Monday, May 10, 2010

Government approves U.S. $8 Million for 2010 World Cup

The federal Government has approved a budget of N1.25 billion (over $8 million) for the country's participation in next month's World Cup in South Africa.


MTNFootball.com exclusively gathered that while the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will receive N900 million, its supervising agency, the National Sports Commission (NSC), will get N350 million.


This expenditure will cover players' match bonuses and allowances, as well as hotel accommodation during the tournament, as the world football governing body, FIFA, will only subsidise a player's boarding by $400-a-night.


Nigeria will in turn pay $700-a-night for rooms at the team's new World Cup training base at four-star Waterfront Hotel, Richards Bay.


The Super Eagles will earn $9 million from FIFA for featuring in the first round of the championship, but will receive more, if it progresses to the knockout stage.


A breakdown of this is one million dollars as training grant, which the team have since received, and $8 million for featuring in the group stage, which it will get after the tournament.


For the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, the government also approved a budget of N500 million (over $3 million) for the competition.


However, MTNFootball.com gathered that the NFF has spent over N700 million (about $4.6 million).


The NFF have since demanded a refund of N200 million from the Presidential Task Force (PTF), a committee set up to complement the efforts of the football association leading to the World Cup.


Daily Independent


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Friday, May 7, 2010

Video - 2face & Mary J Blige Colabo


 


Two worlds collide as the queen of R&B Mary J Blige and  2face work in the studio on a new track that's sure to set a new precedence for future collaborations between the two music industries.


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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Video report - Goodluck Jonathan takes over from Yar'Adua



Goodluck Jonathan has been sworn in as the new president after Yar'Adua's death.

Jonathan has remained silent about whether he will seek another presidential term but many Nigerians say without Jonathan, the programme begun by Yar'Adua will remain unfinished.


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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

President Umaru Yar'Adua is dead


A spokesman, who did not want to be named, said Mr Yar'Adua died on Wednesday, although there has been no official announcement yet.


Mr Yar'Adua, who became president in 2007, had been ill for some time, and had not been seen in public for months.


After much wrangling, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan was accepted as acting president in February.


Reports from Nigeria said Mr Yar'Adua died between 2100 (2000 GMT) and 2200 (2100 GMT) on Wednesday at his presidential residence in the capital, Abuja.


In November, Mr Yar'Adua went to a hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for several months, during which time he was not heard from.


He returned to Nigeria, but Mr Jonathan remained as acting president.


BBC


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Chiwetel Ejiofor cast as Fela


Chiwetel Ejiofor has officially been announced as the actor to play Fela in the biopic about the legendary musician and activist.


The movie is currently in development by Focus Features who secured the rights of Fela's music and a book by Michael Veal titled "Fela: The life and Times of an African Musical Icon'. The movie will be directed by Steve McQueen, director of the critically acclaimed Hunger.


Ejiofor has already been learning to play piano and saxophone in preparation for the role.


First Showing


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