By this, Imo people have been put on notice against encouraging or partaking in revenue leakages as the Government has stopped the issuance of cash receipts for any form of transaction. All payments must be done through the Bank which must go through the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
These were part of the decisions of the Imo State Executive Council (EXCO) at our weekly meeting which I presided over.
To this end, all Ministries Departments and Agencies have been warned to desist from accepting cash on any payment belonging to the Government and anyone who violates these laid down rules will face very unpleasant consequences.
Exco noted that financial regulations are very important and strict adherence to their enforcement will be adequately followed. Therefore, anyone who is asked to pay cash for any government transaction should report to the Ministry of Finance or the Chairman of Imo Internal Revenue Service (IIRS)
In another development, Imo State is ready to receive the Covid-19 vaccine before the end of the week. Our Government has put in place the necessary conditions for the supply which include: preserving the vaccine in the 305 INEC Wards of the State with solar powered refrigerators.
Also, Government has also released a reasonable amount of money for the training of those who will carry out the vaccinations as many people will be captured in the first phase of the programme.
EXCO has again, re-emphasized the timely empowerment of the Ministry of Lands and Survey, Imo State, to carry out the full implementation of recovery of all lands and property of Government based on the whitepaper report on violation of Owerri Master Plan.
However, EXCO noted that owners of the Ekwema Crescent layout which was illegally allotted to people by the Okorocha administration without any law are fortunate as the Government did not revoke their lands. Government has ordered that the land be returned to the original owners and anything developed on such land belongs to the owners.
On the old IBC quarters at Orji in Owerri where former Governor Rochas Okorocha built his Rochas Foundation College, Government emphasized that the property belongs to the Government and has been marked for full recovery.
In the same vein, Council observed the distortion of the New Owerri Master Plan and noted that the current administration is poised to recover the area and warned that any structure which is not on the original Master Plan will be demolished.
Furthermore, it was discovered by EXCO that the Government of Okorocha allotted the Imo State Government Layouts in Orlu to his family, friends and cronies. The government will definitely recover that layout as part of those property illegally acquired.
It is noteworthy that the Government has obtained a court order permitting her to recover every property illegally acquired by former Governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West in the National Assembly, Senator Rochas Okorocha. Therefore, Government has given Sen. Okorocha till April 21, 2021 to come and show prove of ownership of the said properties or it will be finally forfeited to the State Government.
Finally, it is cheering to note that the Nigerian Medical Association has finally called off their Industrial Strike which has lasted for so long. The doctors called off the strike on February 23, 2021. It is believed that such gesture will bring about industrial harmony between the doctors and the government.
The Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, FNCS, FBCS, FIIM, has said that with adequate knowledge, skills and resources, Persons Living with Special Needs can be job employers, rather than job seekers.
The Minister made this call Friday at the closing ceremony of the 5-day training programme for People Living With Disabilities (PLWD’S) organized by the National Information Technology Development Agency at Enugu State. The 50 participants trained were all given laptops, internet dongles, laptop bags and cash.
Pantami, while giving the closing remark, said that the population of persons living with special needs, as he prefers to call them, in the world is over 785 million, according to the World Health Organization, which is almost four times the population of Nigeria as a country. He, therefore, averred that a responsible society will give them priority and preference. He said that the training was in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria which was launched on the 28th November 2019, by President Mohammad Buhari GCFR.
He admonished all participants to consider the training as an opportunity because there are millions of people living with special needs in Nigeria who do not have the opportunity of being trained directly like them.
The Honoroble Minister admonished the participants to take good advantage of the facilities and support given to them through this training. He advised them to keep them safe in order to continue working with it. “Consider the training to be a foundation of your becoming a digital entrepreneur”, the Minister added. He cited examples of previous beneficiaries of the same training programme from Abuja, Oyo and Gombe states who have now established their own businesses through the knowledge acquired.
Pantami urged all participants to extend the knowledge and skills acquired at the training programme to train their family members which will make them job providers, rather than job seekers. “I urge you to extend the knowledge and skills you have acquired here to your family, friends and associates thereby bridging the digital divide we have in Nigeria” he said.
The Honourable Minister commended the National Information Technology Development Agency’s Board, Director General and the Management for organizing the programme and for the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy while urging them to extend the training to other states in the country. He particularly thanked the Enugu State Government for supporting to host the programme and hoped for continued cooperation and partnership for the benefit of its residents.
The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, while giving a welcome address earlier said that; “the exclusion and marginalization of Persons Living with Special Needs is a human right violation as well as economic issue for the country”.
Abdullahi noted that on the 25th of January 2019, President Mohammadu Buhari, GCFR, signed into law, the discrimination of persons with disability provision act and that the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has been implementing the National Digital Economy Policy for Digital Nigeria.
“Digital technology can break traditional barriers to communication, interaction and access to information”, the DG stated. He told the participants that technology will make all their challenges possible and therefore urged them to use the knowledge they have acquired from the training to make all that was impossible for them, possible.
The Executive Governor of Enugu State who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on ICT, Mr Emeka Ani, thanked the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy for the initiative and particularly thanked the Director General of NITDA for the implementation of the initiative. “Enugu state will continue to give all the support, cooperation and collaboration to NITDA and to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy” he assured.
…Tinubu: ‘I’m Proud, Sanwo-Olu Has Shown Excellent Results’
…Five Arterial Roads Network Completed In Agege, Also Commissioned
The long-sought relief from choking vehicular gridlocks has finally come the way of residents in the Agege-Abule Egba axis of Lagos State. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, commissioned the Pen Cinema Bridge and five arterial road networks in the area, formally opening the infrastructure for public use.
The commissioning marked fulfilment of another campaign promise made by Sanwo-Olu to residents, who daily endured pain in commuting within the axis in the last four years.
All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had the honour to inaugurate the projects, which he described as “needed catalyst” for the resuscitation of economic activities on the axis.
The construction of the 1.4-kilometre long flyover was part of the recommendation at the Lagos Economic Summit (Ehingbeti) under ex-Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, as a strategic intervention to achieving significant traffic improvement in the densely populated area. The last administration created the right-of-way and set up the structural beams; Governor Sanwo-Olu substantially completed civil works on the bridge.
The imposing overpass ascends from Oba Ogunji Road and drops at Oke Koto area of Agege. The bridge also opens to the old Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway through Abule Egba.
Tumultuous crowd of joyous residents joined Gov. Sanwo-Olu and members of the State’s cabinet in handing over the bridge for public use.
The Governor described the delivery of the project as a “landmark progress” in the State Government’s drive towards eliminating bottlenecks causing suffocating gridlocks and relieving residents of stress associated with commuting on roads.
Sanwo-Olu said the two-pronged approach, which his administration deployed to deliver critical infrastructure, gave priority to continuation and completion of strategic projects, regular maintenance and construction of new ones in line with the State’s Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP).
He said his Government decided to continue the project, because it was in tune with the first pillar of his administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, which targets the provision of roads for expedited economic growth and seamless mobility.
He said: “I am delighted to stand before Lagosians today to celebrate the delivery of this landmark project, which again, reflects our administration’s belief in the principle of continuity in governance and demonstrates our commitment to the urgency of infrastructure development and the welfare of our people. The completion of this flyover and five network of roads sends a strong message about our determination to accelerate our futuristic vision for a world class transportation system complemented by a good network of roads for social and economic transformation.
“In order to address the challenge of huge traffic burden, the immediate past administration initiated and commenced the construction of a precast and pre-stressed reinforced concrete of 1.4km dual-carriage flyover and ramp, with road works across the Agege-Pen Cinema Intersection. As of May 2019 when this administration was inaugurated, this project was at about 20 per cent progress. With the delivery of this bridge, which is complemented with traffic signalisation and drainage channels, we have resolved the perennial traffic arising from huge human and vehicular movement from Agege-Pen Cinema Intersection towards Abule Egba, Fagba, Oke Koto and Iyana Ipaja.”
To achieve a quick turnaround in commuting on the bridge, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his Government identified and reconstructed five strategic arterial roads with good connectivity to adjoining roads that could serve as alternative bypasses to other routes in periods of heavy traffic.
The Governor said since road transportation remained crucial to economic growth and physical development, he believed the project would inject more life into socio-economic activities of people living and doing business in the area.
He said: “A key outcome from the strategic execution of this magnificent Pen Cinema Flyover project is that our administration has again demonstrated the priority it accords to the wellbeing of our people. It is a true test of our commitment to the Greater Lagos vision and a reflection of the achievability of our audacious socio-economic goals. In the course of implementing this project, we created jobs for about 380 people including engineers, supervisors, artisans and others- a clear indicator of the nexus between infrastructure development and employment generation.”
Sanwo-Olu pledged that his administration would not relent in provision of infrastructure for coordinated and sustainable development that would help to improve the State’s performance on the Ease of Doing Business index.
Tinubu expressed confidence in Sanwo-Olu’s leadership, noting that the Governor had stabilised and brought Lagos back on a focused journey, despite economic turbulence occasioned by Coronavirus (COVID-19) and coordinated destruction of the State’s assets.
The APC National Leader, who described Sanwo-Olu as “a brilliant captain”, praised the collaboration between the executive and the legislative arms in the State.
He said: “This is a commendable achievement by Sanwo-Olu, who has further brought Lagos on the path of progress, given the economic resuscitation this infrastructure will bring on this axis and entire Lagos. May you continue to think and perform to demonstrate excellent results as you have done today.”
Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, said the axis on which the flyover is sited is one of the busiest in vehicular activities in Lagos, saying the bridge would bring back convenience to millions of residents commuting in the area.
She said: “The entire project consists of a dual carriageway, with a bridge component of two lanes with 3.65 cm width in either direction. The road component consists of service lanes on either side of the bridge with median, kerbs and walkways that are complete with signalised traffic system. There are junction improvements with LED streetlight features.”
Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who represents Agege in the Assembly, described Governor Sanwo-Olu as “a proactive, wonderful performer”, who always accomplishes any projects he promises.
The adjoining roads commissioned with the flyover are Iju Road, Oba Ogunji Road, Agunbiade Road, Oke Koto Intersection and Iyana Ipaja link road.
CAPTION:
PIX 1: Newly built Agege Pen Cinema Dual Carriage Flyover with adjoining roads, commissioned on Friday, March 5, 2021. INSET (L-R): National Leader, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye during the commissioning of the Flyover.
PIX 2: Newly built Agege Pen Cinema Dual Carriage Flyover with adjoining roads, commissioned on Friday, March 5, 2021. INSET (L-R): Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; National Leader, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye, during the commissioning of the Flyover.
PIX 3-8 L-R: Aerial view of the Agege Pen Cinema Dual Carriage Flyover, inaugurated by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday, March 5, 2021.
PIX 9: Night view of the newly built Agege Pen Cinema Dual Carriage Flyover, commissioned by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday, March 5, 2021.
PIX 10 L-R: Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; National Leader, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye during the commissioning of Agege Pen Cinema Dual Carriage Flyover with adjoining roads, on Friday, March 5, 2021.
The three day Fidda’u prayer over the demise of Shehu Bagudu, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu’s younger brother, has attracted hundreds of mourners and sympathisers, including the State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Samaila Yombe Dabai.
The prayer which took place at 5:00 pm, at the family house of late Bagudu, in Kofar Kola, was also attended by important personalities from all walks of life,from both within and outside the state.
Seven Imams, that included: Malam Ibrahim, Malam Altine Kalgo, Chief Imam of Kalgo Mosque,Malam Bala Sarkin Aski, Chief Imam of Makerar Gandu Mosque and Malam Bello Maidamma offered prayers for the repose of the soul of the deceased.
Others were: Malam Zaki Gwandu,Malam Muhammadu Dan Isah and Sarkin Malaman Suru.
The Imams, one after the other, who offered special prayers for the repose of the soul of late Shehu Bagudu, beseeched the Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings, as well as grant him eternal rest, in Aljannar Firdaus.
They also prayed for the entire family of late Bagudu to have the caurage, to bear the irreparable loss.
Among the important personalities who attended the prayers were the Secretary to the State Government, Babale Umar Yauri, Acting Head of Service, Alhaji Safiyanu Bena, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Special Advisers, local Government Chairmen, Sarkin Kabin Jega, Alhaji Bawa Arzika, traditional and religious leaders, Alhaji Sani Hukuma Zauro, Chairman of APC Elders Committee, businessmen, representatives of groups and associations.
The Fidda’u prayer was presided by Hon. Bello Bagudu, Wakilin Gwandu, the elder brother of Governor Atiku Bagudu, which was also attended by the younger brother to the deceased, Alhaji Ibrahim Bagudu,(Sarkin Samarin Gwandu).
Alhaji Shehu Bagudu, younger brother to Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, passed-away thisTuesday, in Abuja, following a brief illness, at the age of 53, leaving behind one wife and five children.
Signed,
YAHAYA SARKI Special Adviser (SA) Media to Kebbi State Governor
The need to enhance food security and production has always been one of the core responsibilities of every nation, Nigeria inclusive. With this goal in mind, Afrimash Company Limited, an indigenous eCommerce firm based in Ibadan, Oyo state has taken the “bull by the horns” by ensuring that Nigerian farmers get the best inputs such as equipment, livestock, seedlings, fertilizers, and quality vaccines that will enable them to increase food production while making agriculture convenient.
Speaking to the media on how Afrimash Company Limited has been engaging farmers for over four years, Ahmed Ayoade Oyedotun, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Afrimash Company Limited said “Afrimash is an agritech company. We run an eCommerce platform that is designed for farmers to access quality inputs from verified farm input suppliers. Our corporate office is currently based in Ibadan, Oyo state, but our delivery is nationwide. Using our online platform, farmers get quick and convenient access to a variety of inputs, place their orders online, and receive their farm inputs delivered to their locations across Nigeria. We run a system that ensures farmers can shop online with peace of mind. We started in 2016 and for about 4years now we have been offering eCommerce services (that is agricultural oriented) via our platform where farmers can get tools, inputs, and other agricultural inputs. We are a very valuable, sustainable, and profitable organization that provides premium value to customers via the contribution of a talented workforce who enjoy providing quality service to customers.”
“One thing that eCommerce does is that it makes it easy for suppliers and buyers to meet but in agriculture, it is a different ball game when we are talking about live products like day-old chicks, juveniles, rabbits, and so on. Access to quality inputs is one of the biggest challenges that farmers face in Nigerian and Africa. We are here to bridge that gap using Internet technology. Today, quite a number of farmers have internet access and we leverage on the ever-increasing Internet penetration rate in Nigeria. This guarantees us of consistent increase in the number of people that can access our eCommerce site. Aside from Internet penetration, the GSM penetration rate in Nigeria is high and constantly growing. This means that farmers who do not have Internet access will have feature phones to make phone calls. So, we have developed a hybrid system that makes it easy for farmers to buy even without the internet through our dedicated shopping assistants that farmers can call on the phone”, Ahmed added.
On the market acceptability, the company noted that over the years, farmers have come to believe and have confidence in them, this has transcended to higher patronage. Speaking of patronage and market acceptability Eshett Goodness Mfonobong, The Senior Lead Communication Executive of Afrimash Company Limited said “when we started over the years, a lot of pessimists said that farmers are not online, but trust me, we have come to realize that this is wrong with high repeat customers and a lot of our customers come through referral. We have lots of referrals because we make shopping easier for them while ensuring that we have quality products delivered to these farmers. The market and the farmers have come to accept us over the years for what we stand for which is quality and convenience.”
The company encourages government and financiers to partner with farmers for increased food production and security in the country. “We have an overriding goal of making agriculture convenient for farmers by connecting farmers with quality inputs and products. This has been Afrimash focus since we started in 2016 and today, we have about 20,000 farmers as clients and customers. We are blessed with a very talented team who work with a set of very important core values such as prioritization, excellence, self-leadership, passion, speed, and integrity. We are very open to partnership with government organizations, states, training institutions, financiers, and development organizations. We want to partner with them in providing quality services to these farmers to deepen food security in the country. We want to use technology to achieve this because in the next 20 years there might be high demand for food in the world; so we would gladly welcome every partnership that we can go into that will make agriculture convenient”, Ahmed concluded.
Afrimash deploys information technology (IT) tools such as web portals, electronic payments, and robust logistics to ensure that these inputs get to farmers. The company highlighted the challenges that farmers face in sourcing quality farm inputs and has been committed to bridging these gaps through robust IT solutions.
•Says Only People Ready For Genuine Sacrifices ‘ll Be Engaged Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, on Thursday, sworn in Chief Olugbenga Ale as his Chief of Staff for a second term in office.
Governor Akeredolu announced the reappointed of Chief Ale last Monday to serve in the second and final lap of his administration. At the swearing-in ceremony held at the Cocoa conference hall of the Governor’s office in Akure, Governor described the reappointment of the Chief of Staff as a confirmation of his dedication to duty and loyalty.
He stated that only people who are ready for genuine sacrifices and dedication will be engaged to serve. While noting that he will do away with distractions, Governor Akeredolu stressed that people who will constitute a burden to the serious business of governance will also not be engaged. He expressed his readiness to achieve more successes than those recorded in the first term.
“We are looking forward to state police. It will be soon. We have a lot of iron in fire that we must attend to. Only those who are ready for genuine sacrifices will be engaged by us. “We have already achieved some level of success in this regard in our First Term. We shall endeavour to build on this success in the next four years.
“There will be zero tolerance for indolence. Nobody will be permitted to misbehave under our watch. We intend to continue to promote the virtues of diligence and honesty. “We will reward decency. Any established act of moral turpitude will be visited with the utmost severity in terms of sanction. ”He said.
Chief Ale thanked the Governor for reappointing him, adding that he was ready for the sacrifice and challenges ahead. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Engr. Ade Adetimehin, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Eunice Alade, Head of Service, Mr Dare Aragbaiye, immediate past members of the state executive council and other dignitaries.
Signed: Olabode Richard Olatunde Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State. 📷 Nguher Gabrielle Zaki
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, has declared that the state is not about to deviate from the provisions of its anti-open grazing law, contrary to insinuations in a section of the media.
The governor’s media aide, in a statement on Thursday, said that a section of Nigerians misinterpreted Governor Makinde’s submission on the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) in the state.
According to him, the governor only announced the desire to implement aspects of the NLTP that are compliant with the anti-open grazing law of the state, assented on Thursday, October 31, 2019.
He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Makinde’s reference to Oyo State’s desire to implement the NLTP refers mainly to aspects of the plan that are compliant with the anti-open grazing law of the State.
“Section 6(1-7) of the law provides the processes by which a livestock owner shall secure land for a ranch, while sections 7(1-4) stipulates the approval process by which a herder or livestock owner can secure a permit to operate the ranch.
“The law stipulates that a livestock owner shall apply in writing to the landowner or the family in possession of the land meant for ranching; the family shall forward the application to the Ministry of Agriculture, which will forward the same to the Ministry of Environment to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment.
“A report of the EIA will be forwarded to the Governor, who may grant the approval if he (finds) the report suitable.
“The Oyo State’s anti-open grazing provides punishments for open grazing and child herding, while it also provides that ranch owners must mandatorily fence their ranches.”
Adisa added that Governor Makinde had while hosting his Kwara State counterpart, Governor Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman, made it clear that the Oyo State Government would only take advantage of “lateral learnings” in the livestock programme being implementated in Kwara with a view to collaborating on security and the economic aspects.
“The governor did not at any point say that Oyo State would implement the national livestock programme wholesale,” Adisa clarified.
Signed Taiwo Adisa, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde,
Justice Bello Duwale of the Sokoto State High Court today, Thursday March 4, 2021 convicted and sentenced one Mohammed Buba Amne to one year imprisonment for obtaining One Million Naira (N1, 000,000.00) under false pretense.
The convict allegedly collected the money from one Abdullahi Atiku on the pretext of assisting him to secure employment with the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and later issued him with a fake employment letter.
The one count charge brought against him by the Sokoto Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC reads, “That you Mohammed Buba Amne, adult, male, sometime in May, 2019 at Sokoto within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Justice, Sokoto State did dishonestly induce one Abdullahi Atiku to pay you the total sum of N1,000,000.00 (one million naira) under the guise of securing a job for him with the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and in that regard issued him with a fake employment letter bearing “Federal Civil Service Commission,” which you knew to be false and thereby committed the offence of Cheating contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law 2019 and punishable under Section 311 of the same Law”
He pleaded guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel, S.H. Sa’ad to ask the Court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Defence counsel, Shamsu Dauda, however, pleaded for leniency as the defendant is a first time offender.
Justice Duwale convicted and sentenced Amne to one year imprisonment with an option of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50, 000) fine.
Paris, France and Sunnyvale, Calif., February 10, 2021 – Google Cloud and Sigfox today announced that the leading global 0G network and Internet of Things (IoT) platform services provider, has partnered with Google Cloud to scale its cloud infrastructure and extend its IoT services portfolio. This partnership will enable Sigfox to rapidly accelerate its “Massive IoT” agenda—processing billions of messages each month from objects connected to the internet using data stored in the cloud.
“We are delighted to announce the partnership between Sigfox and Google Cloud, whose pedigree and reputation in the technology markets are exemplary. Combining their best-in-class technology with Sigfox’s technical expertise and Global IoT Coverage provides a powerful and synergistic combination which will undoubtedly bring significant value to the various industries we provide digital transformation services to.”, said Lare Ayoola, Executive Chairman, IoT Africa Networks Ltd, and Tranter IT.
Sigfox is the world’s largest dedicated LWAN service provider for connecting simple, low-powered, low-cost IoT devices to the Internet. Already deployed in 72 countries, covering more than 1.3 billion people, Sigfox’s 0G network is used for a wide range of IoT use cases, from tracking shipping containers and monitoring fire hydrants, to securing buildings and helping farmers monitor irrigation levels. In recent years, due to an explosion in the number of internet-connected devices, Sigfox now processes billions of messages each month (an increase of 145% in 2020) from the millions of objects connected to its network—and the company needed a more scalable, long-term solution.
Google Cloud was chosen as the backbone for Sigfox’s 0G network to bring better scale, increased reliability, and best-of-breed compliance and security to Sigfox’s platform. Google Cloud will also enable faster improvements to Sigfox’s connectivity, geolocation, and other value-added services towards ultra-low-cost and ultra-low-power IoT solutions.
Sigfox’s shift to the cloud will transform many of the applications across the range of industries in which it operates, including supply chain and logistics, automotive, postal services, and utilities. This includes the Sigfox auto parts solution, which tracks components on their journeys between assembly plants and suppliers with sensor-equipped containers. Or Sigfox’s solutions for utility companies that digitize the data collection of gas consumption meters, retrofitted Network Controlling Units, and smart features. Also, shipping companies fit trolley rollers or containers with Sigfox smart trackers to give exact information on location, movement, and condition. All of them will be now cloud-enabled, helping provide a scalable and seamless way to manage exponential data growth.
“We chose Google Cloud because we share the same appetite for driving digital transformation through helpful, reliable, and sustainable innovation,” said Franck Siegel, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Sigfox. “With this partnership, Google Cloud technology will support us in becoming the global leader in ultra-low-cost, ultra-low-power asset visibility, and tracking.”
“Google Cloud is proud to support Sigfox and provide an IoT leader with more reliability and flexibility as the company takes on the next steps of its development,” said Samuel Bonamigo, VP Sales, EMEA South, Google Cloud. “Sigfox’s use of Google Cloud technology is the perfect illustration of how we’re helping innovative companies grow and thrive, and better serve their customers.”
About IoT Africa Networks Limited
IoT Africa Networks Ltd is the exclusive Sigfox operator in Nigeria and as such, are responsible for rolling out the first IoT nationwide network in Nigeria. The IoT Wireless Telemetry is a game-changing digital technology that enables companies and cities to CONNECT EVERYTHING and stay in control of their assets and business operations.
About Google Cloud
Google Cloud provides organizations with leading infrastructure, platform capabilities, and industry solutions. We deliver enterprise-grade cloud solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology to help companies operate more efficiently and adapt to changing needs, giving customers a foundation for the future. Customers in more than 150 countries turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to solve their most critical business problems.
About Sigfox
Sigfox is the initiator of the 0G network and the world’s leading IoT (Internet of Things) service provider. It relies on a unique combination of ultra-low-cost and ultra-low power technologies together with a global network to enable companies to gain visibility and track their assets worldwide for greater business results. With Sigfox, +17 million devices send +60 million messages a day so that businesses can accelerate their digital transformation in key areas such as Asset Tracking and Supply Chain.
ISO 9001 certified and surrounded by a large ecosystem of partners and IoT key players, Sigfox was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in France with offices in Madrid, Munich, Boston, Dallas, Dubai, Singapore, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo.
Tranter IT is the exclusive distributor of many IoT Connected devices in Nigeria. Based on experience, knowledge, and technical background, we can deploy and execute IoT-related projects in Nigeria.
UN experts today urged Nigeria to prioritise specialised rehabilitation measures for the hundreds of abducted children left deeply traumatised after their release and to strengthen protection measures for those at risk.
“Social inclusion of these children requires the provision of long-term measures aimed at restoring their physical and psychological well-being,” the experts said. Sensitising families and communities to the importance of reintegration is imperative for them to be able to build renewed social relations with families and communities and to overcome stigma.
The experts also criticised the lack of an effective investigation into the abduction of 344 students from a boys’ boarding school in Kankara, Katsina State, in December 2020 and released a few days later.
“We are concerned about the total lack of transparency and of effective action almost three months later,” the experts said. “There has still not been an impartial, independent investigation into the abductions nor specialised rehabilitation for the children after the incident.
Social inclusion of these children requires the provision of long-term measures aimed at restoring their physical and psychological well-being
“Due to such incidents, many children have not returned to class and some schools have already closed down in the border areas out of fear of reoccurrence. This may mean an end to education for these children.” The experts said they were also anxious about the repercussions for the 279 schoolgirls released on 2 March 2021 after being abducted last week in the northwest Nigerian State of Zamfara.
The abductions are not isolated cases – on 17 February 2021 at least 27 students, three staff, and 12 family members from a college in the area of Niger State were also abducted and released 10 days later.
“We are alarmed at reports that an unknown number of women and girls have been abducted in recent years, and subjected to domestic servitude, forced labour, sexual slavery through forced marriages, forced and unwanted pregnancies,” the experts said. “Serious concern is expressed about the physical and psychological integrity of these individuals, who are at increased risk of exploitation, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and other forms of violence,” they said.
They said the Nigerian government has international legal obligations to protect the right to life, liberty and security of a person, as well as the obligation to adopt effective measures and policies to prevent exploitation. “We urge the Government to adopt effective preventive measures to avoid the re-occurrence of these acts and in particular to strengthen protection measures for children at risk and guarantee access to relevant support services, including sexual and reproductive health and services for women and girls.”
The experts also urged the Nigerian government “to conduct an impartial and independent investigation without further delay. We further remind of the provision of effective remedies and assistance”.
“Government should promote the expansion of community-based programmes to support the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of girls and women. These programmes should include psychosocial support and counselling, including to families”, as recommended in the report of the Special Rapporteurs on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, on their joint visit to Nigeria in 2016.
