According to The Mirror, Ronaldo and Anthony Joshua had the best seats in the house alongside boxing’s new power broker Turki Alalshikh.

Steven Gerrard paid a visit to Fury’s dressing room before the first bell while Brazilian superstar Neymar also made an appearance.

And they would have enjoyed Fury’s performance in front of 28,000 fans, including a travelling contingent of Fury’s loyalists.

The Mirror noted that Usyk toppled Fury with a stirring second-half comeback to be crowned the undisputed heavyweight world champion.

Fury dominated the first half of the fight, belying the magnitude of the night by clowning around at every opportunity.

But Usyk made a stirring comeback in the desert, forcing the referee to issue a count when only the ropes held his rival up in the ninth round.

Accordingly, Fury struggled to regain the momentum and would have been the happier of the two men to hear the final bell.

But his relief was short-lived as Usyk was announced the winner – and the division’s first undisputed ruler for 25 years – by split-decision.

The Brit, who was making the fourth defence of his world title, had weighed in 40lb heavier than bid rival and also enjoyed a six-inch height advantage.

Despite the occasion, Fury was in a playful mood from the first bell, taunting Usyk by lying back on the ropes. He then repeatedly punched himself in the head, beckoning his rival on.

Usyk landed a one-two at the start of the second round as Fury began to target the body – before punctuating the three minutes with an uppercut.

Fury was content to box on the back foot but began to use his size to lean on Usyk.

He switched to southpaw in the fourth round and prematurely raised his hands in victory after landing a back hand.

Such was Fury’s reach advantage that Usyk was at times struggling to close the distance.

Fury whipped in hooks to either side of the Ukrainian’s midriff as the former cruiserweight champion showed the first signs of struggle.

And they would have enjoyed Fury’s performance in front of 28,000 fans, including a travelling contingent of Fury’s loyalists.

But Usyk was never going to lie down easily and returned fire in the seventh round with two left-hand reminders.

Fury was alive to the threat however and immediately answered back.

Usyk increased his urgency in the eighth round as he chased down his fellow champion, appearing to demand he meet him for a fire-fight.

And he put his foot on the gas in the next round when a left hand against the ropes left Fury stunned.

Fury staggered around the ring as Usyk rushed after him and with only the ropes holding him up, the referee issued him a count.

The bell sounded to ensure Fury could fight on but Usyk smelled blood.

Fury had been down seven times before in his career and recovered each time but he looked vulnerable.

But that didn’t stop him showboating in the corner in an attempt to prove he wasn’t still stunned.

Fury had regained his composure by the penultimate round but the momentum was with Usyk as he flashed in a right hand.

The result was up in the air as the bell sounded for the final round but neither man was prepared to go for broke.

Fury landed the final telling blow but the result was left in the judges’ hands, The Mirror noted.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olu Aikulola, threw the challenge at Abeokuta when he addressed the first quarter meeting of the State Committee on Export Promotion (SCEP) for 2024.

Aikulola noted that small business owners could use the airport and other infrastructures in the state to launch their products into the export market and maximise profits.

He said government had created the right atmosphere for the export of processed goods with the provision of the agro-cargo airport and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone.

He added that the African Export Import Bank (Afrexim Bank) also has its African Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC) in Ogun, to ensure quality certification.

Aikulola challenged entrepreneurs to regard infrastructure provided by government and the current economic challenges as opportunities to export goods to earn foreign exchange.

“The agro-cargo airport has made it easy for anyone who is truly serious about exporting products.

“You can harvest vegetables in the morning and before the day is over it will be on the shelves in supermarkets abroad.

“Even when you need to certify your product, the AQAC can help you do that conveniently.

“Many states do not have the combination of these export drivers like we have in Ogun. It is important that entrepreneurs leverage on these infrastructure and venture into exportation,’’ Aikulola said.

The permanent secretary stressed the need for entrepreneurs to have positive mind-set about government’s efforts at helping businesses to expand within and beyond the country’s borders.

This, according to him, will ensure that entrepreneurs do not miss out on different benefits and grants provided by the federal and state governments for their businesses to grow.

He cited grants awarded at the 2nd Expanded National MSMEs Business Clinics held recently in Abeokuta.

Aikulola also told the meeting that the committee had been providing necessary support for the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to boost non-oil export in Ogun.

He noted that the committee had been helping different MSMEs to export their products and enjoined entrepreneurs interested in export business to register with the NEPC.

The permanent secretary explained that the registration was necessary to avoid needless pitfalls and losses that might result from products rejection abroad.

He assured that NEPC registration was seamless via www.nepc.gov.ng

In her remarks, Mrs Frascisca Odega, Coordinator, NEPC in Ogun, commended Ogun government for collaborating with it to promote exports.

She expressed optimism that the agro-cargo airport in Ogun would boost export of agricultural commodities.

Mrs Chinasa Asonye, National Secretary of the association, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

She said government must as a matter of urgency setup interventions that would bring down the price of inputs.

Asonye, also the president of Ogbonge Women Multipurpose Agricultural Cooperative Society, Lagos State Chapter, said it had become imperative for government to act fast.

She noted that the price of agricultural and animal inputs had continued to rise, thereby threatening food security in the country.

She said food inflation had affected women the most, adding that all hands must be on deck to ensure that women farmers continue to contribute their quota to feeding the nation.

Asonye noted that without subsidy on agricultural inputs, prices of food commodities would skyrocket and create more hardship for the citizens.

According to her, inflation is hitting hard on every one, with the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar increasing, and that as it is increasing everything will increase.

“Import duty will increase, tariff will increase, everything about agricultural produce that is being imported will increase.

“This is why the prices of fish feed and animal feed and all inputs are on the increase.

“If you look at the trend, what do you think will happen to the farmers? When we produce and we want to sell, the price will also increase to reflect the current reality.

“Everything goes side-by-side. What we need to do now is to have government intervention that will bring down the price of inputs,” she said.

The farmer also urged the government to adopt the 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Livelihood of 10 per cent to agriculture.

Asonye said at the Malabo Summit, African heads of state reconfirmed that agriculture should remain high on the development agenda of the continent, and should be a critical policy initiative for African economic growth and poverty reduction.

She added that government must urgently increase the budgetary allocation of the agriculture sector to reflect the present realities.

She decried the continuous low budgetary allocation to agriculture, which she said stood at less than the 10 per cent recommended in the Malabo agreement.

“There is a way all the things about agricultural produce should be subsidised. It is only when it is subsidised, that the importers of those inputs will sell at relatively reduced price for us.

“When farmers can access subsidised inputs, then they can begin to look at how they can set a price margin that will be beneficial to all.

“The Federal Government needs to work hard; they are talking about Malabo declaration but the government is not implementing the recommendations that 10 per cent of the annual budget be allocated to agriculture.

“How many per cent are we doing? We are not even doing up to two per cent. If 10 per cent budgetary allocation is actually given to agriculture, of course, we will not be crying now or feeling the pain.

“At least, women farmers will not be talking, we will make use of what we have and do our best to make sure we produce enough food for Nigerians.

“These are the things we will keep advocating, inputs are not released to farmers in good time, we don’t have gender friendly machinery,” she said.

Asonye also urged the government to insure and protect women farmers against rape, kidnapping, and even death while discharging their duties.

“Presently, women farmers are afraid of going to the farms because of the fear of being raped; because of the fear of being kidnapped.

“How will women continue to farm with all these daunting challenges? Even if they are escorted by vigilantes, they will still kidnap all of them.

“How do you want us to survive? The prices of food commodities will continue to increase if government does not do the right thing.

“Government must not wait till farmers go on strike before they begin to act. Our voices need to be heard,” she said.

The rain which started around 4.00am, lasted for about 30 minutes in Kosere, Ilode, Iloro, Arubidi, Ondo Road, Omisore, Iremo, Enuwa, Lagere, Odo-Ogbe areas of Ile-Ife among others.

The rain, which fell without a storm, was heavy in the affected areas, and there was no report of any destruction of property.

Some residents of Ile-Ife, who spoke with NAN, said the rain was sign of blessings and indication that 2024 farming season would bring a lot of bounties.

Mr Dele Amusan, a resident of Kosere and farmer, said the rain was a sign of hope for farmers in the area.

Amusan said that the rain would reduce the current harsh weather condition, adding that the people can now sleep better with improved weather condition.

He advised farmers in the area to take advantage of the rain to start bush clearing and preparation for farming activities.

Amusan equally called on government to begin early by clearing the waterways so as to prevent flooding, while appealing to residents not to dump wastes into water channels.

Also, Mr Yemi Ogunsola, another farmer, called on the people, irrespective of their career, to embrace farming to reduce the current hardship in the country.

He said that farming should not be left for the rural farmers alone, saying businessmen and civil servants should go into farming to ensure availability of food

Ogunsola noted that the country is presently recording lesser food production for the growing population, adding that the only solution was for more hands to get involved in farming.

The event, which took place in Abeokuta, consisted of three sections: the flag-off of dry season rice production input distribution, distribution of POS machines to farmers, and the inauguration of the commodity alliance forum under IFAD/VCDP.

Dr. Fatimah Aliyu, the National Programme Coordinator of VCDP, emphasized the importance of distributing inputs to smallholder farmers to address food security challenges. She highlighted Ogun State’s significant arable land and skilled rural farmers, stressing the necessity of empowering them to enhance food production.

Aliyu reiterated the federal government’s commitment to providing the right inputs to farmers to achieve best agricultural practices and boost food production. She emphasized the importance of the farmers’ commitment and advised them to make efficient use of the inputs provided.

Mr. Bolu Owotomo, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, commended the Dapo Abiodun-led administration’s dedication to farmers’ prosperity and the state’s overall development. He outlined the objectives of the programme, including distributing inputs for dry season rice production, providing POS machines, and inaugurating the State Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF).

Owotomo detailed the support farmers would receive, including fertilizers, rice seedlings, herbicides, and solar-powered water pumps. He highlighted the distribution of POS machines as a means of empowering young people in rural areas and deepening financial inclusion.

Mrs. Temitope Ajisafe, the acting State Programme Coordinator, explained the VCDP’s objective of enhancing sustainable incomes and food security for rural households engaged in rice and cassava production. She underscored the ongoing training on good agricultural practices and the significance of the CAF in fostering collaboration among stakeholders.

Mr. Kamorudeen Shokunbi, Chairman of the newly-inaugurated CAF, along with other beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the governments for their support and pledged to maximize the use of the provided inputs to increase food supply. They also requested more modern agricultural equipment to further enhance farm productivity.

The youths are beneficiaries of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the state government.

Mr Abiodun Sanni, the National Project Coordinator, who spoke at the orientation in Yenegoa, said the training was to prepare the youths to become agripreneurs.

Sanni said the beneficiaries belonged to the fifth batch of LIFE-ND successful incubatees that had been selected after a rigorous screening by a selection team.

He said that the youths should count to count themselves lucky to belong to the LIFE-ND family.

“You were many that were screened but not all that were screened are here today because they did not meet the criteria required to be here.’’

Represented by Jerus Uvieghara , Knowledge Management and Communication Coordinator, IFAD LIFE-ND,  Sani urged them to take the training seriously.

“I am sure you have seen our older beneficiaries within your community who will testify that this project is different from others because we are always in touch with our beneficiaries to monitor their progress and address their challenges.

“If you are serious, you will benefit a lot from the project; the project is called LIFE-ND project which means Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise Project – Niger Delta (LIFE – ND).

“It is a Federal Government project financed with a loan from IFAD; IFAD is International Fund for Agricultural Development.

“You can see that it is loan taken by the Federal Government for the benefit of the citizens of the Niger Delta region to improve their livelihood and must be paid back; apart from IFAD another partner of this project is Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“The specific objective is to enhance income, food security and job creation for rural youth and women through agri-enterprise development on a sustainable basis in nine Niger Delta States of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ondo,  Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Rivers.

“The target is to generate 38,250 agrientrepreneurs using the incubation model which will be explained to you later including some financial benefits you are entitled to during the incubation process and upon graduation.

“The project works on the value chain of seven priority commodities namely rice, cassava, plantain, oil palm, cocoa, poultry, and fishery (aquaculture and artisanal).’’

He said the overall goal of LIFE–ND was transformation of the rural economy in which all the rural population could derive prosperity and equal benefit.

Sanni said the Project Development Objective (PDO) was to enhance income, job creation and food security for rural youth and women through agribusiness enterprise development in a sustainable manner for the Niger Delta region.

“Most people see the Niger-Delta youths as militants who go about destroying oil pipeline and making trouble but you and I know that Niger Delta youths are ready to make a living from hand work if given the opportunity.

“The LIFE-ND project is an opportunity for you all to prove this perception wrong and let everyone know that Niger Delta youths are hardworking.

“It may interest you to know that all members of staff of this project are from Niger Delta,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries Mrs Beatrice Ebi, commended LIFE-ND for the training, and empowerment, promising that they would put in their best.

Ebi also called on other non-governmental organisations to emulate LIFE-

“We need bailouts for the sector this year, and these bailouts must be strategic.

“We need to ensure they get to the right farmers. The government has been doing bailouts for the sector but most times it is not directed to the right people.

“The government should ensure the implementation of its bailouts is well carried out, so as to reach the right farmers,” Egbebe said.