New FIFA President Infantino arrives Nigeria

President of world football –governing body, Mr. Gianni Infantino and the Secretary General, Ms Fatma Samoura arrived in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, on Sunday. They were accompanied by executive assistants Mattias Grafstrom and Veron Mosengo-Omba.

The world football governors were received on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by NFF President Amaju Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, vice presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko, and other members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management.

A 10 –year old girl handed the 46 –year old multi –lingual Infantino a bouquet of flowers as the train emerged from the arrival hall, and a cultural troupe entertained in the foreground as Infantino and Samoura walked on the red carpet to waiting cars.

At the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Pinnick accompanied Infantino to the presidential suite, and meetings between the FIFA President and the NFF Board and with the visiting FA presidents from other African countries, as well as a cocktail dinner were on the programme for the night.

A total of 17 FA presidents from other African countries arrived in Nigeria on Saturday to join the NFF in receiving Infantino. These are Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana), Lamin Kaba Bajo (The Gambia), Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone), Musa Bility (Liberia), Juneidi Basha Tilmo (Ethiopia), Nicholas Kithuku (Kenya), Andrew Chamanga (Zambia), Philip Chiyangwa (Zimbabwe), Frans Mbidi (Namibia), Chabur Goc Alei (South Sudan), Walter Nyamilandu (Malawi), Abdiqani Said Arab (Somalia), Vincent Nzamwita (Rwanda), Moses Magogo (Uganda), Jamal Malinzi (Tanzania), Augustin Senghor (Senegal) and Souleman Waberi (Djibouti).

On Monday, Infantino and Samoura, alongside Sports Minister Solomon Dalung, NFF President Pinnick, chairmen of the Senate and House sports committees, NFF General Secretary and other NFF Board members, and the visiting FA presidents from other African countries, will pay a courtesy call on His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Also on the programme for Monday is an U13 exhibition football match at the National Stadium, visit to the new NFF headquarters and a business dinner with Nigeria’s political heavyweights and captains of industry.

PUNCH

Video - Abuja choking on its own garbage

Nigeria is not only hurting from a rapidly weakening currency. Its capital, Abuja, is a mere shadow of what it was intended to be. Founded in the 1970s during Nigeria's oil boom, planners had a dream of a model city for Africa. But as Nigeria faces a reversal of fortunes with falling oil prices, Abuja is struggling to keep the city clean and stick to its original design.

Video - Naira falls to an all time low

The Nigerian local currency has fallen to an all-time low against the U.S. Dollar. The Naira has passed the 300 mark for the first time. Last month, the central bank lifted its peg on the currency to allow it to trade freely on the interbank market. Nevertheless, the Naira fell 5.4 percent against the greenback to hit a record low of 309 in early trade on Thursday, following dollar supply shortages.

Video - Financial crunch cripples Nigeria's Olympic preparations

Nigeria's Olympic teams have been dogged by controversy with allegations of mismanagement and a lack of finances. As a result, training only got under way a few months ago.

Muslims in Nigeria applaud lifting ban on hijab in Lagos schools

A leading Muslim group in Nigeria has welcomed a court ruling lifting the ban on girls wearing the headscarf in government schools in Lagos state.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MRC) said the Lagos Court of Appeal's ruling was a victory for the rule of law.

The judges said the ban violated the religious rights of Muslim girls, overturning a lower court's ruling.

Girls had been barred from wearing the headscarf, or hijab, because it was not part of school uniforms.

The state government has not yet commented on whether it intends to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.

Nigeria's population is roughly divided between Muslims and Christians, with both groups being staunch believers.

The majority of Muslims live in the north and Christians primarily are in the south - though the southern state of Lagos has a more religious mix.

In June, the High Court in the southern state of Osun also lifted the ban on Muslims girls wearing the headscarf.

It caused religious tension in the state, with some Christian boys insisting on wearing church robes to school.

Two Muslim girls challenged the ban in Lagos state, taking their case to its Court of Appeal after the High Court ruled against them in 2013.

"The fact that the judgment was unanimous and only two of the five judges are Muslims leaves a firm stamp of authority on the legality of the use of hijab not only by female Muslim students but also by all Muslim women in the country," it added.

BBC