Category: MIL-OSI

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Skills funding must be measured by learner outcomes

Source: Government of South Africa

Skills funding must be measured by learner outcomes

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has called for a fundamental shift in how government measures the success of skills development programmes. 

Manamela made the remarks during his recent appearance before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training. 

The Minister stressed the need for government to track learners beyond enrolment and completion to establish whether they entered employment, continued studying, established enterprises, or acquired skills that improved their livelihoods. 

“A learner who enrolled must be counted as enrolled. That does not mean that the learner completed, qualified or entered employment,” Manamela said. 

He said this approach should inform the implementation of the Skills Revolution, including reforms to Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), the National Skills Fund (NSF) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

“Public investment must be judged by the opportunities it creates for people, not only by participation recorded in a report,” the Minister said. 

Manamela said Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) reform must improve employer participation, grant management and learner progression, while the National Skills Fund must combine its developmental role with reliable project oversight and verified delivery.

For TVET colleges, he said reforms must link relevant programmes with capable lecturers, modern facilities and workplace opportunities, while community education remains part of that programme, and “not an afterthought.”

“For universities, we must safeguard access and quality while confronting financial sustainability and governance pressures.”

On the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), Manamela said sustainable financing and reliable administration must advance together, with funding policy supported by functioning decisions, appeals, accommodation, and allowance payment systems.

“As we prepare for the next academic year, this work must produce practical assurance: correct funding decisions, functioning registration systems, safe accommodation, and timely allowance payments.

“We must identify risks early and resolve them before students carry the cost. Readiness must be demonstrated through tested arrangements, not declared through general assurances that everything will be in place,” Manamela said. 

The Minister also called for greater clarity in reporting on irregular expenditure, saying a “declining register does not, by itself, prove that money was recovered or that non-compliance was prevented”.

He said reporting should distinguish between actual recoveries, investigations, referrals, authorised write-offs and other adjustments, with appropriate consequences where wrongdoing was established.

To strengthen implementation across the portfolio, Manamela said he will require a consolidated response linking Auditor-General recommendations, current findings and outstanding commitments from Parliament’s previous Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report.

“Each significant matter must have an accountable official, a deadline, an interim safeguard where needed and evidence of completion,” he said.

He said the Ministry will regularly review progress, while internal audit and audit committees test implementation rather than merely record assurances. 

“Parliament must receive complete, timely information on what has changed and what remains outstanding. Our responsibility is to make these arrangements work between parliamentary appearances, not only when we prepare to attend them,” Manamela said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Angola: Ministra do Ministério da Administração Pública, Trabalho e Segurança Social (MAPTSS) considera que a promoção do desporto nas instituições cria melhor ambiente de trabalho entre colegas

Source: Africa Press Organisation – Portuguese –

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A ministra da Administração Pública, Trabalho e Segurança Social, Teresa Rodrigues Dias considerou, neste sábado, que a prática do desporto nas instituições, oferece oportunidade de os colegas se conhecerem melhor, assim como os aproxima dos serviços do sector e reforça os laços que sustentam o trabalho diário.

A ministra falava durante a abertura do 1.º Torneio Interno de Basquetebol, promovido pelo Ministério da Administração Pública, Trabalho e Segurança Social, que reúne oito equipas participantes, sendo do Órgão Central, ENAPP, SIAC, TSCO, IGT, CINFOTEC, INSS e INEFOP.

A abertura do torneio contou com o testemunho dos secretários de Estado para Administração Pública, Domingos Filipe e para o Trabalho e Segurança Social, Pedro Filipe, assim como do vice-presidente para a área Científica do ISPETEC , Cirilo Cauxeiro.

Teresa Rodrigues Dias destacou que o basquetebol ensina-nos uma lição, particularmente importante, constituído pelo talento individual, ganha força quando é colocado ao serviço da equipa, porque um bom passe, pode ser tão decisivo, quanto uma bola ao cesto e uma defesa empenhada, pode mudar o rumo de um jogo. “E é nos momentos difíceis, que a confiança entre colegas, pode fazer a diferença entre desistir e continuar”.

A governante considerou que a troca, por algumas horas, das salas de reuniões, processos e rotina de trabalho pelo campo, bola e a energia da competição, dá mais sentido à instituição, pelo facto das pessoas sentirem o compromisso e a vontade de vencerem em conjunto.

Teresa Rodrigues Dias sublinhou que um Ministério forte, constrói-se com pessoas valorizadas, equipas unidas e relações de confiança e é com esse espírito que se pretende celebrar e fortalecer neste torneio.

“A missão do nosso Ministério coloca-nos todos os dias, perante responsabilidades que afectam a vida dos cidadãos, famílias e trabalhadores, neste quadro, para a promoção de uma Administração Pública mais capaz e que contribui, a dignificação do trabalho e o fortalecimento da protecção social, exige competência, dedicação e sentido de serviço, assim como também a capacidade de escuta, cooperação e respeito entre aqueles que partilham essa missão”, disse.

Por essa razão, a ministra reconhece que cuidar do bem-estar dos funcionários, faz parte da responsabilidade de governar, porque tem-se consciência de que quem trabalha, precisa de encontrar espaço para recuperar energias, cultivar hábitos saudáveis e estabelecer relações humanas, que ultrapassem a formalidade dos cargos e das funções.

A titular da pasta do MAPTSS reconheceu, também, que na Administração Pública, os melhores resultados dependem da capacidade de articular esforços, partilhar responsabilidades e trabalhar por um objectivo comum, porque nenhum serviço cumpre, plenamente, a sua missão por si só. Nenhuma liderança alcança resultados duradouros, sem uma equipa coesa e capaz.

Com isso, a ministra espera que esta competição serve de oportunidade para ensinar a cooperar melhor, liderar com responsabilidade e a enfrentar os desafios com resiliência. Onde cada equipa deve demonstrar a sua identidade, entusiasmo e a legítima ambição de conquistar o troféu.

“Recebam todas o meu incentivo e votos de uma excelente participação. Ao longo deste Torneio, haverá adversários dentro do campo, mas fora dele, continuaremos a ser colegas, parceiros e servidores de uma mesma missão, por isso que a vontade de ganhar seja sempre acompanhada pela dignidade de competir, respeitando às regras, decisões da arbitragem e a integridade dos adversários”, esclareceu.

A ministra apela aos participantes a celebrarem cada conquista com alegria e enfrentar cada derrota com elevação, pois, o resultado ficará no marcador, mas o respeito ficará na memória de todos.

Aos adeptos e colegas que estarão nas bancadas, deixou, igualmente, uma palavra de entusiasmo, por serem parte, essencial, desta festa, por isso, pediu que apoiem as equipas, valorizem as boas jogadas e façam deste espaço, um lugar de convivência saudável.

Teresa Rodrigues Dias deseja que esta primeira edição, abra caminho para uma tradição de encontro, saúde e confraternização no Ministério.

A ministra espera que a organização do torneio tenha êxitos e que vença a melhor equipa.

Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para Angola, Ministério da Administração Pública, Trabalho e Segurança Social.

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Egypt: President El-Sisi Presides over Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) Meeting

Source: APO


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On Monday, 5th October 2026, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, presided over a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces at the Strategic Command Headquarters in the New Capital. The meeting took place within the framework of celebrations marking the 53rd anniversary of the glorious October Victory.

The Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, stated that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa and a number of senior Armed Forces commanders received the President upon his arrival at the Strategic Command Headquarters.

President El-Sisi congratulated the Armed Forces on the glorious anniversary of the October 1973 victory. The President emphasized the importance of maintaining the highest levels of combat readiness, enabling the Armed Forces to perform their duties in defending the homeland, safeguarding its sanctities, and protecting its capabilities, in light of the unprecedented challenges and changes the region is witnessing.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production delivered a speech outlining the efforts undertaken by the Armed Forces in carrying out their missions. The meeting also included a presentation by the Chief of the Armed Forces Operations Authority regarding the future conscription policy.

The meeting also addressed the latest regional and international developments and their impact on Egypt’s national security. Emphasis was placed on the Armed Forces’ continued performance of their national duties with efficiency and competence, ensuring the protection of the state’s borders, the preservation of its security and stability, and the safeguarding of its capabilities.

Following the meeting, a commemorative photograph was taken of the President with members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

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Seul 1 des 26 stades du Nigéria répond aux normes internationales. Le pays a besoin d’un nouveau modèle (Par Mitchell Obi)

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

Par Mitchell Obi*, Ancien Président d’AIPS Afrique (Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive) (www.AIPSmedia.com)

Le Nigéria compte environ 26 stades. Quatre appartiennent au gouvernement fédéral. Les autres sont répartis dans les États. Ils ont été construits avec de l’argent public, pour la fierté nationale, à un coût énorme.

Et un seul d’entre eux, le Godswill Akpabio Stadium d’Uyo, répond aujourd’hui aux normes de la FIFA et de la CAF pour accueillir un match international de football.

Si Lionel Messi devait jouer au Nigéria demain, il n’y aurait qu’un seul stade dans tout le pays où le match pourrait être autorisé. Un seul stade. Dans un pays de 230 millions d’habitants. Dans la première économie d’Afrique.

Ce n’est pas un problème de financement. Le Nigéria a dépensé des milliards pour ses stades depuis six décennies. Le Moshood Abiola National Stadium d’Abuja compte 60 500 places. Le National Stadium de Lagos en compte 45 000. Le Liberty Stadium d’Ibadan en compte 25 000. Nous les avons construits. Nous y avons organisé des tournois. Et puis nous les avons abandonnés.

Ces stades sont utilisés pour une poignée d’événements par an. Les 335 jours restants, ils restent vides, se dégradent, consommant l’argent du contribuable pour un entretien qui n’entretient quasiment rien. Un stade de 74 000 places au Nigéria se loue entre 200 000 et 300 000 nairas. Ce n’est pas un revenu. C’est une humiliation.

Le problème ne vient pas des stades eux-mêmes. Le problème vient du modèle. Nous avons construit des stades comme des monuments. Nous aurions dû les construire comme des économies.

Un stade, en soi, est un coût. Il génère des revenus les jours de match et draine les finances publiques tous les autres jours. Mais lorsqu’un stade devient le point d’ancrage d’un district sport et divertissement intégré, combinant hôtels, restaurants, commerces, centres de conférence, salles de sport, cinémas, écoles, logements et bureaux au sein d’un même ensemble planifié, il se transforme d’un passif en une économie qui génère des revenus 365 jours par an.

Mon ami Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Fondateur d’African Collaborations Group, appelle ce modèle Victory District™. Moi, je l’appelle du bon sens.

Prenons le Moshood Abiola National Stadium d’Abuja. On y entre par une porte magnifique. Derrière elle se trouve une installation autrefois qualifiée de world-class lorsqu’elle a été construite pour les Jeux Africains. Aujourd’hui, c’est, de l’avis général, un éléphant blanc. Mais le terrain est là. Les fondations sont là. L’emplacement, au cœur de la capitale fédérale, est extraordinaire.

Imaginez maintenant ce même site transformé en district sportif. Le stade est rénové et mis aux normes FIFA. Autour de lui, des hôtels s’élèvent. Des centres de conférence et d’exposition ouvrent. Des restaurants, des commerces et des lieux de divertissement s’activent. Des académies de formation et des centres de sciences du sport forment la prochaine génération d’athlètes nigérians. Un hub de transport relie le district à la ville.

Chaque jour, les gens viennent. Pas seulement les jours de match. Chaque jour. Pour travailler, manger, faire des achats, s’entraîner, séjourner, se divertir. Les revenus affluent. Des emplois sont créés. Le contribuable cesse de payer pour un stade vide et commence à bénéficier d’une économie urbaine florissante.

Ce n’est pas de la fiction. Regardez Zamalek au Caire. Pour obtenir une place dans ce club sportif, il faut être membre, et l’adhésion est chère et convoitée. Le district génère sa propre économie. Regardez ce qui se construit à Londres autour du Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Regardez Hollywood Park à Los Angeles. Le modèle existe. Il fonctionne. Il a fait ses preuves.

Le Président Bola Ahmed Tinubu a donné à la Commission Nationale des Sports, sous la direction du Président Shehu Dikko, le mandat de créer une économie du sport. Cette économie ne peut exister sans infrastructures sportives. Mais les bonnes infrastructures sportives. Pas de nouveaux stades isolés construits pour un seul événement. Des districts sport et divertissement intégrés, conçus pour fonctionner chaque jour, générer des revenus diversifiés et être financièrement autonomes sans subvention publique.

Le plan directeur du sport présenté en 2020 projetait que le Nigéria serait prêt à accueillir la Coupe du Monde FIFA et les Jeux Olympiques d’ici 2030. Nous y sommes presque, et nous sommes plus loin de cet objectif que lorsque le plan a été rédigé. Non pas parce que nous manquons d’ambition. Parce que nous avons construit les mauvaises choses.

L’argent est dépensé. Les budgets sont approuvés. La construction est en cours dans certains endroits. Mais la question demeure : une fois l’argent dépensé, combien de ces stades répondront réellement aux normes de la FIFA ? Combien seront en mesure d’accueillir les compétitions que le Nigéria aspire à attirer ? Combien généreront les revenus nécessaires pour se maintenir sans drainer les finances publiques ? Tant que nous ne pourrons pas répondre à ces questions avec confiance, nous ne construisons pas une économie du sport. Nous chantons dans un pays étranger.

Les solutions existent. Lorsque l’ancienne Secrétaire Générale de la FIFA, Fatma Samoura, a créé la Task Force FIFA pour le Développement des Infrastructures en Afrique, elle a compris que le continent avait besoin d’une nouvelle approche. African Collaborations Group (ACG), né de cette Task Force, origine aujourd’hui exactement le type de districts sport et divertissement intégrés dont le Nigéria et le continent ont besoin. Le modèle est prêt. L’expertise est assemblée. La question est de savoir si le Nigéria saisira l’opportunité ou continuera à chanter dans un pays étranger. Il est temps d’arrêter de construire des stades et de commencer à construire des districts. Et le Moshood Abiola National Stadium d’Abuja devrait être le premier.

Mitchell Obi est l’Ancien Président d’AIPS Afrique (la branche africaine de l’Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive) et un journaliste et présentateur sportif nigérian de renom.

Distribué par APO Group pour AIPS Africa.

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Egypt: President El-Sisi Heads to Korea at the Start of an Asian Tour Including Malaysia and Indonesia

Source: APO – Report:

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President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi heads today to the Republic of Korea, at the start of an Asian tour that will also include the Kingdom of Malaysia and the Republic of Indonesia.

Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that the tour will begin with a state visit to the Republic of Korea, where President El-Sisi will hold talks with Korean President Lee Jae Myung. During the visit, the President will also participate in a roundtable with CEOs and representatives of major Korean companies.

The tour will also feature a state visit to the Kingdom of Malaysia and a visit to the Republic of Indonesia.

– on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

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Cyber, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Smart Technologies Drive Kenya–Malawi Defence Cooperation

Source: APO – Report:

Cyber capabilities, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and SMART technologies are increasingly shaping military operations, national resilience and the future security environment. For modern Defence Forces, technological adaptation is therefore becoming as critical as conventional military capability in maintaining operational advantage and responding effectively to emerging threats.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) hosted a 30-member delegation from the Malawi Defence Force Senior Command and Staff Course Number 05 for a regional study tour in Nairobi, strengthening defence cooperation while advancing professional knowledge exchange on emerging technologies and national security.

Led by the Commandant of the Malawi Defence Force Command and Staff College (MDFCSC), Major General Vincent Peter Moyo, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chief of the Defence Forces (VCDF), Lieutenant General John Omenda, at Defence Headquarters. Discussions explored areas of mutual interest and opportunities to deepen military-to-military cooperation between Kenya and Malawi.

Central to the study tour was a strategic presentation under the theme, “Approaches to Leveraging Cyber Domain Capabilities and SMART Technologies in Building National Resilience.” The session examined how Defence Forces can harness emerging technologies while strengthening institutional preparedness against evolving cyber and asymmetric threats.

Major General Moyo commended the presentation, noting that it demonstrated Kenya’s growing integration of technology into everyday life through innovations such as M-Pesa, digital public transport booking systems and electronic payments.

He observed that contemporary security challenges are increasingly asymmetric and technology-driven, requiring Defence Forces to continuously adapt their training, capabilities and operational approaches. Militaries that fail to keep pace with technological transformation, he noted, risk losing operational relevance and advantage.

Welcoming the delegation, the Chief of Training, KDF, Brigadier Alex Nteere, underscored the importance of Professional Military Education in developing adaptive leaders capable of operating effectively within increasingly complex security environments.

Brigadier Nteere urged military institutions to proactively embrace emerging technologies, particularly AI, drawing parallels with the initial introduction of computers into workplaces, which was similarly accompanied by uncertainty and resistance.

He highlighted AI’s potential to strengthen personnel management, analyse large volumes of information, identify trends and patterns, and support the assessment of possible courses of action during operational planning. He further emphasised that technological advancement must be supported by resilient institutions, appropriate structures and sound policy frameworks capable of addressing emerging cyber risks.

During the strategic presentation, Lieutenant Colonel Mukugi examined regional and international cyber and SMART technology ecosystems relevant to national security and defence operations. He assessed vulnerabilities associated with expanding digital connectivity and networked systems across military and civilian sectors.

The presentation also explored approaches to protecting critical infrastructure through governance frameworks, resilience mechanisms and inter-agency coordination. Industry, innovation ecosystems and public-private partnerships were highlighted as important force multipliers in strengthening cyber capabilities and national resilience.

The session further examined the integration of cyber capabilities, SMART technologies and Combined, Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental and Multinational (CJIIM) effects into military planning and decision-making.

The study tour strengthened Kenya–Malawi defence relations while demonstrating the growing convergence between military education, defence diplomacy and technological transformation. Through sustained professional exchanges, the two Defence Forces are strengthening institutional resilience, developing technologically adaptive leaders and enhancing preparedness for an increasingly digital and contested security environment.

– on behalf of Ministry of Defence – Kenya.

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Kenya, India Deepen Naval Cooperation for Maritime Security

Source: APO – Report:

Maritime security increasingly depends on strong partnerships, sustained naval engagement and the ability of nations to coordinate responses to threats affecting shared sea lanes and maritime interests. For Kenya and India, longstanding defence relations provide a foundation for strengthening cooperation and contributing to security and stability across the Indian Ocean region.

An Indian delegation led by Commodore Kartik Srimal paid a courtesy call on the Commander Kenya Navy, Major General Paul Otieno, at the Kenya Navy Headquarters on 5 October 2026.

The delegation included the Defence Attaché of India to Kenya, Captain Arjit Pandey, alongside other officials. The engagement provided an opportunity for the two sides to review areas of mutual interest and explore opportunities for expanding cooperation between the Kenya Navy and Indian Navy.

Discussions focused on strengthening existing maritime cooperation, enhancing professional engagements and identifying areas where the two navies can deepen collaboration in response to evolving maritime security challenges.

Major General Otieno underscored the importance of sustained professional interaction in strengthening bilateral defence relations and enhancing the ability of partner navies to address emerging threats within the maritime domain.

He noted that continued engagements provide opportunities for knowledge exchange, professional development and the sharing of operational experiences, while strengthening institutional relationships between the two navies.

The Indian Ocean remains a critical maritime corridor supporting international trade, regional connectivity and economic activity. Its security requires cooperation among maritime nations to safeguard shared interests and strengthen collective awareness and preparedness against evolving threats.

Kenya and India share longstanding maritime interests within the Indian Ocean, making naval cooperation an important component of the wider defence relationship between the two countries. Continued interaction between their naval forces contributes to greater mutual understanding and creates opportunities for strengthening professional and operational cooperation.

The courtesy call reaffirmed the enduring Kenya–India maritime partnership and the shared interest of both countries in promoting a secure and stable maritime environment.

Through sustained naval diplomacy and professional engagement, the Kenya Navy continues to strengthen partnerships that enhance maritime security cooperation, build institutional capacity and contribute to peace and stability across the wider Indian Ocean region.

– on behalf of Ministry of Defence – Kenya.

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Only 1 of Nigeria’s 26 Stadiums Meets International Standards: The Country Needs a New Model (By Mitchell Obi)

Source: APO – Report:

By Mitchell Obi*, Former President of AIPS Africa (International Sports Press Association) (www.AIPSmedia.com)

Nigeria has approximately 26 stadiums. Four belong to the federal government. The rest are scattered across the states. They were built with public money, for public pride, at enormous cost.

And only one of them, the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, meets the FIFA and CAF benchmarks required to host an international football match today.

If Lionel Messi were to play in Nigeria tomorrow, there is only one venue in the entire country where the match could be sanctioned. One stadium. In a nation of 230 million people. In Africa’s largest economy.

This is not a funding problem. Nigeria has spent billions on stadiums over six decades. The Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja has 60,500 seats. The National Stadium in Lagos has 45,000. The Liberty Stadium in Ibadan has 25,000. We built them. We hosted tournaments in them. And then we abandoned them.

These stadiums are used for a handful of events each year. For the remaining 335 days, they sit empty, decaying, consuming taxpayer money for maintenance that barely maintains anything. A stadium of 74,000 capacity in Nigeria rents for between 200,000 and 300,000 naira. That is not revenue. That is embarrassment.

The problem is not the stadiums themselves. The problem is the model. We built stadiums as monuments. We should have built them as economies.

A stadium, by itself, is a cost. It generates revenue on matchdays and drains the public purse every other day. But when a stadium becomes the anchor of an integrated sport and entertainment district, combining hotels, restaurants, retail, conference centres, gyms, cinemas, schools, residential, and commercial space within a single master-planned ecosystem, it transforms from a liability into an economy that generates revenue 365 days a year.

My friend Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder of African Collaborations Group, calls this model Victory District™. I call it common sense.

Consider the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. You enter through a magnificent gate. Beyond it sits a facility that was once described as world-class when it was built for the All-Africa Games. Today it is, by many accounts, a white elephant. But the land is there. The infrastructure bones are there. The location, in the heart of the federal capital, is extraordinary.

Now imagine that same site transformed into a sport district. The stadium is renovated and upgraded to FIFA standards. Around it, hotels rise. Conference and exhibition centres open. Restaurants, retail, and entertainment venues activate. Training academies and sports science facilities train the next generation of Nigerian athletes. A transport hub connects the district to the city.

Every day, people come. Not just on matchdays. Every day. To work, to eat, to shop, to train, to stay, to be entertained. Revenue flows. Jobs are created. The taxpayer stops paying for an empty stadium and starts benefiting from a thriving urban economy.

This is not fantasy. Look at Zamalek in Cairo. If you want a seat in that sports club, you must be a member, and membership is expensive and coveted. The district generates its own economy. Look at what is being built in London around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Look at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. The model exists. It works. It has been proven.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave the National Sports Commission, under the leadership of Chairman Shehu Dikko, a mandate to create a sports economy. That economy cannot exist without sport infrastructure. But the right kind of sport infrastructure. Not more standalone stadiums built for a single event. Integrated sport and entertainment districts designed to operate every single day, to generate diversified revenue, and to be financially self-sustaining without public subsidy.

The sports master plan presented in 2020 projected that Nigeria would be ready to host the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games by 2030. We are nearly there, and we are further from that goal than we were when the plan was written. Not because we lack ambition. Because we built the wrong things.

Money is being spent. Budgets are being approved. Construction is underway in some places. But the question remains: after the money is spent, how many of these stadiums will actually meet FIFA standards? How many will be able to host the competitions Nigeria aspires to attract? How many will generate the revenue needed to sustain themselves without draining public funds? Until we can answer those questions with confidence, we are not building a sports economy. We are singing a song in a strange land.

The solutions exist. When Former FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura created the FIFA Task Force for Infrastructure Development in Africa, she understood that the continent needed a new approach. African Collaborations Group (ACG), born from that Task Force, is now originating exactly the kind of integrated sport and entertainment districts that Nigeria and the continent need. The model is ready. The expertise is assembled. The question is whether Nigeria will seize the opportunity or continue singing a song in a strange land. It is time to stop building stadiums and start building districts. And the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja should be the first one.

*Mitchell Obi is the Former President of AIPS Africa (the African arm of the International Sports Press Association) and a veteran Nigerian sports journalist and broadcaster.

– on behalf of AIPS Africa.

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Eritrea: World Teachers’ Day Commemorated with Various Programs

Source: APO – Report:

World Teachers’ Day, 5 October, was commemorated at the national level in Asmara under the theme, “Let’s Upgrade Teachers’ Capacity by Standing Alongside Them.”

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Petros Hailemariam, Director-General of Research and Human Resources Development at the Ministry of Education, noted that the Government of Eritrea believes that basic education is the right and obligation of every citizen. He said that substantial investment in the sector, from pre-primary education onwards, coupled with public support for teachers, is bringing about positive changes.

Noting that the main objective of the Teachers’ Association is to enhance the teaching and learning process by upgrading teachers’ capacity, Mr. Simon Mehari, Chairman of the National Teachers’ Association of Eritrea, said that, as teachers are the main players in the effort to realize quality education, they should shoulder the responsibilities their profession entails.

The event featured a seminar focusing on the significance of the teaching profession, as well as cultural performances by students of Medeber School.

World Teachers’ Day is being observed for the 33rd time at the international level and for the 30th time at the national level.

The National Teachers’ Association of Eritrea, which was established in 1958, currently has about 30,000 members. The association also became a member of the World and African Teachers’ Associations in 1996.

In the same vein, educational and sports competitions held in Sawa in connection with World Teachers’ Day concluded on 04 October. The program was organized by the Sawa branch of the National Teachers’ Association.

Mr. Endrias Teklu, Chairman of the branch association, said that the competitions held among teachers of Sawa Warsia-Yikealo School included football, basketball, badminton, table tennis, athletics, general knowledge, short stories, and poetry.

Noting that the National Teachers’ Association is a professional and cooperative association, Mr. Russom Gebrehiwet, Director of the school, called on every teacher to strive earnestly for the development of the association, self-development, and the promotion of a reading culture.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

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President Isaias holds talks with Somali President

Source: APO – Report:

President Isaias Afwerki met with Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, in El Alamein City in the mid-morning hours today for extensive talks on bilateral relations and other matters of vital importance to both countries.

The two Heads of State underlined the imperative of consolidating a conducive political climate that rejects external agendas of interference to safeguard and guarantee the territorial integrity, stability, and peace of Somalia and the unity of its people.

President Isaias further remarked that federal governance architectures in Somalia and other countries in our region have often failed to meet the peoples’ hopes and aspirations for unity and cohesion. Political frameworks that polarize socio-economic, religious, and ethnic differences to foment perennial crises and encourage foreign interventions ought to be supplanted by citizenship-based governance architectures.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, for his part, conveyed his gratitude to President Isaias Afwerki and the Eritrean people for their firm stance and support for the Government and people of Somalia.

President Isaias Afwerki also met yesterday afternoon in El Alamein with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, for extensive discussions on bilateral relations as well as regional and international matters of mutual interest to both countries.

The meeting, which took place on the margins of the Quadrilateral Consultative Summit, forms part of the regular consultations between the leaders on bilateral relations and other broad issues of mutual interest.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

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