
There have been plans to build new standard gauge lines on the western and eastern axis, along the same corridor as the old narrow gauge lines.
The government of President Goodluck Jonathan began the Kaduna-Abuja rail line on the Western Axis. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari completed it and also built the Lagos-Ibadan line on the Western axis. The Government is currently building the Kano-Kaduna leg of the Western Line. When that is completed, all that will be left is the Ibadan-Ilorin and Ilorin-Abuja segments of the line.
The Government of Muhammadu Buhari also completed the Warri-Itakpe Line (the Central Line). There are plans to extend it to Abuja.
The Muhammadu Buhari Administration had declared that it would focus on completing existing projects, rather than starting news ones and so it focused on completing the Western and Central Lines. There is also a plan to build a standard gauge Eastern Line (Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri) but that has not commenced yet (which has caused annoyance among people of the North-East and South-East).
There is a proposal to build a coastal line, from Lagos to Calabar, but it hasn't been built yet. Critics complain that the colonialists were only interested in exploiting resources from Nigeria, rather than giving Nigerians good infrastructure and that's why they built rail lines from the hinterland in the north, to the ports in the south. For example, the critics point out that if you want to go from Lagos to Enugu by rail, you'd first have to go all the way up to Kaduna, before you can get to Enugu.
When I heard this criticism back in the 1980s, I often asked, "So why haven't we built it? The colonialists have been gone since 1960, so why haven't we built a rail line from east to west? We can't keep blaming them".
naptu2: The Buhari Administration began the Kaduna - Kano leg of the Western Line and the Tinubu Administration will finish it.
President Tinubu has gone to China to finalise the deal for the construction of the Ibadan - Ilorin and Ilorin - Abuja legs of the line.
The idea to build the Eastern and Western standard gauge lines was conceived during the administration of President Obasanjo. Yar'Adua did not follow through, but Goodluck Jonathan continued it.
The Central Line was conceived during the administration of President Shehu Shagari. It was started by the Babangida Administration and finished by the Buhari Administration. However, the Buhari Administration proposed that it should be extended to Abuja.
Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority LAMATA @Lamataonline
Green Line on Track
Following the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in China for the construction of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Green Line, the Lagos State Government made a significant move today for the commencement of its development.
The government conducted a site visit to advance the realization of the Green Line rail project.
A delegation comprising representatives from the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), China Harbour Point, Nexant Consulting, and Advanced Engineering Consultants (AEC) participated in the inspection.
The primary objective of the site visit was to familiarize the construction company with the project's right of way.
This information will be crucial for completing their comprehensive feasibility study and subsequently determining the most optimal approach for constructing the Green Line.
The Green Line rail project, spanning a total of 67 kilometers, is envisioned in two phases.
The initial phase will cover 33 kilometers, terminating at Omu Creek in Sangotedo.
The site visit was hosted by LAMATA and included key personnel such as Engr. Olasukanmi Okusaga, Director of Rail Transport at LAMATA, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Lateef Somide, CEO of AEC, a consulting firm, Dr. Abiola Agunbiade, and Paula Faniran, Head of Strategic Projects at MOFI.
This significant step marks a crucial milestone in the realization of the Green Line rail project, which promises to transform Lagos' transportation landscape and provide a more efficient and sustainable commuting option for its residents.
Maxtipulation: OP, what happened to the Oyinbo girl that was invited to the U17 camp, why was she not among the squad that later make it to Dominican Republic?
I don't know why Coach Bankole Olowookere did not pick Simone Adebowale Reilly, but she's not in the squad.
Ishilove: Why are South Africans like this? This is a very despicable trait among those people
“There is this narrative that me and the team are dating Nigerians ... Apparently I am half Zimbabwean and people question my nationality ... There was even a heinous comment left that I am involved in human trafficking ... Defamation of character would be an understatement to what we have endured.”
Morocco to host CAF Women’s Champions League 2024 in November
Published: Tuesday, 15 October 2024
The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) has announced that Morocco will host the 2024 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League Finals.
The CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024 will be played between 09-23 November 2024. Morocco hosted the 2022 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League – the premium women’s club football competition in Africa.
Eight ( 8 ) Clubs will contest the top prize. Winners will get USD 400 000 in prize money with runners-up walking away with USD 250 000.
Mamelodi Sundowns are the current holders – having won the competition twice in three years.
Morocco’s ASFAR is the other team that has won the Competition – back in 2022 when they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns.
Since it’s inception, the CAF Women’s Champions League played a key role in shaping women’s football in Africa.
Morocco’s hosting of the CAF Women’s Champions League follows the nation’s successful hosting of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2022 which also enjoyed unparallelled success.
Six Zonal tournaments took place to qualify 6 teams in addition to the host and the holder of 2023 title to the FT of CAF WCL 2024. The following teams are qualified:
CAF Women’s Champions League Qualified Clubs:
Holders: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) Host : ASFAR (Morocco) WAFU A : Aigles de la Medina (Senegal) WAFU B : EDO Queens (Nigeria) COSAFA : University of Western Cape (South Africa) UNAF : Tutankhamun (Egypt) CECAFA: CBE FC (Ethiopia) UNIFFAC: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
SIRTee15: Super eagles playing in uyo may be the issue here. Direct flight to uyo from abroad could be challenging logistics wise. It's a new airport, not international and the aviation logistics for foreign airline to land at the airport could be daunting. This may explain the difficulties both Libya and south Africa had landing in Uyo. If NFF insists our home matches must continue in Uyo, then extra effort and concrete aviation arrangements must be made with Uyo airport and aviation authorities to ensure foreign airlines have enough information and equipped with necessary logistics to land in Uyo airport.
This can't continue to happen all the time teams play super eagles in Uyo, otherwise there will always be issue of retribution in return legs.
The issue isn't about Super Eagles playing in Uyo, rather it is about gamesmanship. The airport in Uyo is designated as an international airport, the Victor Attah International Airport .
Reverse gamesmanship occurs when you believe that your hosts are planning to do something bad, so you make your own arrangements to counter them. The elements of reverse gamesmanship are:
A) You book your own hotel accommodation. Your hosts would have booked a hotel for you, but you ignore that hotel and book another hotel.
B) Your hire a team bus. Your hosts would have provided a team bus, but you ignore it and hire another bus
C) You don't inform your hosts about your travel arrangements, so that you can get them by surprise and they won't be able to prepare anything bad for you.
You must have a good point man in the host country in order to achieve this
Problems arise when you don't have a good point man, yet you want to play games.
Kenya
There was a match between Nigeria and Kenya in Calabar in 2013. The Kenyans did not inform the NFF of their travel plans. They suddenly arrived in Lagos.
Arik Air was the NFF's sponsor back then and it only flew to Calabar once a week. The Arik Air flight had already left Lagos for Calabar earlier that day, before the Kenyans arrived. The NFF had to arrange for Arik Air to provide another plane the next day.
The Kenyans complained that there was no NFF official to receive them, but how could there be when the NFF was not informed on time? NFF officials were in Calabar and Abuja, not in Lagos. The Kenyans found a football pitch at a secondary school and that's where they trained. They took pictures of the pitch and it went viral on social media. That was not the NFF's fault, it was entirely the fault of the Kenyans.
South Africa
The Super Eagles were to play Bafana Bafana in Uyo. Everybody thought that they would fly straight to Uyo or they would come through Lagos. Their flight was delayed in South Africa. The Bafana Bafana handle tweeted that their flight was delayed in South Africa (I posted a screenshot on my thread), yet they did not inform the NFF.
Their plane arrived Port-Harcourt Airport late at night. Uyo Airport had closed for the day by the time that they arrived Port-Harcourt and they could not get permission to fly to Uyo because the airport was closed. What do you want the NFF to do about that? NFF officials were waiting for them in Uyo, but they were in Port-Harcourt.
Libya
NFF's head of protocol spoke to the secretary-general of the Libyan FA on Monday and the Libyan did not tell him that the Libyan team would arrive on Tuesday. Late Monday night he got a call from someone that described himself as the Libyan advance party and the person told him that the Libyan team would arrive on Tuesday. The NFF made arrangements to receive them in Uyo on Tuesday afternoon. However, on Tuesday they got a call that the Libyan team was in Port-Harcourt. How was the NFF to know that they would be in Port-Harcourt?
Now take a look at the explanation by the Mamelodi Sundowns official in the last post above.
REVERSE GAMESMANSHIP 2
There is another trick that some teams play.
Enyimba played Raja Casablanca in Nigeria in 2018. Enyimba received them very well. I saw the videos and pictures. However, Raja players and officials made statements to travelling Moroccan journalists that they were mistreated, etc. Enyimba immediately filed a complaint to CAF. It was obvious that Raja were planning to maltreat Enyimba in Morocco and that they made those statements to rile their fans up.
People engage in reverse gamesmanship when they think that their hosts are going to do one of these things to them.
naptu2: There's a reason that Enyimba have reported Raja to CAF.
My dad led many Nigerian teams to North Africa in the 1970s and '80s and he told me about the antics of the north Africans.
He said that he usually called the Nigerian ambassador in the host country days before any match. He would tell the ambassador to book a hotel and hire a bus for the team.
This is because (1) fans of the north African team would usually camp outside the visiting teams hotel and they would make a lot of noise with loud speakers and drums, to ensure that players of the visiting team do not sleep at night.
2) They would usually book hotels in the red light district for the visiting team so that their players would be distracted by prostitutes.
3) Matches are usually held at night and in towns that are close to the Mediterranean, rather than their home town, so that the visiting players would be bothered by the cold.
4) Bags of urine are sometimes thrown at the reserve bench
I guess that Enyimba believe that Raja is trying to create animosity in the minds of its supporters so that they will give Enyimba a terrible time when Enyimba goes to Casablanca.
naptu2: Chief Abiola’s story included some underhand practices by host teams against visiting teams (changing the venue or kick-off times, etc.) This unfortunately was a regular occurrence in African football, as you can see from the post below.
saintnegroid: No.10 says there was no network and internet connection.... So how were they able to make all these calls they are saying in No. 11 down? Nigeria can lie for Africa. As citizens they are treating us like shit while lying to us that they have taken good care of us. How are we sure of the information they are giving us about the treatment of lybians here? And how are we sure of the information they give us about the treatment in lybia? We can no longer believe the government because we have seen how they have been treating us here
The NFF is not the government and comprehension should not be difficult.
Everybody complained that there was no WiFi at the airport. They were able to make calls, but had no internet access. It was the head of the Nigerian community in Labraq, Mr Eromosele, that came with internet access and food for them.
The NFF is not the Nigerian Government. The players are not the Nigerian Government. Journalists that were with the team are not the Nigerian Government. All of these people detailed what happened.
You can allow politics to becloud your judgement, but there are enough people that were there and they detailed exactly what happened.
FIFA jealously guards its broadcast rights. Anybody that posts videos of the match on any social media will have their accounts reported by FIFA.
This highlights video was posted on YouTube by FIFA, but they have blocked it from showing on any other website. Therefore, you have to click "Watch on YouTube" if you want to see it.
U-17 WWC: Flamingos Thrash New Zealand 4-1 in Group Opener
Nigeria’s Flamingos got their 2024 FIFA U-17 World Cup Group A campaign off to a perfect start after recording a comfortable 4-1 win on Wednesday, Completesports.com reports.
Goals from Shakirat Moshood, Khadijat Adegoke, Faridat Abdulawahab and Taiwo Afolabi earned the Flamingos the impressive result. New Zealand’s goal was scored by Hannah Saxon.
Moshood opened the scoring in the 2nd minute as she received a pass, beat her marker inside the box before hitting a low left foot strike into the bottom corner.
Adegoke doubled the Flamingos lead on 13 minutes after her long range strike was fumbled by the keeper which saw the ball cross the line despite her effort to keep it out.
The Flamingos went 3-0 ahead thanks to Abdulwahab who curled in a delightful strike from the outside of the box.
Captain of the Flamingos, Afolabi then got the fourth goal with a delightful header from a cross.
New Zealand pulled a goal back as Hannah Saxon controlled a swung in corner kick and hit a left foot shot past the Flamingos keeper.
The Flamingos will be back in action on Saturday, October 19 against debutant Ecuador.
Meanwhile, hosts Dominican Republic will take on Ecuador later on Wednesday.
There is a war in Sudan, so they can't play their matches at home, they play in Libya. Sudan and Ghana were given permission to land in Benghazi on the same day that the Libyans refused to give permission to the Super Eagles to land in Benghazi. They played their match in Benghazi without any problems, while the Super Eagles were being detained at an airport in Abraq.
nwachinemerem Ka mbu ✪ @donemy2000
This is 2024 and you Libyans think the rest of Africa is dumb . Sudan that is using Libya as a home ground because of the fight in their country landed in Benghazi, Ghana that is playing them landed also in Benghazi but Nigeria that has legitimate business in Libya couldn't land
From the desk of @YusufTuggar Minister @NigeriaMFA
@YusufTuggar is in touch with the Nigerian Mission in Libya through the CDA Amb Stephen Anthony Awuru, who has also been in touch with the NFF and Libyan authorities since last night, but Libyan authorities were yet to authorize them to travel to Bayda City, where the airport is located.
However, the CDA instructed the head of the Nigerian Community in Benghazi Mr Morris Eromosele, who arrived there this morning with supplies and internet access.
The Minister continues to monitor the unfortunate event through the CDA and awaits a report for further action.
abikedabiri @abikedabiri
This is most despicable behavior by the Libyan authorities. Libya is not a safe place to travel anyhow, especially by road . Your safety is of utmost concern. I am optimistic that the Minister of Sports ,and the NFF are working round the clock to deal with this situation appropriately.
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission @nidcom_gov
PRESS STATEMENT
AFCON 2025 QUALIFIERS: Treatment of Super Eagles players in Libya despicable- DABIRI-EREWA
ABUJA, OCT. 14, 2024: Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has condemned the treatment meted out to the Super Eagles team by Libya authorities ahead of its second leg match slated for Tuesday in the country.
She noted that traveling by road in Libya is most dangerous and totally not advisable because of the current situation in the country.
The team which left Nigeria on Sunday to Libya for their return match had their flight diverted to an innocuous airport far away from the venue of the match.
The implication of the diversion will now be another three hours of road travel to the main venue of the match, not minding the risk of road travel in Libya , considering the situation of the war-torn country.
Dabiri-Erewa said the safety of Nigerian players is paramount to the country and was optimistic that the Ministry of Sports and the NFF will advise appropriately.
She also called on CAF to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Already, the players, the pilots, and others on board the flight had been stranded and subjected to inhuman treatment at the airport for over 13 hours without water, food, rest, and other means of communication.
"The team was delayed at an airport in Libya for more than 13 hours without any tangible reason."
The Super Eagles flight was redirected air borne on Sunday, and they were required to travel by road to their destination.
However, there was no provision made for them by the Libya authorities, and all efforts to make alternative provisions by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was frustrated.
Dabiri-Erewa appealed to the Super Eagles to remain calm and why the Nigerian Football Federation will decide the next line of action.
E-signed. Abdur-Rahman Balogun Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit NiDCOM, Abuja.
The situation was complicated by the fact that there are two rival governments in Libya. The Government of National Unity controls Tripoli (where the Nigerian Embassy is based) and other areas in the west of Libya, while the Government of National Stability controls Benghazi, Abraq (where the Super Eagles were) and other areas in the east of Libya. There is a ceasefire agreement between both governments, but they don't like each other.
The Government of National Unity did not give the Charge d'Affairs of the Nigerian Embassy permission to travel to the territory of the Government of National Stability, where the Super Eagles were.
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar is the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar @YusufTuggar
I have been closely monitoring the situation involving the Super Eagles in Libya.
Through the Head of Nigerian Mission in Tripoli, Libya, Amb. Stephen Anthony Awuru, the Mission has maintained contact with the NFF, and the Libyan authorities since last night. Despite efforts, Libyan authorities have not yet authorized the Nigerian Mission’s trip to Bayda City, where the airport is located.
In the meantime, the Head of the Nigerian Community in Benghazi, Mr. Morris Eromosele, arrived at the location at 6 am this morning with necessary supplies and internet access. We will continue to follow developments and await a report for further action.
Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar @YusufTuggar
I received with dismay the news of the unfortunate detention of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials and the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Al Abraq International Airport several hours after arriving ahead of Tuesday’s crucial 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya.
This incident, though regrettable, emphasizes the importance on the need for the safety and well-being of our officials and players.
To resolve the incident, I initiated a phone call to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Libyan Eastern Government, Dr Abdulhadi Lahweej. This led to a series of actions, culminating in steps taken to assuage NFF officials and reassure the players of their safety. Subsequently, the contingent departed for Nigeria, and we await their arrival.
I commend the authorities' actions in resolving the incident and appreciate the amicable resolution of the unfortunate situation in the spirit of African brotherhood.
Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar @YusufTuggar
The NFF Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau meets with the Honourable Minister, Amb. Yusuf M. Tuggar (OON), to address the recent incident with the Super Eagles in Libya and discuss steps to ensure the team's safety and improve future coordination.
Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar @YusufTuggar
I met with the President of @thenff, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau @NigeriaMFA to address the recent situation involving @NGSuperEagles in Libya.
Our discussions focused on strengthening response mechanisms to ensure our teams' safety and prevent future incidents.
Travel › Re: LASG Conducts Site Visitation For Green Line Rail Project. by naptu2(op): 9:00pm On Oct 17, 2024
