The Lagos State Government has announced the diversion of traffic on Dopemu road in the Agege area of the state with effect Friday, January 21, 2022, for a period of 3 months.

The road closure follows the planned rehabilitation and upgrade of Babajide Sanwo-Olu road within the period by the state government.

This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, at the weekend, where he said that the repair works will be executed in 3 phases adding that the first phase of the project will focus on Ipaja Road to Adealu Street junction which will last for 3 months.

The statement from Oladeinde reads, “In line with the on-going infrastructure development, the Lagos State Government will divert traffic on Dopemu Road in the Agege area of the state by 10:00 pm on Friday 21st January 2022 for the rehabilitation and upgrade of Babajide Sanwo-Olu Road for a duration of 3 months.’’

Alternative routes

Oladeinde asked motorists inbound Dopemu Bridge from Iyana Ipaja/Alagba axis to go through the Ipaja road to connect Oyewole Street into Seriki Street which will link them to Kolawole and Adebambo Street to access Adealu road for their desired destination.

He also advised motorists heading towards Dopemu Bridge from Ipaja (Oke Koto) are to use Markaz road to connect Awori Street and link Sarumi Alawo Street/Oniwaya and Surulere to continue their journey or alternately go through Alfa Nla from Old Ipaja road to connect Oniwaya/Surulere axis to reach Dopemu Bridge.

The commissioner assured that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has designed alternative routes to enable effective control of vehicular movement along the axis during the duration of the construction.

While lauding Lagosians for their perseverance through the myriad of constructions ongoing across the state, the commissioner called for support from the citizenry, assuring them that the sacrifice being paid will yield the desired outcome for the state’s Multi-modal Transportation System.

What you should know

• The Lagos State Government had reiterated its commitment to the reconstruction and improvement of infrastructure across the state as part of its smart city project.
• The massive road rehabilitation which is being executed by the Lagos State Government is part of the Transportation and Traffic Management Pillar of the state’s THEME agenda which ensures the upgrading of infrastructure across the state.
• This is necessary to address the worsening state of these infrastructures which includes road, bridges and flyovers and the various safety concerns that have been raised

…Sponsorship underscores the life insurer’s commitment to grow and to invest in Africa

Prudential Africa has signed a sponsorship agreement with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to become the official insurance partner of the ongoing 33rd edition of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021.

At a press conference to announce the sponsorship, Eric Mboma, Chief Representative Officer, Prudential Northern Africa Region noted that the sponsorship underscores Prudential’s commitment to the African continent.

“As we grow our business in Africa, we also want to support the passion and talent of its people. Africans share a common love for football and we are honored to be part of a tournament that unites the continent and brings together the brightest talents of African football”, he said.

Mr. Mboma added, “Through sports, Prudential wants to encourage people to stay active and lead more healthy lifestyles. As a life insurer, we believe that health and wellness are important for people to live fulfilling lives.”

Commenting on the partnership, Confederation of African Football (CAF) General Secretary Mr. Véron Mosengo-Omba said, “We are excited and pleased to have on board Prudential as a partner. We share a common purpose in our commitment to developing local talent as well as driving prosperity for the people of Africa.”

AFCON 2021 started on January 9 and will run till February 6, 2022 with Cameroon as the host nation.

Prudential is a global financial services group providing life insurance, pensions and asset management products and services to approximately 20 million customers in Asia and Africa.
Prudential has life insurance operations in eight countries across Africa: Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Nigeria.

For nearly a decade, the life insurer has been providing affordable insurance and health solutions. Today, it serves more than 1.7 million customers through a distribution network of more than 13,000 agents and 600 branches.

Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent’s football governing body, has announced that the prize money that would be awarded to the winning team of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021.

The competition, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday, January 9, 2022, would see AFCON 2021 winning team claiming a $5 million grand prize, which is over N2 billion when converted to the current exchange rate of N413.21 to $1.

This development emerged after an Executive Committee meeting, which was held on Friday, January 7.

A total of $1.850 million was added to the prize money from the quarter-final stage to the final. The new prize money for eventual champions of the competition is $5 million – a $500,000 increase from the previous prize in the 2019 edition.

The runner-up will get $2.75 million while the semi-finalists and quarter-finalists will take home $2.2 million and $1.175 million respectively.

“The new TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Prize Monies; Winner: USD 5 million (an increase of USD 500,000).

“Runner-up: USD 2.75 million (an increase of USD 250,000). Semi-Finalists: USD 2.2 million (an increase of USD 200,000). Quarter-Finalists: USD 1.175 million (an increase of USD 175,000),” a statement from CAF’s website read.

The AFCON 2021 tournament, which would begin with Cameroon vs Burkina Faso on Sunday, January 9, would have Video Assistant Referee (VAR), as CAF announced that it would be used in all 52 matches.

For the tournament, 63 match officials would be on parade – 24 referees, 31 assistant referees and eight video assistant referees have been drawn from 36 countries, with two referees from Concacaf.