OUR CORRESPONDENT

In a country where over 60 million survive on $1 or less a day, the federal government has embarked on a project to host an American Football event in Abuja for one day next year at a total cost of $5m, Empowered Newswire, a Nigerian news agency based in the US reports.

The Nigerian government is financing this event alongside, Eddie Robinson Foundation, an Atlanta-US based foundation which is committed to the promotion of American Football.

American Football is different from what other parts of the world regard as football. The Americans only regard what Nigeria and the rest of the world call football, soccer.

Although the football event was billed to take place on December 16, a last minute realization that the party conventions would be holding about the same time making hotel bookings an Herculean task has forced a postponement, according to Michael Robinson Watkins, the Chief Executive Officer of the Eddie Robinson Foundation, the not-for-profit US organisation the federal government is partnering with for the American Football event.

Watkins said the event is a chance to introduce American Football to Nigeria in addition to soccer playing. Although there would be one game, he said there would be practice opportunities to train Nigerians in the game of American Football, which is different from what Nigerians know as football. He said the event was important to both Nigerians and people of color because it brings the people together-both Nigerians and Black Americans.

But a Nigerian US based lawyer Henry Adeleye,said "the question is, how well have you managed the globally accepted football that Nigerians have been playing for decades to warrant importing the American brand of  football played  which is only played by the United States and nobody else? Did the Minister and people working with him do a study of the game and its suitability to the Nigerian system? I think it's high time someone stopped turning individual brain-waves into government and national policies."

Information Minister Frank Nweke Jnr said recently in the US that his ministry and the Federal Sports Ministry are collaborating on the project with the US foundation. Nweke, even though noted that the project was more of a Sports Ministry event, added that his ministry wanted to use the opportunity of the event to showcase the finer attributes of the country as part of the recently launched Heart of Africa project-aimed as disabusing the negative perceptions about Nigeria abroad.

According to him, the Information Ministry would brand the event, including the Abuja Stadium and other places where the American teams and their supporters may also visit. Although there would be one game, Nweke suggested that other places would be branded by the Information Ministry in regard to the American Football event.

He disclosed that the project would be jointly financed by the federal government and the Eddie Robinson Foundation. He did not volunteer information about the total cost, but the US based foundation CEO, Watkins, confirmed that the entire budget for the one day event was $5m. Watkins also confirmed that the event would be financed by both the Nigerian government and the Eddie Robinson Foundation. However he also refused to comment on how much each side would bring to the table to make up the $5m figure.

Knowledgeable sources said the Nigerian government was carrying most of the financial burden because the idea was introduced by Nigeria's Ambassador to the US Professor George Obiozor to the Americans. Indeed Obiozor confirmed that he saw the idea as a wonderful one and as a means of "enhancing relations between the two countries and between Nigerians and African-Americans."

When asked about the budget of the event and how much would be Nigeria's own contribution, Obiozor said once he linked up both the Eddie Robinson Foundation and the Ministry of Sports, he knew nothing else about the details. Indeed, the postponement of the event was even news to him.

Even though Watkins did not detail how much Nigeria or the Eddie Robinson Foundation would spend, he did say the responsibility of the Foundation was to provide the American football players, referees, and supporters. He added that a reputable  American High School Band would be playing at the event. This same band played in a US movie Dreamline.

Asked if he felt the $5m dollars was not on the high side considering that Nigeria is a developing country, Watkins said "Nigeria is the strongest country in Africa, and one of the largest producer of oil in the world, I don't see Nigeria as a developing or even 3rd world country."

He said he had visited Nigeria several times and conceded that there are parts of the country that needs development, yet he submitted that he has also seen places in Lagos and Abuja that are "above and beyond developed nations."

On the actual numbers of Americans coming Watkins said it is about 750, but Nweke had said the number might be up to 1000. The programme is being promoted on the foundation;s website as the First Annual Eddie Robinson Motherland Classic in Nigeria.

According to its own literature "the Eddie Robinson Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by the Robinson Family in 1997 to serve as a catalyst for the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams of the youth of America. Through merit and need-based scholarships, grants, and charitable contributions, the Foundation will create better citizens for America by providing promising youth an opportunity to excel in the most competitive society in the world."

Robot  Villager

# 1 OUR CORRESPONDENT In a country where over 60 million survive on $1 or le...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 12.12.2006 23:06

myhotbrain  Villager

# 2 Manager, Empower Magazine; Even if Nigeria is to spend the whole $5M alone to sponsor this American Football event would not considered to be too much for a country which reaps upward of $30B in petrol dollars annually, and in which a good percentage of it comes from America. Countries such Japan and others have been doing these kinds of sponsorship for sometime now and it would'nt hurt to point it out to you that the benefits which acrue therefrom cannot be measured in monetary terms. These include amongst others; publicity, tourism, enlightenment, awareness, education and social interactions etc. Please, do not begin to act as those who are: penny wise and pounds foolish. Nigerians who are hungry and cannot afford $1 a day are not going to be fed enough on the $5M the government is going to spend on this epochal event. Instead, they are going to be feeding forever on the economic and social benefits which this event will bring into Nigeria. Regards, Peace and Love. myhotbrain Posted by myhotbrain| 13.12.2006 09:24

skybaba  Villager

# 3 My people, I don come again O!!!!! In my opinion, I think Nigeria as a Nation is chasing wrong priorities; though not the fault of the common man, but at our expense. Our leaders no dey do well O!!! When I read the article in Guardian earlier today, my heart sank :sad: :sad: :sad: Imagine what that amount of money could be used to improve the condition of the populace. After watching the 20/20 Scam Investigations on Naija, I would only imagine that OBJ and his allies would spend money to crack down on these 419 acts, but instead, they're spending $5,000,000:00 on American Football.....not even Soccer. :wink: :wink: :wink: Forgive me if I sound sadistic, but I wonder how the Nigerian Masses would appreciate a sport/game they know nothing about. I google-searched "First Annual Eddie Robinson Motherland Classic in Nigeria" and it came up with some US Colleges......no be even STARS dey come :mad: :mad: The FGN is spending $5,000,000:00 for a bunch of Amatuers to come to Nigeria to play American football. Below is ac excerpt from the website of Shaw Bears (shawbears.com) about the event: Raleigh, NC – (November 29, 2006) Jermonty Kimbrough, Senior Quarterback, 5’11 from Mobile, AL has been chosen to participate in the First Annual Eddie Robinson Motherland Classic in Abuja, Nigeria on December 16th. Select outstanding players from historically black colleges and universities from 1-AA Mid-Eastern Athletic and Southwestern Athletic conferences, Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences will gear up for competition in an all-star game in Abuja Stadium before NFL scouts in a 60,000 seat arena. The game will telecast throughout Africa, the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. Imagine they're spending $5,000,000:00 (USD) so that some NFL SCOUTS (Imagine!!!!!) can come and watch some talented young Americans play on Nigerian Soil. The American youths will leave there signing contracts worth Millions of Dollars (USD), but our Youths are once again the disadvantaged ones. Anyway, I'll wrap it up here, make e no be like say this JJC own too much sef. I would love our NVS Elders to comment....PLEASE. Your opinions on this matter would be much valued. Long Live Nigeria!!! God Bless You All!!! Posted by skybaba| 13.12.2006 11:38

tonsoyo  Villager

# 4 If this game through this wonderful introduction becomes popular game in Nigeria. Nigeria in a foreseeable distance would soon become a fertile recruiting groung for American Football, as we have an abundance of physically strong, 'garri and akpu' eating guys built for this game in Nigeria. The amount in question $5m is what one of them could earn in just one season. What hatred and lack of foresight can make some people write has no boundaries. Posted by tonsoyo| 14.12.2006 13:10

Bunch17  Villager

# 5 =tonsoyo;143494>If this game through this wonderful introduction becomes popular game in Nigeria. Nigeria in a foreseeable distance would soon become a fertile recruiting groung for American Football, as we have an abundance of physically strong, 'garri and akpu' eating guys built for this game in Nigeria. The amount in question $5m is what one of them could earn in just one season. What hatred and lack of foresight can make some people write has no boundaries. What ignorance, naivety and blind uncritical worship of people in power can make some villagers write has no boundaries. Posted by Bunch17| 14.12.2006 14:03

ithinkbetter  Villager

# 6 ...total misappropriation of biting priorities: massive investment in infra-structures is recommendable...irrelevant spending orgy/spree can come later! Posted by ithinkbetter| 14.12.2006 15:08

N.A.R.  Villager

# 7 I bin wan talk, I come read Tonsoyo and Bunch 17 and laff gess catch me! :D I no talk again jare! Posted by N.A.R.| 14.12.2006 16:19

tonsoyo  Villager

# 8 =Bunch17;143502>What ignorance, naivety and blind uncritical worship of people in power can make some villagers write has no boundaries. Two (good) heads are better than one, so goes the saying. The reason a plausible rejoinder will be welcomed, but of what use is pointless and no-substance contribution even when written by a Bunch of 17 dumbs and dumberers. Posted by tonsoyo| 14.12.2006 16:28

techsista  Villager

# 9 =Robot;143191>OUR CORRESPONDENT In a country where over 60 million survive on $1 or le...Read the full article. Can't stand American football but I said okay who is this Eddie Robinson anyway and why would Nigeria's ministry of sports take an interest in a foundation named after him? What I found: he was born in 1919, is African American, was a football coach at Grambling State University (a historically black college in the US) for over 55 years. He once held the record for the most team wins as a college football coach in US history (408 wins), has had over 200 black players go on to play professionally in the US, and had an 80% graduation rate for his players (a big deal, for those who follow US collegiate sports). Impressive dude. As to why Naija is hosting an event with his foundation? Building bridges/ties, hoping for a payoff in terms of publicity, getting Naijas into the NFL, your guess is as good as mine. Posted by techsista| 14.12.2006 16:51

Bunch17  Villager

# 10 =N.A.R.;143519>I bin wan talk, I come read Tonsoyo and Bunch 17 and laff gess catch me! :D I no talk again jare! N.A.R why na just laff you de laff? You musto talk:D . What do you think? Should we hold a Sumofest in Abuja? Don't you think it would encourage all those Garri and akpu endowed individuals to take up sumo and may be..... Posted by Bunch17| 14.12.2006 17:09

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