Korean Cultural Centre Deepens Nigeria’s Taekwondo Development with 5th National Coaches Seminar

By: Michael Mike

The Korean Cultural Center Nigeria (KCCN) has intensified efforts to raise the standard of taekwondo coaching in the country with the successful hosting of its 5th Nigeria Taekwondo Coaches Seminar in Abuja.

Held over two days at the Centre’s Taekwondo Hall, the seminar convened coaches from across key sectors, including the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, as well as representatives from military formations, police units and tertiary institutions. The programme focused on equipping participants with updated techniques and strengthening their capacity to train athletes to higher competitive standards.

Organised under the theme, “Re-establishing Fundamental Competencies for Improved Performance of Nigerian Taekwondo Coaches,” the sessions blended classroom instruction with intensive practical drills. Facilitators—comprising national team coaches and seasoned trainers from security agencies—guided participants through core areas such as poomsae execution, sparring tactics, physical conditioning, match control and modern coaching methods.

Beyond technical proficiency, discussions also explored the leadership responsibilities of coaches in shaping the future of the sport. President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Tayo Popoola, underscored the need for stronger governance and adaptive leadership within taekwondo structures. He stressed that effective leadership now requires transparency, strategic decision-making, crisis management skills and a deliberate focus on nurturing the next generation of athletes and administrators.

Participants described the seminar as both timely and impactful, noting that it offered a platform not only to sharpen their coaching techniques but also to reassess their roles as mentors and leaders responsible for athlete development on and off the mat.

Director of KCCN, Jeon Ju-ho, reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to advancing taekwondo in Nigeria through sustained training initiatives and bilateral sports exchanges. He noted that such programmes are designed to bridge knowledge gaps, foster discipline and strengthen collaboration between Nigeria and South Korea in the development of the sport.

The seminar marks another step in ongoing efforts to build a more competitive and professionally structured taekwondo ecosystem in Nigeria, positioning local coaches and athletes to perform more effectively on regional and global stages.

Korean Cultural Centre Deepens Nigeria’s Taekwondo Development with 5th National Coaches Seminar

NISER, NiDCOM Advocate Stronger Diaspora Policy to Boost National Development

By: Michael Mike

The Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), in partnership with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has called for a more robust and coordinated diaspora policy framework to enhance Nigeria’s development prospects.

This call was made on Tuesday during a high-level validation workshop convened to review findings from a comprehensive diaspora study spanning six continents. The initiative aims to strengthen engagement with Nigerians abroad and maximize their contributions to the country’s economic and social growth.

In her opening remarks, NISER Director-General, Antonia Taiye Simbine, described the Nigerian diaspora as a critical national asset, noting that annual remittances exceed $20 billion—one of the highest in Africa.

She emphasized that beyond financial contributions, diaspora Nigerians bring valuable expertise, innovation, and international networks that can significantly enhance national competitiveness.

Despite these advantages, Simbine pointed to persistent challenges hindering effective engagement, including inconsistent policies, weak institutional coordination, regulatory constraints, and trust gaps between stakeholders.

She stressed that the validation workshop provides an opportunity to refine the study’s recommendations, ensuring they are practical, inclusive, and capable of driving meaningful impact.

Also speaking, NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged a strategic shift in how diaspora remittances are utilized. According to her, Nigeria must transition “from remittances for consumption to remittances for investment.”

Dabiri-Erewa highlighted the global competitiveness of Nigerians abroad, noting their contributions across key sectors such as healthcare, technology, and governance. She explained that the study’s findings would help shape a structured roadmap for diaspora engagement, anchored on improved policy coordination, investment-friendly systems, and technology transfer.

She further underscored the need for data-driven policymaking, adding that Nigeria must intentionally transform the challenge of “brain drain” into opportunities for “brain gain” and “brain circulation.”

Contributing to the discussion, representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) emphasized the growing role of diaspora professionals in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system. Speaking on behalf of the association’s president, Dr. Bala Muhammad Audu, Dr. Idris Liman noted that innovations such as locally available in vitro fertilisation (IVF) services—once largely accessed abroad—demonstrate the impact of knowledge transfer from Nigerian experts overseas.

He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to fostering collaboration with diaspora medical professionals to improve healthcare delivery and reduce the need for medical tourism.

Participants at the workshop collectively stressed that sustained and well-coordinated diaspora engagement could be transformative for Nigeria’s development. The validation process is expected to yield refined, evidence-based policy recommendations to guide government efforts in integrating diaspora contributions into national planning.

NISER, NiDCOM Advocate Stronger Diaspora Policy to Boost National Development

UK Launches Creative Fund to Strengthen Nigeria’s Film, Fashion, Music Industries

By: Michael Mike

The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub has unveiled a new Creative Fund aimed at boosting local production capacity across Nigeria’s film, fashion, and music industries.

The initiative, backed by the UK Government, is designed to address critical gaps in technical skills, infrastructure, and access to modern production tools within Nigeria’s creative sector.

The fund aligns with the goals of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership (ETIP) Creatives Working Group, launched in 2025, and follows commitments made during Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026.

Speaking on the launch, Director of the Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, said the initiative represents a shift from policy discussions to practical action.

She noted that while Nigeria’s creative industry already contributes significantly to the economy, more support is needed to enable creatives to produce high-quality work locally rather than outsourcing key technical processes abroad.

Funded under the UK’s Digital Access Programme and implemented by Tech4Dev, the Creative Fund draws on findings from a 2024 study of Nigeria’s creative ecosystem. The research revealed that the sector employs about 4.2 million people and contributes roughly $3 billion annually to the country’s GDP, despite facing structural challenges.

These challenges include limited access to formal financing, heavy reliance on self-taught skills, and the outsourcing of high-value technical work outside Nigeria.

The fund will support projects across film, fashion, and music, particularly those with strong potential for scalability, job creation, and local impact. It will also help cover technical gaps by funding access to specialists such as visual effects artists, sound engineers, and post-production experts, as well as digital tools like content delivery systems and AI-powered production technologies.

Country Manager for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa at Tech4Dev, Abraham Akpan,, emphasized that the initiative prioritizes inclusion by supporting women-led and youth-driven ventures, as well as underrepresented groups in the creative economy.

He added that the fund is intended to ensure Nigeria’s creative growth is backed by sustainable local talent and infrastructure.

Applications for the Creative Fund are currently open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Eligible applicants include creative companies, studios, production houses, fashion enterprises, and music labels with clearly defined technical needs and a commitment to co-investment.

The initiative is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s creative value chain and position the country as a hub for high-quality, locally produced creative content.

UK Launches Creative Fund to Strengthen Nigeria’s Film, Fashion, Music Industries