The home-based Super Eagles preparations for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has suffered a hitch following withdrawals and injury involving several invited players.

Five of the invited players are now ineligible to participate in the competition after joining clubs outside the country.

The CHAN is reserved for players who play in their respective domestic leagues.

Reliable defender, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi has been ruled out of the competition due to injury, while young goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt is on duty with the Flying Eagles.

The home Eagles started preparations for the competition in Ikenne on Monday.

28 players are currently training under head coach, Eric Chelle.

Kebbi State Government has ordered urgent repairs to a section of the Birnin Kebbi–Makera–International Road, which was washed away by flooding following a recent downpour.

The damaged portion, considered a key route linking Kebbi to the Republic of Niger, has disrupted transportation and regional trade since the incident earlier this week.

Governor Nasir Idris, who visited the site on Wednesday, directed the Ministry of Works to engage a qualified construction firm to begin immediate rehabilitation. He also requested that a cost estimate be submitted by Thursday for swift approval.

“This road is vital to both Kebbi State and the national economy,” Idris said during the inspection, pledging to release 50 percent of the project funds immediately to accelerate the work.

Commissioner for Works, Abdullahi Umar Faruq Muslim, blamed the road failure on poor drainage infrastructure, noting that the absence of proper culverts allowed rainwater to erode the roadbed.

The governor was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, during the visit.

Lagos State Government has expressed deep concern over the rising tide of substance abuse within the state and across Nigeria, calling for urgent efforts to tackle the growing threat.

Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu issued the call during the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme, ASAP, Advocacy Stakeholders Conference, organised by MTN Nigeria at its headquarters in Falomo, Lagos.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the governor described substance abuse as a “malignant cancer” eating away at the core of society and endangering the nation’s future.

“It is disheartening to witness the spread of drug abuse among our youth, with its grip extending even to our innocent children,” Salu-Hundeyin lamented.

He added: “Our young people are the lifeblood of our future. But how can a nation thrive when its strength is undermined by the devastating effects of addiction?”

She noted that the Lagos State Government is actively implementing a multi-faceted response to the challenge. Initiatives include the establishment of a dedicated mental health institute, a round-the-clock mental health support helpline, and ongoing collaboration with regulatory bodies to strengthen oversight.

“We are prioritising preventive strategies in our fight against substance abuse.

“Through the Lagos State Well-Being Programme, we have expanded school counseling services, equipped communities, schools, and religious centres with early intervention tools, and reinforced mental health awareness to stem the tide before it worsens,” she said.

Salu-Hundeyin also praised MTN Nigeria for its corporate commitment to social responsibility through the ASAP initiative.

She highlighted the programme’s investment in youth education, teacher training, and sustained national advocacy as exemplary, noting it demonstrates how the private sector can be a powerful partner in driving societal progress.