 Viable is the Nigerian state. That was the point of discussion at a two-day seminar in Lagos yesterday. Two of the panellists will be joining us this morning to discuss Nigeria. Senate votes nay to Loreto Honor Chair, nominated by President Obama de Boire to become a NINEC Resident Electoral Commission. And a group of friends of Nigerian basketball sets up GoFundMe accounts to raise money for the Tigers Olympic run. Hello and welcome to the Breakfast and Plot Stevie Africa. I am Annette Felix. Good morning to you and good morning to you Osaugi. Good morning and I am Osaugi Obon. Thanks for joining us. I'll see you in the middle of the week and of course we'll keep the show going all the way. Yes, now our top trending today is all about the Olympic Games and the Nigerian men's basketball team. The Tigers have bitten the US Dream Team and Argentina on their way to Tokyo, even though they were defeated last night by Australia. Now that's not the point this morning. The point is that the team might just be depending on donations to make it to the Olympics. A group known as Friends of Nigerian Basketball has set up a GoFundMe account for the Tigers. Will you be donating? Coach Mike Brown is assuring that his team is going to the Games to win it. And up next is American Sports Show host. Let's quickly talk about that particular situation of Star Wars. We're talking about a situation where we're seeing Nigerian athletes sponsor themselves through games. Through games that they eventually go on to represent a country. A country that is one of the most populous black nations in the world. A country that is one of the three biggest economies in Africa. A country with so much natural resources and potential in every way. And then you have people who because of patriotism, you know, genuine passion for the game have to, you know, scrap up money from their salaries, donations from friends and family, donations from anonymous people like a GoFundMe page to make sure that they put in their best to represent Nigeria. What message does this really send you? That Nigeria cannot sponsor a team to a game as prestigious as the Olympics. I mean... Well, that's, I think it's just for me personally, it just tells me that, you know, my country really doesn't have a lot of shame, you know, and, you know, we can't continue to embarrass ourselves like this, you know, year in year out, you know, every month there's a new reason to be able to embarrass the country. And that's what it just tells me. And, you know, when there's no shame, you know, then there's no, you know, debt that you get to, you know, you continue to go down the bottomless pit of shame and still continue going down. I said earlier, you know, and I mentioned, I think sometimes a couple of days ago or sometimes last week that we've continued to run a system and run institutions where there is no standards with which we rates the performance of people that we put in governance. And that is why persons, you know, will be ministers for eight years. And you wouldn't be able to point out anything that they achieved while being ministers. It feels like they're just there to be employed without being able to actually ask them, you know, what did you achieve as minister? At the end of those eight years, they come out very, very rich and you look at, you know, them, they probably would then run for national assembly or run for governorship or something, you know, but they're very, very popular. And yet, you know, they will be called former minister of this and that. And so it's time that we get to a place in Nigeria where we start to ask when you were minister, well, you've been minister for the last four years of agriculture, minister of sports, what have you achieved in the ministry of sports? And how did you handle all these disasters that came up, you know, to the sports ministry? Solomon Dalong was one very, very, very funny and, you know, character that was minister of sports. Now we have Sunday Dari, who is currently minister of sports. And what will he say after four years or after eight years that you've been minister, you know, that these things happen? What's the explanation why the Nigerian basketball team needs to crowdfund itself? By the way, I think I mentioned this a couple of days ago also that there's still a problem with their kids. They're not even sure if their kids will be available for the Olympics, you know, for training and all of that. But I'm sure it should be. The vice president did an unveiling yesterday. It's something we'll talk more about, you know, later on. But right now we have a clip from coach Mike Brown, as assuring that, you know, the team would definitely win. They're just for the experience. The experience is going to be nice. And, and we're excited about, you know, going there and expect and experiencing everything that Tokyo has to offer for us as well as the Olympics. But we want to go win. So we have the mindset of we're going to Tokyo to win. And whatever that means at the end of the day, we'll find out. But we're not settling. We're not going to be okay with any, any L's along the way. And so we're looking forward to showing not just the, you know, the people in Nigeria, but people on the continent of Africa and the people around the world that there's, there's a lot of Now, back in April, coach Mike Brown actually set up this Go Fund Me account we're talking about to support, you know, Nigerian basketballers. And there's been some, you know, reaction from this. And we have him basically speaking up he's saying that, you know, the setting up of a Go Fund Me account by the NBBF for Nigerians in Diaspora to contribute while disenfranchise them is shameful. He went on to say, when you come to think of it, the coach of the national team is from the Diaspora. All the national team players are from the Diaspora. The Go Fund Me is from the Diaspora money contributed, you know, by Nigerians in Diaspora, and that, you know, the Nigerian team goes on to, you know, disenfranchise them from participating in the administration of the game. So it's just a whole lot of politics really that is underlying all these issues. But the question is, why can't Nigeria sponsor Nigerians to the Olympics? It's management. It's just it's just very, very poor management, poor management of in every level poor management of finances, poor management of logistics, poor management of everything, you know, and I'm never going to take the focus away from the minister of sports, because that's where my focus will remain. When we spoke about this a couple of days ago, I was saying that you would always be able to see the difference between a team managed here in Nigeria and a team managed in the United States. And that's what they've been able to achieve. The level of success that they've been able to achieve. But imagine that those, you know, players were here in Lagos or in Abuja, you know, some of the, you know, states in the country, I'm sure they would not even be able to put together those players talk less of beat the United States or beat, you know, Argentina. So once again, we need to find a way to, you know, get some shame as a country so that we can stop embarrassing ourselves this way. Well, up next is American sports show host Steven Smith, who has apologized for making mockery of the names of Nigerian basketball players. Let's take a listen. Hurt the Asian community and the Asian American community. How I spoke about the Nigerian basketball team on a very same show hurt people as well. So it doesn't matter what my opinion was or my intentions were. What matters is that I messed up and that I intend to learn and listen to people in those communities to better understand their perspectives on their culture, on language, on market ability, you name it. I messed up and I heard people with my words. And for that, I apologize to show you a tiny in his family for the hurt I caused by my remarks. I apologize to the Asian community in the Asian American community. I apologize to the Nigerian basketball team too. I sincerely apologize. Also sincerely hope that my mistake helps push the conversation forward to educate people out there on these issues and many others. Obviously, myself will be included in that. Oh, Sarah Gay, that really, I don't know, do you accept that apology on behalf of Nigeria? Do you? It's not really my place, you know, but I think I think it was expected that he will. People had raised questions about whether he would apologize if he didn't get, you know, a backlash. But there's important things from what he said, you know, if you look at, if you listen to, I don't think we played the whole speech. If someone, things that he said was being able to understand, you know, that as a black American, these are things that he faces in America. And she was sensitive to exactly. And so he should be also sensitive towards, you know, the, you know, the plight of, you know, Africans, you know, because he cannot complain about being racially profiled or being, you know, abused in America and then do the same thing to other people. So that's one of the things that was important. Another thing that was important that he said was that he hopes that this apology and, you know, this incident will be able to shine more light on these issues and be able to, you know, keep a conversation going with regards, respect for people's names and their identities and their ideologies and, you know, their race, basically. So it was, it's an important thing that he put out the apology. And it seems sincere. We accept it. We don't have any other choice. But what's for me is important is the fact that the conversation continues. And, you know, people are able to see where they may, you know, completely get it wrong, you know, by making mockery of people, you know, even if it's Asians and, you know, making mockery of their names or making mockery of their features or anything like that. Making mockery of names in other countries that you can pronounce. These, you know, hurt, you know, because they are part of a person's identity. And so it's a good thing to happen. And the funny thing is it just tells of ignorance on your part. Yeah. You know. But the great thing is he also made an attempt to pronounce some of those names. So yes, good one. And did you know that the kids, the Nigerian Olympic team will be wearing is designed not by Nike or Adidas or Fubu or Under Amor. The designer is AFA Sports. That's called Africa for Africans. And it's an indigenous brand run by Nigerian Ugo Udezwe, who quit his job as an MBA agent to help make basketball a sport of choice in Africa. See, Oterage, stories like this really excites me because coming from a background where I told stories about, you know, Nigerian entrepreneurs, like this really, really gets me excited because this is a guy who won a scholarship, you know, from Nigeria to the US, you know, that basically was his breaking his own breakthrough. And he went on to become an agent. And then in the process of being an agent, he found that, oh, there are actually issues that we need to correct with sports, you know, wear merchandise and the rest of them. He saw that, you know, the basketballs, the ball itself, you know, because it's in the US and in other developed countries, it can be very slippery because your jeans are, you know, well air conditioned. But it's different here because of our climate. So he went to China, got, you know, balls that could absorb sweat, you know, he basically started revolutionizing what sportswear was for us as Nigeria. And as I read his story, he reminds me a lot of Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. Phil Knight, the very, very big American mogul when it comes to sports, founder of Nike, definitely. So Ugo really is doing a great one. He now has his sports company, AFA Sports, now delivers to about 20, you know, different countries in Africa, has branches here in Lagos and Abuja. So I think that, you know, sport, there's a lot of money to be made from sports. And from all teams that, you know, go to compete nationally or internationally, we spend a lot trying to kick this people. So I think it's a great thing that Nigerians, Nigerians, the government is now trying to move that money from the hands of the white guys from, you know, those people in those Western countries to the hands of Africans because they're making these things for Africans. So I think that's that's a great one. Don't you? Yeah, absolutely. I agree in every way. And, you know, I would also point out that, you know, it's from the Southeast. And, you know, they've always shown to be very, very innovative. Industrial, yes. So I'll point that out also. We're going to quickly watch, you know, you know, something we'll be back right after this, take a look at this. Everyone of you participating in the games is opening a page in history for yourselves, for your families, for your communities and, of course, for our great nation. But you will, in this endeavor, have the assurance of the prayers and the best wishes of all of us Nigerians. You will also carry with you the encouragement of the great exploits of Nigerian Olympians before you. It is now my exceptional honour and pleasure in the moment to formally hand over the Tokyo 2020 Team Nigeria contingent to the Nigeria Olympic Committee and to unveil also in a moment the official outfit and kit of Team Nigeria. I wish you all safe travel to Japan and a safe return home with plenty of medals. On behalf of Team Nigeria, I'd like to express my thanks to our special thanks to Mr. President and the federal government for the great support we receive financially as well as facilities and equipment. The Insurgency Team Nigeria is going to Tokyo as a discipline and patriotic team and we do nothing but use the facility in which we are our country and how we are with all the athletes. I am assuring you and Nigerians that we do our very best and win multiple medals and bring you to our country. Thank you Mr. President. Well, I would just say all the best to the Nigerian Olympic team for those who of course will participate and sad for those who you know couldn't be disqualified or for some reason just couldn't get on that bus to the Olympics and of course for those who will be there we wish them the very best. Yes, you know we like I mentioned LA was totally in agreement with using an indigenous kit provider and kit maker. I hope that that name AFA I think Africa for Africa. Yes, AFA of course. I hope that you know goes global right after the Olympics let's see what more we can achieve but also doesn't take away the point that I was making earlier about the Minister of Sports and how we have also failed here in Nigeria and you know I'm personally not very excited I will be patriotic and say I wish them well and you know I'm looking forward to what they can do. The government could have done better. But we could always do better you know and you know it still shows in our sports today you know where we are with sports today. I'm personally not expecting so much you know I will deceive myself to say oh I'm going to win all the medals possible and you know come back with six gold medals and all of that. I think it's time for audits of you know that sports ministry I mean I'm sure they receive millions if not billions and more for you know when it comes to the budgets yearly but what exactly and where exactly does it go it doesn't really show when it comes to the outlook Nigerian sports teams should be respected globally and do you know who we are most most populous black race in Africa when we talk about we're analysts here on the show and we know the figures about how much we're blessed with abundant natural resources and how those should be translated into millions and millions of Naira of dollars to be translated into resources in Nigeria for the benefit of Nigerians and you see that in areas where we should be thriving it seems that you know we're the most challenged in those places so we need actually audit that ministry and see what exactly they're doing with the money that they're budgeted you know that they receive as budgets every given year. Individual brilliance individual exceptionalism if that works is what really has continued to shine you know lighted on Nigeria and you know point out that there's really really talented people here not Nigeria itself. It has been persons who have taken it upon themselves to be skilled and to give everything that they can to a particular cause that have been able to show and continue to shed light on you know the talent and the skills and the gifts and the resources that we have here in Nigeria basically self sponsorship. Not the country itself because if you wait for Nigeria to as a country for its ministries, departments and agencies to pour you together and get you to those heights it's very likely that you will not get there. There are times when we celebrate you know some like chess championship where a young boy from Anambra or somewhere you know wins and all of that. Individual brilliance is not necessarily because of anything in particular that the society has given you in any way. Yes you know would always be quick to associate ourselves with that level of success but how much you know other people struggling to win in those fields how much are they getting look at our look our league and how it has been run for the last years. When's the last time we heard that any team in Nigeria was close to winning the CAF Champions League when's the last time we heard of anything. When's the last time you watched Super Eagles you know go to play Afcon and you were excited that yes they very likely would win or they would get to the finals. There's not much of that spirit anymore and it's been going on for a very very long time. Auditing yes because the funds that are budgeted for sports every year how much of it means because I always like to remind everyone that the fact that you see 7 trillion and the budget doesn't mean that 7 trillion actually is released a lot of times we only get about 30% maybe 40% budget implementation and so how much of those funds really get to the ministry of sports and so the ones who that get to the ministry of so what are they used for logistics is it for kids is it for training do you know as an athlete you are sure that every time that you walk into the stadium wherever you train that you know you have everything that is necessary for you to take the very best. You fill your cases for exactly. Yeah so there's so much that once again needs to be audited like you said but at the same time there's also so much questions that need to be asked with regards to people that we place in positions and in charge of these MDAs and their performance you know nobody should you know wait till 8 years later to start looking at what a person has done. Yes and across board not just absolutely. Alright we'll take a short break when we come back we're going to the newspapers this morning that's what major stories we can find and share with you. We'll be back.