• Nigeria humbles New Zealand to earn first win at U17 Women W/Cup
• Floods: Nigeria Could Become Dependent On Food Aid, Farmers Warn
• Ghana deports 16 Nigerians over cyber crimes
• Nigeria, Egypt sign $30m business agreement in Cairo
• ASUU Strike: We are sorry – FG begs students, parents

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

Nigeria humbles New Zealand to earn first win at U17 Women W/Cup

In their second group B encounter in the 2022 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India, Nigeria’s Flamingos defeated New Zealand 4-0.

The Young Football Ferns were comprehensively outclassed by Nigeria on Friday at the Pandit Jawaharlal Stadium in Goa.

The girls, who were coached by Bankole Olowookere, began the match after suffering a discouraging 2-1 loss to Germany in their opening match.

The Flamingos dominated the New Zealanders early on thanks to their front three of Opeyemi Ajakaye, Omowunmi Bello, and Alvine Dah-Zossu.

Bello headed in Tunmininu Adeshina’s cross with force in the 16th minute to give Flamingos the lead and capitalize on Nigeria’s dominance.

The Nigerians then overpowered the Ferns with strong control, wasting plenty of opportunities.

Bello delivered a free kick that New Zealand goalkeeper Aimee Feinberg-Danieli was able to catch. Following an altercation by Ajakaye in the goalmouth, the Nigerian winger also shot wide from a corner.

Ajakaye’s shot was subsequently blocked by Feinberg-Danieli after a fierce ping-pong counterattack involving Bello and Dah-Zossu.

However, the New Zealand defense was forced to make a mistake because the pressure was too great.

Miracle Usani attempted to send a fairly harmless cross into Fern’s goal area, but Feinberg-Danieli and Manaia Elliot failed to communicate, and the defender redirected the ball beyond the keeper’s projected reach.

Usani received credit for scoring her second goal of the match.

Nigeria was still the superior team going into the second half.

Waves of Nigerian attacks left New Zealand in total disarray, and Ajakaye and Adeshina respectively struck the crossbar and side-netting.

But in the 75th minute, Taiwo Afolabi was unstoppable. Her 25-yard piledriver whistled past Feinberg-Leap Danieli’s and into the goal to increase Nigeria’s lead.

Edidiong Etim put the cherry on top of the victory in stoppage time with another long-range drive that struck Feinberg-Danieli astray.

Only the top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals

Floods: Nigeria Could Become Dependent On Food Aid, Farmers Warn

We now know that flooding, a lack of infrastructure and logistics, and the high cost of diesel to transport agricultural commodities may exacerbate food insecurity and drive up food prices across the country.

Farmers are begging the government to act quickly to reduce the effects of the disaster, end hunger, and encourage the development of climate change technology that would make food security better.

Flooding, a lack of infrastructure and logistics, and the high cost of oil to move agricultural goods could make the country’s food insecurity worse and cause food prices to go up across the country.

Farmers are asking the government to act quickly to lessen the effects of the disaster, end hunger, and encourage the development of technologies that can adapt to climate change to make food more secure.

Several farmlands across the country have already been damaged by floods, which has a big effect on how much food the country can produce.

Following news that 25% of the nation’s rice supply had been lost in Nasarawa, the implications last week took on a deadly level.

The situation got worse over the weekend in many states, as flooding destroyed homes, farms, and businesses in Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Imo, Bayelsa, and Rivers, among others.

Meteorologists say that the devastating flood may also have some effect on the states of Lagos and Ogun.

In the Rukubi Doma local government area of Nasarawa State, floodwaters covered 4,500 hectares of the Olam Rice Farmland, which was said to hold $15 million worth of rice.

Additionally, $8 million worth of important infrastructure such as dykes, canals, and drainages have been harmed.

Farmers from all over Nigeria, but especially from parts of the country’s north, have asked for action to be taken right away in the agriculture sector to stop a famine that is coming because of recent heavy rains.

They said that help was needed for farmers in northern and southern Nigeria, where damage to crops was likely due to unusually heavy rains.

Ghana deports 16 Nigerians over cyber crimes

16 Nigerians were reportedly deported from Ghana on Friday, according to the Seme Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), for allegedly committing cyber crimes there.

The Controller of the Command, Dr. Chukwu Emeka, said this at a press conference in Seme, Lagos State.

Emeka claims that these are young Nigerians who say they fled the nation on purpose or after being duped in quest of better opportunities.

“Ghana’s Financial and Intelligence Agency accused them of cyber crime but from our preliminary investigation, we discovered that some of them were lured into these criminal activities due to the get-rich syndrome our youths are developing.

“Some of them are victims in the sense that they were deceived that they can make money if they leave Nigeria. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the actual thing they bargained for in Ghana.

“Further investigation also showed that most of them left the country through illegal routes or through the sea to other West African countries.

“We also discovered that most of them travelled without genuine travel documents, so when they got to Ghana they became prey to the authorities.

“The Comptroller General of NIS, Mr. Idris Jere, has always advised Nigerians to get genuine travellers’ documents before leaving the country.

“Yes, we are part of the ECOWAS treaty of free movement and goods within the sub-region. But the condition is that you must enter those countries through a legitimate route and with the right travel documents.

“When you arrive, they will view you as a burden on the community and deport you back to your home country if you don’t have a secure source of income,” he added.

He claimed that it was upsetting to watch young Nigerians engaging in immoral behavior when they should be developing their potential for the future.

Emeka advised Nigerians to always travel with valid identification, adding that they should live and conduct business in accordance with the local laws.

He said that the Ghanaian government had informed the NIS’s Seme Command that more Nigerians would soon be repatriated.

After NIS must have finished its investigation, the controller promised to send those who had already been repatriated home to their families.

Richard Paska, a 24-year-old Nnamdi Azikiwe University graduate who was deported, claimed that the promise of a lucrative job drew him to Ghana.

“My father had to look for money to let me go in February 2021, so that I could start a job. The job was a networking business, but when I arrived in Ghana, the story changed.

“I was managing myself with some Nigerians when some of the personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service arrested us and brought us back to Nigeria.

“I had intended to come back but I did not have the transport fare. I really regret going to Ghana,” he said.

The 16 deportees are men with ages ranging from 19 years to 24 years.

Nigeria, Egypt sign $30m business agreement in Cairo

Business organizations in Nigeria and Egypt have inked partnership agreements worth $30 million in an effort to improve their bilateral ties.

The partnership was formally established during Cairo’s just-finished first Nigeria-Egypt Trade Conference and Exhibition (NETCE).

This was revealed at the conclusion of the three-day conference, which was put on by the chairman of the Egypt African Businessmen’s Association (EABA), Dr. Yousrey El Sharkawi, and the president of the Nigeria-Egypt Cultural and Socio-Economic Forum (NESCEF), Mr. Mahmood Ahmadu.

According to a statement by Abdul-Razaq Musa, Executive Assistant to the President, NESCEF, El Sharkawi disclosed that six companies from both nations had agreed to cooperate in the fields of engineering, construction, and medical equipment as well as in agriculture, mining, technology, and real estate while speaking to the press.

He praised both countries’ structured corporate sectors for taking risky actions to achieve greater economic cooperation.

Ibrahim El-Yakub, the Minister of State for Works and Housing of Nigeria, stated his country’s willingness to collaborate with Egypt on the housing front while attending the conference and touring several housing developments made by the private sector in Egypt.

Nigeria needs at least 200,000 housing units a year, according to Yakub.

Nura Abba Rimi, Nigeria’s ambassador to Egypt, welcomed the conference’s conclusion and said that the private entities’ agreements would promote greater business and trade prospects for the benefit of the populations of both nations.

He emphasized that both nations have a youthful population that is very entrepreneurial and innovative, as well as abundant natural and human resources.

NESCEF president Ahmadu praised EABA and the Nigerian Embassy in Cairo, under whose auspices the conference was effectively held.

Additionally, he expressed gratitude to Nigerian businesses and government agencies for their participation, including Online Integrated Solution Services (OIS) Limited, Ocean City Development, Imam001 Global Agency Ltd, Uyk Holdings Ltd, iStrategic Transparent Solutions, G-one Energy Ltd, MFS Limited, Bashik Nasiku & Co, Hinterland Oil & Gas Ltd, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Slaylab Fintech, Lakeside Pharmaceutical

The NECSCF is a role-model business organization committed to fostering prosperous trade ties between Egypt and Nigeria.

It aims to promote its members in Nigeria and Egypt and to make it easier for Egyptian and Nigerian companies to partner up for the benefit of both parties.

ASUU Strike: We are sorry – FG begs students, parents

The Federal Government has apologized to students and parents after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off its eight-month strike.

ASUU’s leadership announced the conditional suspension of the industrial action on Friday.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has now thanked all those involved in the negotiations leading to the calling off of the strike.

A statement by Olajide Oshundun, the Deputy Director of Press in the Ministry, read in part: “Now that ASUU has decided to obey the judgement of the National Industrial Court by calling off the devastating action, we apologize to all students and parents, of which the Honorable Minister is one, for this unduly prolonged strike, which is unwarranted ab initio.”

It added that “a groundwork is being laid, of which we are confident, will save Nigerians, this unpalatable experience of incessant strikes in future.”