.By Usman Bature

Erstwhile secretary, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN Kano chapter, Abdulgafar Oladimeji has been conferred with the membership status of the International Arbitration Council.

The international headquarters of the council located in the Netherlands , in an official letter dated 1st November 2024 had confirmed his membership of the highly revered international body.

He would be tasked with functions in various committees, which includes trade, commercial disputes, media and technology.

Abdulgafar Oladimeji became an associate of the chartered Institute of Arbitration in 2013, he is privileged to have served as a member of the Panel of Neutrals, Kano –Multi Door Court, Kano state High Court of Justice.

He recently had the priviledge to serve as secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Constitution Review Committee ,Kano council committee.

Abdulgafar had worked as a member of various mediation committees and fact finding panels at the national, zonal and state .
He recently swerved as the secretary of the mediation committee that was set up by NUJ Kano council to resolve the dispute between, Kano Pillars fc and sports journalists in the state.

A two term assistant secretary SWAN Kano chapter, and one term secretary( then dubbed as the most powerful secretary in the SWAN family)due to his commitment, focus and vast wealth of knowledge in issues relating to sports trade unionism.

A well travelled sports journalists with countless FIFA, UEFA, CAF, Concacaf and AFC media accreditations in his kitty.

He is a sports journalists, PFSA and IPSO trained football scout, he holds qualifications in journalism, law and philosophy from prestigious institutions from the US, UK, France and Qatar.

A mentor , when quizzed by this reporter, he simply said “ I come from a very strong background, where values are cherished, I am a strong believer in philosophy. I am an product of precept, statues, and ordinances .

“it may sometimes takes time to understand my stands, I travel not too fast, because of how i travel, many still find it hard to believe that I am the son of one of the first generation of management experts trained in northern Nigeria, alhaji Busari Alabi Oladimeji, who served with merit under late Sardauna of Sokoto and premier of the northern region, sir Ahmadu Bello.

“alhaji my father, justice Akanbi, alhaji Adams, the renowned chartered accountant, I grew up watching them live a life worthy of emulation.
“also, many cant believe I am the son of the then Mrs Oladimeji of West African Drugs, who was popularly called madam Cafenol by the northern business community.

“many still find it hard to believe that I am deeply related and connected with one of the most successful business and academic in the US and UK, because of how I trek my path, its deep”

“no doubt I am from a traditional home from Offa both from my paternal and maternal heritage, I have been living my life and would continue to live my live, in the fear of herein and hereafter, that is the code, bro.”

“why I told you this little story is because, where my elder brothers and sister opted for other fields and live in US and UK, I choose sports and I always return back home, after my foreign trips, my father and mother believed me, I recalled the day my father and mother were discussing my issue, when I opted to do sports , though my mother would always warn me, she would say to me, Akanbi always be brave, fear Allah, then do your sports with education, my dream in sports was to see the world through sports and I think to some extent, I have seen the world, America’s, Africa, Europe and Asia .”

“I will ever remain grateful to all those who have made it worked for me, too numerous to mention, but would find time to write a special thank, in my upcoming work, titled Kano Boy, where I intend to mention all, I am human I make mistakes, in my dealings , but one thing is sure, I hardly repeat same mistakes.

“the task ahead is big, well, I have chosen the path and it is my duty to brave it to see how far I can go, promoting and projecting sports arbitration is my mission.”

Reactions have continued to trail the recent cabinet reshuffle which replaced Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development with former lawmaker Yusuf Abdullahi Ata.

The removal of Gwarzo, a loyal supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since 2006, has sent shockwaves in the state, stirring reactions among citizens and party chieftains.

Ibrahim Danyaro, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano, expressed his dismay over Gwarzo’s dismissal.

“I was shocked when I heard that Gwarzo was among the dismissed ministers. He has shown loyalty; I don’t understand what criteria labelled him as ineffective. It’s a big mistake for the APC, considering his record.”

On her part, Ladidi Yau, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former Women Leader of Tarauni Local Government described Gwarzo as a politician of note who should not be taken for granted.

“He always picks up calls and responds to text messages. He has always been accessible to party men and women. This alone earns him our respect. The President should reconsider him,” she said.

Political commentator, Adnan Mukhtar, described the sacking of Gwarzo as a political blunder by the President, calling it a misstep influenced by local rivals.

“The President was misled by someone claiming influence over state politics. This is a serious mistake and an affront to Kano. The state deserves an additional ministerial slot, not a reduction—especially when the person affected is a devoted supporter of the President’s agenda,” Gentile said.

On his part, Alhassan Kura described the reshuffling as a miscalculation that would hunt the party sooner or later

“I don’t think we are ready for 2027, if you say you remove Gwarzo to bring someone from the Kano Central why not a better candidate? We have a former Deputy Governor and gubernatorial candidate in 2023, we have Bashir Lado, Inuwa Waya and many more. Why Ata who even worked against the President in 2023?” he queried.

To enhance its environmental sustainability initiatives in line with global best practices, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), has embarked on a restoration project of planting 10,000 mangrove trees across coastal states in Nigeria.

The project, in partnership with Eco-Restoration Foundation, kickstarted at Akodo-Ise, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, was aimed at minimising the global effects of climate change, by promoting restoration, conservation and protection of mangrove trees across Nigeria.

In his remarks at the event, the DIL Vice-President, Oil and Gas, Mr. Devakumar Edwin revealed that “one of the primary reasons of the Dangote Group is to ensure that Nigeria keeps providing employment and lifting the people out of poverty through sustainability projects.

“We are also committed to creating good climate scenarios where people can live long and their livelihoods cannot be taken away from them. Apart from absorbing more carbon from the atmosphere than other tree species, Mangrove Forests serve as vital buffers against coastal erosion, and are critical for preserving marine biodiversity and supporting millions of coastal dwellers whose livelihoods depend on healthy mangrove forests,” he said.

Speaking after the flag-off of the tree planting exercise, the Group Chief HSSE and Sustainability, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. James Adenuga, expressed excitement at the importance of this partnership and its alignment with the organisation’s focus on the sustainable development of Nigeria and Africa, with long term carbon offset targets.

“Environmental sustainability is one of the seven Sustainability Pillars of the Dangote Group, and  preservation of the environment is one of our core priorities wherever we operate. We are glad to embark on this project”, Adenuga added.

Speaking earlier during the tree planting exercise, a trustee of Eco-Restoration Foundation, Prince David Omaghomi, stated that the foundation “was more than thrilled to welcome Dangote Group as our largest corporate partner of the Eco-Park Mangrove Sanctuary & Research Centre to date.

He explained further that Nigeria has lost 60 per cent of the mangrove population, adding that Nigeria coastal line is at risk of going underwater in years to come if nothing is done.

This project is meant to promote mangrove restoration, conservation, and protection. Nigeria has lost 60 per cent of its mangrove forests. More ocean acidification will be expected in Nigeria due to climate change and rising sea level. In the next 100 years, the coastal lines in Nigeria will be covered by water. The great blue wall will run across the coast of Nigeria by using mangroves.

“We are happy to receive the Dangote Group here and with their brand being blue they are the blue Big Brother of Africa. Their (Dangote’s) pledge to plant 10,000 mangroves in phases over the next few months, underscores their commitment to environmental stewardship and resilience building along Nigeria’s coasts.

With their continued support, we are confident that this project will spark a wave of community-based restoration activities all along Nigeria’s coastline, in line with our persistent calls for the commencement of the ‘Great Blue Wall of Africa’ built of mangrove forests – as a natural defense against rising sea levels and climate change.

“Without immediate action, our multi-billion-dollar industrial complexes, Sea Ports, Oil & Gas facilities, Tourism and entire Blue Economy will be exposed to the relentless advance of ocean acidification in the coming decades,” he observed.

The tree planting exercise, which drew volunteer staff from Dangote Head Office, Falomo Ikoyi, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals, and other units, drew widespread commendation from the Onise of Akodo-Ise, Oba Ganiu Adebowale Adegbesan, senior officials of the Lagos State Government, and members of the Akodo-Ise community, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.