Sports & Entertainment
Emmanuel Jérôme Kundé dies at 68
Emmanuel Jérôme Kundé was a Cameroonian professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent the majority of his professional career playing for Canon Yaoundé. He was also a member of the Cameroon national team at the World Cups of 1982 and 1990 and won the 1984 and 1988 African Nations Cups. The Cameroonian football legend, has passed away at the age of 68 years.
The demise of Kunde was announced by the Cameroonian football federation (Fecafoot) on Friday.
Kunde played as a midfielder and was a lynchpin in the Cameroonian team at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
The Cameroonian side became the first ever African nation to reach the quarter-final of the World Cup.
Kunde was also part of a Cameroon side that defeated Nigeria in the 1980s, winning two continental titles.
He was a substitute as Cameroon defeated Nigeria to lift the AFCON title in 1984, and scored the winning penalty as the Indomitable Lions repeated the trick in 1988.
According to Samuel Eto’o, President of Fecafoot, Kunde was a “figure of moderation and consideration”.
“I keep with him the memory of a discreet and affectionate man.”
“He was a fantastic footballer, the control tower in the midfield, the defensive wall the opponent crashed into but also a great playmaker when the team had possession.
“Praying for the great football family to keep him in your thoughts and my deepest condolences to his nuclear family.
“Individually, it was a fine passer and an artifact with phenomenal power and goldsmith precision.”
Don’t Just Fund Vessels, Guarantee Cargo, Agbakoba Tells Government at SCAN Summit
Maps Path to Low-Risk Finance for Indigenous Fleet
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News
Nigeria will draw private capital into indigenous shipping only if it offers shipowners guaranteed cargo, bankable contracts and regulatory certainty. Government-financed vessels alone will not do it, maritime lawyer Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has said.
Agbakoba spoke on Thursday, 29 October 2026, at the annual summit of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) in Lagos. The theme was “Low-Risk Capital for Indigenous Shipowners: Overcoming Regulatory and Financial Bottlenecks.” He was represented by maritime lawyer Mr John-Paul Akunne.
He said the theme speaks to turning Nigeria’s maritime potential into a commercially viable indigenous industry that keeps more freight earnings in the country. Despite large cargo volumes, he noted, Nigerian shipowners still struggle to access finance and dependable commercial opportunities.
A national fleet, he said, would retain freight earnings, create jobs for seafarers, strengthen ship management and repair services, and widen Nigeria’s role in domestic, regional and international shipping. But fleet development requires more than buying vessels. It also needs commercially viable ships, competent operators, dependable cargo demand and sustainable financing.
Agbakoba acknowledged that ship finance carries risks tied to vessel values, foreign exchange, insurance, operating costs and freight rates. He said these can be managed through proper legal, technical and financial due diligence. Lenders, he said, must verify vessel ownership, registration, mortgages, insurance, regulatory compliance and the borrower’s capacity to repay. Ship mortgages, guarantees and the assignment of charter earnings and insurance proceeds can provide adequate security.
Collateral alone cannot make an unviable project bankable, he stressed. Vessels need reliable revenue backed by enforceable cargo or charter contracts, because ships without dependable employment struggle to secure funding.
The former President of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association urged oil majors, terminal operators and cargo owners to engage qualified Nigerian shipowners under commercially viable contracts. Those contracts should specify cargo volumes, duration, freight rates, performance standards and payment obligations.
He pointed to the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010 as existing frameworks for greater local participation. He called for effective enforcement, transparent administration of waivers and better access to cargo for indigenous operators.
Agbakoba also named regulatory uncertainty as a driver of investment costs. He urged closer coordination among NIMASA, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency.
On the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), he said the fund remains important but should complement commercial lending, development finance and private investment. He called for transparent eligibility criteria, rigorous credit assessment, adequate collateral and effective monitoring.
He recommended six priority measures for sustainable fleet development:
- Cargo-backed financing
Improved cargo access
Regulatory coordination
Mobilisation of private capital
Stronger maritime capacity
An implementation framework with clear timelines and measurable outcomes
Nigeria Watch
The numbers behind the theme. Pre-summit reports put indigenous shipowners at only about four to five per cent of the market. SCAN President Moses Ebosele blamed funding gaps, high interest rates and regulatory bottlenecks for the low local participation. Another report quoted SCAN as saying foreign operators control more than 95 per cent of the trade.
CVFF: movement, but old doubts. The fund Agbakoba wants to see complement private capital has finally begun to move after more than two decades.
President Tinubu approved disbursement more than two decades after the fund was established without Nigerian shipowners accessing it. Earlier reports said NIMASA opened applications for a $25 million tranche on January 22, 2026, drawing about 60 applicants, while some stakeholders remain cautious, citing past unfulfilled promises. Reported fund sizes vary across outlets, from the $25 million tranche to a headline figure of $700 million.
The cargo question is the real test. Agbakoba’s argument shifts the debate from who funds vessels to who guarantees work for them. That cuts to a long-running grievance in the sector. Indigenous operators objected to the launch of Unity Shipping World, the NNPC Shipping, Stena Bulk and Caverton joint venture, calling it a deliberate attempt to undermine Nigeria’s shipowners.
Whether oil majors and cargo owners will sign long-term, enforceable contracts with Nigerian owners is the question that will decide if financing translates into ships on the water.
What it means for waterway operators. For the informal and small-scale operators Waterways News follows, the principle holds at their scale too. Without structured access to cargo and passenger contracts, even well-intentioned funds will struggle to reach the boat owners and transporters who need them.
Mourinho Eyes Bernabéu Return, Sets Sight on Nigeria’s Osimhen for Real Madrid Rebuild
By Joseph Adams | Waterways News Sports Desk | May 14, 2026
José Mourinho, one of football’s most decorated tacticians, is edging closer to a dramatic return to Real Madrid — and Nigeria’s own Victor Osimhen could be at the heart of his ambitious rebuilding plans at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Multiple reports, including the BBC, indicate that the Portuguese manager has emerged as the sole candidate Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is considering to replace outgoing head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, with talks between the club and Mourinho’s camp advancing rapidly in recent days.
The move comes on the back of a deeply frustrating 2025-26 campaign for the Spanish giants, who ended the season empty-handed — Barcelona claimed the La Liga title, while Real Madrid suffered an early UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Pérez is said to have first opened the door to Mourinho’s return just two days after Xabi Alonso departed the club earlier this year, and negotiations have since gathered significant momentum.
Mourinho, 63, is currently serving as manager of Portuguese club Benfica, having taken charge last September on a two-year deal. However, his contract reportedly includes a release clause allowing him to exit within 10 days of Benfica’s final league game for approximately €3 million — a window that is fast approaching, with Benfica currently third in the Primeira Liga.
Speaking ahead of Benfica’s last league fixture against Estoril Praia, Mourinho sidestepped questions about his future, saying only that he would address the matter from Monday onwards.
For Nigerian football fans, the most exciting subplot in this saga is Mourinho’s reported interest in Victor Osimhen, the Galatasaray striker who has been one of the most lethal forwards in Europe. Reports indicate Mourinho has already identified the Super Eagles star as the striker he wants leading his attack at the Bernabéu.
The “Special One” has reportedly drawn comparisons between Osimhen and Ivorian legend Didier Drogba — a striker he famously signed and deployed to great effect at Chelsea. Osimhen’s arrival would also, analysts suggest, allow Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr. to operate in wider positions where they cause the most damage.
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, a period that yielded La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup — cementing his legacy at the club despite a turbulent tenure.
If the deal is confirmed, it would reunite one of the game’s shrewdest managers with one of the world’s biggest clubs — and potentially land Nigeria’s Osimhen at football’s most glamorous address.
Lagos to Close Jetties, Terminals on Five Cowries Creek for E1 Championship
By Waterwaysnews.ng
The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has announced a four-day partial closure of all private and commercial jetties and terminals along the Five Cowries Creek to accommodate the E1 Championship powerboat racing event.The closure, scheduled from Thursday, October 2 to Sunday, October 5, 2025, will facilitate the hosting of the world’s first all-electric powerboat racing tournament, with Lagos serving as one of the championship’s host cities.
In a statement released Tuesday by its Public Relations Unit, LASWA outlined a phased closure schedule to minimize disruption while ensuring safety during the event.
On Thursday, October 2, a partial closure will affect the stretch from Falomo Bridge to Oriental Hotel between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. The following day, Friday, October 3, will see a total closure from Oriental Hotel to Mekwen Bridge during the same hours.The most extensive restrictions will occur over the weekend, with a total closure from Falomo Bridge to Oriental Hotel enforced between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM on both Saturday, October 4, and Sunday, October 5.
LASWA emphasized that the waterways restriction is a critical safety and security measure designed to ensure seamless event operations, protect lives, and showcase Lagos as a world-class venue for international sporting events.
Normal ferry operations on the affected routes are expected to resume on Monday, October 6, 2025. The authority has urged waterway users to plan ahead and utilize alternative ferry routes during the closure period.
“The Lagos State Government appreciates your patience and understanding as we work together to deliver this historic world championship,” the statement concluded.
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