Advertorial: August 2021 Trade Mission Pages 64 & 65 - The Gunners are keen on the Cameroon

Advertorial: August 2021 Trade Mission to Nigeria

Twenty-six Nigerian states recorded zero foreign investment in the whole of 2020, figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics show. The total value of capital inflow for the year fell to $9.7 billion, from $24 billion in 2019, representing a decline of 59.7 per cent. It was the lowest in at least four years. This drastic decline in foreign capital inflows could be attributed to Nigeria’s poor economic performance accentuated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic within the period. Noteworthy is the fact that foreign loans hold the major source of foreign investment inflows and this traction is projected to increase as other forms of investments decrease. However, Brexit presents a unique opportunity to turn this gloomy picture around as both the European Union and the United Kingdom seek to strategically court Africa as investors of choice. With the pathway to dialogue and trade negotiations open, Nigerian businesses and the government can begin to utilize this opportunity with beneficial outcomes to the economy and average standard of living. Following these antecedents, Cater&Merger presents the FIRST POST-BREXIT TRADE MISSION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM in August 2021 to explore: • Collaboration for international venture partnerships between the United Kingdom and Nigeria. • Funding for emerging ventures in Agriculture, ICT, Education, Health, Environment and Renewable Energy for Nigerian businesses. • Partnerships across sectors after round table discussions with British Business Networks, including but not limited to, the British African Business Alliance, Opportunity Peterborough, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Management and Leadership UK and the Across Atlantic Development – accredited project partners with the European Union. • An opportunity for access to exclusive state and business resources of the cities of London, Manchester and Peterborough. • International intervention programs from the United Kingdom following meetings from the Mayor of Peterborough, the Member of Parliament representing Peterborough and the Worshipful Mayor of Brent. Hereby, presenting a unique pathway to ensuring continuous prosperity for all Nigerians and our communities. If you’re an interested party ▪ a private business seeking partnership or venture funding ▪ a public service seeking expert collaboration and assistance on community impact Kindly get in touch with us on our official email at info@ caterandmergerconsult.com

Our appreciation to Fatou Bensouda

Finally, Fatou Bensouda has ended her tenure as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. She was host by several institutions to wish her farewell and good tending for the rest of her future endeavors. In this picture is Fatou Bensouda and Ambassador Mirjam Blaak Sow of Uganda at the farewell dinner at French Ambassador residence in The Hague. Also on behalf of The Voice magazine, we wish to thank you for your service to humanity.

History would be fair on you. You did your best in the circumstances as the job demanded of you.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on schedule More information for you

The countdown to the Tokyo Olympics is on after officials confirmed the Games will “100%” be happening this summer from July 23rd through to August 2021. The news comes as a welcome boost to athletes and broadcasters after the Covid pandemic led to the initial postponement of Tokyo 2020 last year. Yet the majority of the Japanese public are not so keen for the country to be hosting the Olympic Games, according to a recent survey by newspaper Nikkei. The eagerly-anticipated Tokyo Olympics will officially run between July 24 and August 8 in 2021. All the dates has been carefully worked out, taking into account the popularity of different events, the rules and regulations of various International Federations, the global TV audience, and the well-being of the athletes. The Tokyo 2020 schedule will not kick off with the Opening Ceremony as usual. The first 2 days will include the preliminary matches of football as well as softball, one of the new sports to be introduced to the Olympics. The opening ceremony will take place on July 23. The closing ceremony will be on the final day of the Olympics (August 8). There is an incredible amount of sporting competitions to look forward to at various Olympic venues. The athletics events start on July 30 at the new Tokyo Stadium and every single session will feature finals and medal ceremonies. The Olympics typically draw together more than 11,000 athletes and 25,000 journalists from more than 200 countries, so plenty of protocols will need to be in place to ensure a healthy and safe Summer Games. The Games will be scaled back a bit, but they’ll still feature a full slate of sports, nations and athletes. There will be guidelines in place to encourage social distancing, restrict movement and limit face-to-face interaction, and some of the pageantry will be toned down. Athletes will be allowed to stay at the Olympic Village only for the duration of their competition, and they’ll be subject to regular coronavirus testing and temperature checks throughout their stay in Japan. They also will be barred from using public transportation or visiting any public places that aren’t approved by Olympic officials. What’s the schedule for the Olympics? The first medals will be handed out July 24, followed by more than two weeks of dizzying action. Swimming and gymnastics likely will take center stage in the opening week. Swimming competition runs July 24-Aug. 1, and gymnastics is July 25-Aug. 3. Track and field events begin July 30 and conclude with the men’s marathon Aug. 8, the final day of the Olympics. Many Olympic tournaments run nearly the duration of the Games, including basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, water polo, soccer and beach volleyball, and don’t award medals until the final days. What are the venues? More than half of the 43 Olympic venues predate Tokyo being awarded the Summer Games, which means organizers have been able to focus on renovations more than new construction. Tokyo’s National Stadium was the centerpiece of the 1964 Games and has undergone a complete overhaul for this summer. The 68,000seat stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as track and field and the women’s gold medal soccer game. Initial designs for the stadium were scrapped in 2015 when costs ballooned to $2 billion and organizers settled on a more modest

renovation. Tokyo’s Metropolitan Gymnasium is also a holdover from the 1964 Games, when it was used for gymnastics and water polo. This time around, the 7,000-seat arena will host table tennis. While the Tokyo Olympics don’t feature centrallylocated venues in “clusters,” like recent Summer Games, most are still consolidated in Tokyo. In all, 28 are located within five miles of the Olympic Village. Just 11 new venues were constructed for the Tokyo Games, including the 15,000-seat Tokyo Aquatics Center, home of the swimming events; the 12,000-seat Ariake Arena, which will host volleyball matches; and the 15,000-seat Oi Hockey Stadium, site of the field hockey tournament. Is Russia competing in Tokyo? Russia won’t formally be competing in Tokyo, but plenty of Russians will be. Still dogged by a lingering doping controversy, the country was issued a four-year ban from international sporting events in 2019, which was reduced last December to two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The punishment still means Russia will have no official presence — no flag, no anthem — at the Tokyo Games. What is the mascot? Miraitowa is a blue-checkered creation intended to represent both old traditions and celebrate new innovations. The cartoon character supposedly resides in the digital realm but has the ability to transport itself to the real world. Its name is a combination of two Japanese words: mirai, meaning “future,” and towa, which means “eternity.” Miraitowa was created by Japanese artist Ryo Taniguchi, emerging from a competition process that began with more than 2,000 mascot designs. What do the medals look like? Each athlete that reaches the podium will be awarded with a unique Olympic prize. The medals in Tokyo are made from recycled cellphones and other electronics. In February 2017, Tokyo 2020 organizers began soliciting donations from the public for their old electronics, and the gold, silver and bronze was extracted and utilized to forge the medals. The Vancouver Winter Games in 2010 similarly utilized recycled electronics in its Olympic medals. While the back of the medal features the Tokyo 2020 logo, in accordance with IOC regulations, the front depicts Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, in front of Panathinaikos Stadium.

What are the other sports? In all, the Tokyo Games will feature 33 sports, 50 disciplines and 339 medal events, including (number of events in parenthesis): Artistic gymnastics (14), artistic swimming (2), archery (5), badminton (5), baseball and softball (2), basketball (2), 3-on-3 basketball (2), beach volleyball (2), BMX freestyle (2), BMX racing (2), boxing (13), canoeing (16), cycling (22), diving (8), equestrian (6), fencing (12), field hockey (2), football (2), golf (2), gymnastics (18), handball (2), judo (15), karate (8), mountain biking (2), pentathlon (2), rhythmic gymnastics (2), road cycling (2) rowing (14), rugby (2), sailing (10), shooting (15), skateboarding (4), sport climbing (2), surfing (2), swimming (37), table tennis (5), taekwondo (8), tennis (5), track and field (48), track cycling (12), trampoline gymnastics (2), triathlon (3), volleyball (2), water polo (2), weightlifting (14) and wrestling (18). What do I need to know about attending the Games? It will be virtually impossible for any non-Japanese person who’s not accredited by Tokyo 2020 organizers to attend these Tokyo Games.They can’t enter with a ticket, and as of June, foreign visitors were still barred from entering the country. Organizers were initially expecting some 10 million visitors. As with most Olympics, attending the Tokyo Games would be a costly affair. Flights and hotels are never cheap to Japan. Some estimates last year suggested Tokyo would be facing a shortage of hotel rooms and tickets — if they exist — would be difficult to come by. Where is the next Olympics? The next four Olympic host sites have been named. Beijing, which staged the 2008 Summer Games, will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, which begin next Feb. 4. The 2024 Summer Games will take place in Paris, followed by the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The Summer Games will return to Los Angeles, home of the 1984 Olympics, in 2028. Olympic organizers have not chosen a host for the 2030 Winter Games, though bids could come from Spain (PyreneesBarcelona), Japan (Sapporo) and the United States (Salt Lake City). The 2030 site won’t be announced until 2023. Olympic officials, meanwhile, have targeted Australia as a preferred host for the 2032 Summer Games.

Danielle Perkins: Heavyweight champ? After life-changing accident she is becoming Tyson Fury of women’s boxing The Gunners are still keen on the Cameroon international goalkeeper

The Gunners are keen on the Cameroon international but are yet to table an offer for the 25-year-old Arsenal face competition to sign Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana as rival interests have grown since the verdict by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reduce his doping ban. Onana had been serving a yearlong suspension following a positive out-of-competition test for Furosemide but after appealing UEFA’s original punishment, the Ajax goalkeeper had his ban reduced to nine months by CAS. That has led to increased interest in the 25-year-old, who will be allowed to leave Ajax this summer before his away but is in no rush to decide his future due to his involvement with Germany at Euro 2020. That could cause an issue because although Onana is keen on a move to Arsenal, he wants to join a club where he would be first choice and that would not be certain should Leno still be around. Rival interest intensifies Arsenal can’t afford to wait too long before deciding whether to push through with a move for Onana. The keeper is now attracting strong interest from around Europe, with Ajax keen on getting a deal done as quickly as possible for a player they would

contract expires at the end of the 2021-22 season. Arsenal have been monitoring Onana’s situation closely during the past few months having initially been interested in signing him last January. Technical director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta are big admirers of the Cameroon international, but the Gunners have yet to firm up their interest with an official offer. Arsenal have held discussions with Onana’s representatives, but are yet to decide whether they will step up their pursuit of the keeper. The situation is complicated by the uncertainty over Bernd Leno. Arsenal’s current No.1 is open to a move lose for nothing in 2022. A club who finished in the top eight of the Premier League last season has now made contact Due to the terms of his suspension, Onana has been unable to even train with Ajax since February and has been working on his fitness with a personal trainer on local pitches in Amsterdam. He will be allowed to start competitive training again two months before the end of his ban. He will then be available for selection from November 3 onwards.

Court shortens Onana suspension

The international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has made a ruling appeal in the case of Andre Onana versus the UEFA. The goalkeeper was previously suspended for twelve months by the European football association because of a violation of the doping rules. The CAS has now determined in appeal that the suspension will be reduced to nine months. Socials The suspension shall now end 4 November 2021 and up to that time, it covers all football activities, both national as international. The goalkeeper is allowed to restart his training two months before the end of the suspension which will be on 4 September 2021. Onana has a contract with Ajax that runs until 30 June 2022. During a four-hour online session on 2 June 2021, Onana told his side of the story to three arbitrators of the CAS and was assisted by his lawyers and Ajax. In this session the CAS was asked not to impose a penalty or a considerably shorter penalty than the twelve months that was previously imposed by the UEFA. The position of the UEFA was unchanged. The European football association wanted the CAS to stick to the twelve months suspension. During an out of competition check on 30 October 2020 the substance Furosemide was found in the urine of the goalkeeper. He was found positive after a doping test because he by accident had taken some pill belonging to his wife when looking for some aspirins. That pill contained the forbidden substance. Edwin van der Sar: “With this ruling of the CAS we have won three months in comparison to the initial suspension. So it was worth it taking this case to the CAS. We stand for a clean sport. By I will say again that we are convinced that Andre has taken this substance by accident and certainly not to perform better.” “This is endorsed by all parties, also by the UEFA as is to be concluded from the cases both by the UEFA and the CAS.” “When we told our story, together with Andre and the lawyers from the CAS, I drove off from The Ajax Academy with a good feeling. I have mixed feelings about today’s verdict because our aim was that he would be back playing games this summer.”

Bournemouth star considering Nigeria switch from the Netherlands

Danjuma: The 24-yearold has expressed his displeasure with the Dutch side failing to recall him to the national team and could renounce his allegiance Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma has revealed he would need to think about his international future with the Netherlands and possibly switch to Nigeria. The forward was born in Lagos to a Dutch father and Nigerian mother and has represented the Dutch U21 side and featured twice for the senior team. The 24-year-old is, however, still eligible to represent the West African giants, given the new FIFA rule that players can change nations if they have played no more than three competitive games before turning 21. Danjuma revealed he could consider the option if he is continued to be snubbed for a recall to the Dutch senior side. “I’ve heard some bits about Nigeria but I can’t say too much times in 32 games, Nigerian side. It’s a choice I will think about but I need some time, obviously. “I think they are interested but obviously I play for the Dutch national team already, I scored for the national team already, so I’ve made that decision. “With the choice, I would like to represent Holland as well but then again I’m not being called up at the moment. So on the back of that, maybe I need to make some decisions. “I’ve played for Holland at senior level. One cap in the Nations League and one against Belgium but that wasn’t an official match. They have changed the rules so, if you have one cap, you can still change. “It isn’t a decision I can make just in a split second. I need to think about it.” Danjuma has been in fine form for Bournemouth this season, scoring 14

including his brace against Coventry City. The winger hopes to help the Cherries, who are fifth on the Championship table, return to the Premier League at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. “To be fair the club is the most important thing for me at the moment,” he continued. “I just want to make sure the club gets back into the Premier League and whatever happens with the national team that’s secondary to me, to be

about it though. My mum is Nigerian and my father lived 23 years in Nigeria as well,” Danjuma said, as per Bournemouth Echo. “The culture is still within the family, so it does not disregard the honest.” Danjuma will hope to help Bournemouth extend their winning streak to six games when they take on Millwall in their next league game on April 21.

About a month ago, we discovered a boy with Spastic cerebral palsy being mocked by his peers in the slums of Makoko where we had a chess training program for children without access to education, we brought him into our training center and introduced him to the gift if Chess. Few minutes into learning board arrangement and pawn movements, he outperformed everyone in his class.

The Boy’s name is Ferdinard and he is a differently abled child. He didn’t speak any English word and had never been to school before, but he showed a rare understanding of Chess through Pattern recognition. governor was no pushover. For a boy who only learnt chess in all its complexities for just two weeks, his genius did show through the entire game and the governor was very impressed by his performance.

After two intense weeks of chess lessons in the slums of Makoko, we held a tournament to test their understanding of the game and celebrate their excellence.

The miracle child with Cerebral palsies Ferdinard Won with a phenomenal performance. The governor gave him a million naira cash and has placed him and all his siblings on lifelong scholarship support up until their university education. The state government also promised to help relocate them from the slums of Makoko to a state owned apartment in the city to begin a new life.

A star is born.

It didn’t take long to realize that Ferdinard was perhaps a savant when I gave him a complex Knight move geometry to solve few minutes after teaching him the basic movement of the Knight piece.

This in itself is an extraordinary feat,even for a genius. He was born to play chess

I visited his home and met his family to tell them what a wonder their son was. His father is a poor fisherman and his mother a petty trader. They barely make enough money to feed daily, hence the reason why Fredinard and his three siblings do not go to school.

For a child with such incredible gift, it broke my heart to learn that he and his siblings have never had any form of formal education.

Yesterday, he was invited to the Lagos state house for a chess match against Governor Sanwo Olu, the game was a deeply strategic one that lasted for more than 30 minutes and ended in a stalemate (Draw). It was a keenly contested duel and the For the little boy with dreamy eyes, this is just the beginning of his journey, and I’m glad I got to be a part of his tale. His gift of chess has made way for him and he got to stand before kings. His life will no doubt never be the same again and I know that someday in the future, he’ll be in a position to pay it forward for other Children like him.

With tremendous burdens often come enormous gifts. Ferdinand has found his own gift through chess and there’s no limit to what he can attain with this. The real superheroes live in the hearts of children like Ferdinand fighting big battles. His fight is different but won’t have to fight it alone anymore.

Ferdinand’s story has sparked a lot of heartwarming reactions from around the world and it has inspired me to never let my limitations stop me from dreaming and aiming for the stars. He’s a special kid who has brought a lot of joy to our lives and I’ll keep his story somewhere in my heart to always remind myself of who I am and what I can become.

It is possible to do great things from a small place.

Tunde Onakoya- Convener Chess in slums Africa

The answer was always the same: ‘NO’ N’golo Kante story......

Kante on dealing with rejection as a youngster in the French lower leagues and training as an accountant N’Golo Kante’s path to the very top of the game was trickier than most know, but today he is being considered as the best midfield player in the world and rightfully so too as records would show his consistency. Here, in his own words, he tells his story as a young man in France working his way up, and pursuing other interests in case his football dream was not realised… Kante: One of the best midfield player in world football today. about this when I didn’t get in after the trials. I told myself to keep working because maybe next time it would be the right time for me. I felt maybe I just needed the experience and that if I had the opportunity to play at that level for even one year I would reach the same level, but one-day or oneweek trial was not enough for me to do that.

“It took time for me to establish myself as a professional footballer. Even when I was 12, 14, 16, I was going to trials to try to get into the academies of professional teams but the answer was always the same. ‘We already have players in the academy like N’Golo, or better, so we don’t need to take him.’ “When I heard them say this, I always tried to be honest with myself. Between the ages of 10 and 19, I was playing district football in a suburb of Paris called Suresnes, and above that there was regional and national levels, so I was aware I was playing at a lower level than the other boys. I knew I was one of the best players at my local team because I was always playing with the older boys, but I thought maybe I wasn’t ready at that time, maybe I needed to improve more. When I went for trials, I was looking at the players around me and, technically, tactically, they were better than the level I was used to playing at. I always tried to think

HE JOINED CAEN FROM BOULOGNE IN 2013 In the end, my chance came when I went to Boulogne at 19 and I had the opportunity to play in the second team, in the sixth division in France. My aim was to try and become one of the players who were chosen for the first team at the Kante has won all the trophies in world football

end of the season, and to do whatever I could to have a career. At the same time, I had to study because, as we know, many players don’t become professionals. I was quite good at mathematics, so during the orientation for the last part of my schooling the advisor said that maybe it would be good for me to be an accountant. I thought it might be something good to do, so I decided to do an accountancy course after I got my baccalaureate [the French equivalent of an A-Level]. So when I left home to move to Boulogne, my project was to pass my exams and try my best to become a professional footballer. I was just taking it one step at a time, just focused on my football and studying. We were travelling a lot at the weekend and we had training after school, so sometimes it was difficult to find the time to study, to organise myself to do the homework and revise, but I pushed myself to keep up with everything. I wasn’t the best student, but I passed my exam, so I was happy. On the pitch, I had to adapt to the higher level. I was starting to play regularly in the sixth division, I was more confident, feeling good in the team and sometimes scoring goals. When I was 21, I started to hear from my manager and the club that they wanted me to train a bit more with the first team – once a week. Sometimes they asked me to miss school to train with the first team and that was the time when I started to think, ‘Maybe.’ It was a good step for me because I could see the professionals in training, learn from them, see how they worked. I really thought that I could be one of them if I worked very hard. That was my way into football, not coming through the academy to become a professional at a young age. It was a different path for me, and I’m proud to be here today. YEARS AGO I was always looking at myself and my own path, even when I was seeing other players my age in academies and then becoming professionals. My generation of the national team won the European Under-19 Championship at the time when I was playing for Boulogne’s second team. I was not looking at them and thinking I was behind, I was just thinking I was six divisions from the elite in France, so I just needed to do my job. I left my home to try and make football my profession, to live by doing what I love. I was just looking to take things step by step, not to focus on others, just doing my thing the best way I could. Then, step-by-step, everything happened.

I became a professional late and I’ve won many things that I couldn’t have expected, but behind my years as a professional there was a lot of work, a lot of successes and a lot of failures also. They helped me to grow as a player and a person. But I know I have many more years to play and I hope to keep being successful and to keep achieving beautiful things. My motivation is still the same as it was: to do the best I can for the team, always. It’s not my motivation to say I can be this or I can be that. Success in football is something collective and this is always the most important thing to remember. To do your best for your team and win titles with your team-mates is the best thing in football. In summary, N’golo Kante has won all the major medals world football has to offer except to be crowned the best footballer in the world and he is not far from reaching that dream if he continues to perform in this top level of football for club and nation. PRESS TIME New just reaching us is that Chelsea Football club is offering Kante another mouth watering contract despite he still have two years on his contract as there is a global interest for his services at all cost. Knowing Kante, he is a faithful and loyal footballer, he would stay the next few seasons with Chelsea.