WITH PRICE CONTROL REMOVED, WHAT/ WHO IS THE BUDGET OF 3.5 TRILLION NAIRA FOR SUBSIDY IN 2023 FOR?

WITH PRICE CONTROL REMOVED, WHAT/ WHO IS THE BUDGET OF 3.5 TRILLION NAIRA FOR SUBSIDY IN 2023 FOR?

 

Directly or indirectly, officially or unofficially, it is clear that the cap on the pump price of Petrol (PMS) has been removed. All over Nigeria, for a few months now, the price of Petrol has varied from one filling station to the other. As at 6th of January, Prices ranged from a minimum of 240 Naira per liter in Benin, 340 Naira in Kaduna, 360 Naira in Umuahia, 400 per liter in Owerri to 500 Naira per liter in Port harcourt , no filling Station is selling at the so called controlled price, except in some filling stations in Abuja and Lagos. And nobody is enforcing any price as it used to happen in the past. So it is clear we have deregulated. Thats fine!

I think the Government should own up and announce this policy officially. It is deceitful and dis-ingenious for this Government to announce that payment of subsidy will end in June, when they would have ended their regime. Why wait? Why make such deceitful proposition? Who will enforce the plan, Buhari/Oil Minister or the new President? I urge the government to come clean and level up with the citizens instead of this deceit and hanky-panky game with our commonwealth and citizen wellbeing.

By announcing the deregulation now, which is already a fiat accompli Nigerians will attain the following benefits:

First, an official deregulation will mean, that many more companies and oil marketers can import fuel under the supervision of the regulatory agency, thus immediately easing the scarcity and ending the double jeopardy of many motorists and road users. For months now many motorists spend hours and in some cases, days and nights trying to buy the product at inflated prices. They lose many productive hours searching for petrol and when they find it, they pay exorbitant prices. Those who buy from hawkers run the risk of buying adulterated fuel which destroy car engines, in addition to the indignity of buying petrol from hawkers. This is not to talk of the misery of those who travelled in commercial vehicles this season. Many were stranded at motor parks as they found that their budget could not meet the daily changing fares!

Secondly and most important, an official deregulation now will obviate the need for more subsidy payment and at least we can save the 3.5 trillion Naira budgeted for the first six months of this year by this outgoing government. 3.5 trillion Naira can do so much for our infrastructure, especially when it is noted that only 5.9 Trillion is the entire Capital budget in a 22 Trillion Budget for 2023. It can build several roads and bridges across the Country or transform our entire Educational and Healthcare system.

Thirdly it will disabuse the minds of some Nigerians who speculate that this 3.5 trillion naira has been put in the budget for other purposes including Election funding and send forth and parting gifts for the Government officials and politicians of the Party in power. This set of Nigerians can see that government has ‘surreptitiously’ deregulated while still retaining subsidy payment. And they ask for what purpose? Hence the speculation.

To deny this speculation and save a whooping 3.5 trillion naira, I urge this Government to formally announce the deregulation now or if they are ‘afraid’ to do for whatever reason, then they should open up the market ‘surreptitiously’ as well so that supply can expand and allow market forces to fix price. To allow only NNPC to be importing while removing the price cap after paying subsidy is profoundly confounding. The current situation is deeply damaging Nigerian Economy, increasing poverty and misery for many Nigerians while creating a lot of opportunities for arbitrage and corruption for NNPC and Government officials. President Buhari should bite this Bullet and save Nigerians from multiple jeopardy which they are facing right now. It is true that we have lost the battle against corruption, but we must not watch helplessly as Poor Nigerians are openly ‘raped’ and ravaged by the ‘oil curse’

*Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa* _OFR,MON, NPOM_
_Convener, the NEW NIGERIA GROUP (NNG)

THE CHASE:AI CHATGPT & THE REST OF US NIGERIAN

THE CHASE:AI CHATGPT & THE REST OF US NIGERIAN

AI (Artificial Intelligence) a form of computing that allows the machine to take decision and learn from individuals to give a feedback is on the rise. In a simple terms AI can be defined as:the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.

Now the leaders of this is CHATGTP(In caps for emphasis) this is an open source platform that can help you do a lot of things easily without you lifting a finger. A student used the platform to have an all A’s in her assignment. I typed a query on how to write an article and the platform brought out a fantastic article written for me on my chosen subject in few seconds. Well written more than human!

So as you can see, just like the way industrial revolution displaced many people in their jobs and also creates job, the way computer age displaced many people and trust me this 4th industrial revolution will displace many of us and I am scared of jobs like Journalism, editing, copywriting, proofreading, advertising , content creators etc ! AI will take over .

Many countries of the world are in the race to build a fantastic AI  platform today which can be incorporated into many things from autonomous driving to aviation , from medical to education, Google recently tried to launch their own platform (Sparrow) but where was a glitch and they lost billions of dollars but that doesn’t mean they have rested on their oars! Google don’t give up they will be back !

Chinese biggest tech firm Baidu will be launching their own version of ChatGTP by March this year ! Trust Chinese to always deliver on things like these. With this race of AI going on, the Africans are left behind !

With the elections coming up in few days time, Nigerians are contemplating to either vote a senile man that doesn’t understand the concept of building smart cities or the need to galvanise the youths to build robust solutions and creating a techhub around the nation. Nobody is talking that .

As the world is tilting towards 4th industrial revolution, just like other ages and revolutions before us , Nigeria is doing a catch-up game; a country that is trying to sort out the basic things and mundane things that should be overlooked such as energy, electricity, fuel, security and capacity building ! The country is still saddled with these basic things an indication that the rest of world will leave us behind!

Anthony Emeka Nwosu
Anthony@techandbiz.com.ng

NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE (NIGCOMSAT) GETS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR

NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE (NIGCOMSAT) GETS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR

 

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, has approved with immediate effect, the appointment of Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua, as the new Managing Director of Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), following the retirement of the erstwhile Managing Director, Dr Abimbola Alale.

Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua, born on 24th November 1966 is an indigene of Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, PGDM, MBA, a Professional Diploma in Education and a PhD in Environmental and Sustainable Development Management in view, at the University of Port Harcourt. He was before his appointment, Director, health community affairs, safety and environment with BUA Cement Plc, served in various capacities including Health and Safety Manager, Country HSE Manager and Regional Manager for Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at Lafarge Africa Plc and Group Head, Environment and Community Affairs at Dangote Cement Plc among others.

Engineer Tukur, who has thirty years professional experience in manufacturing, process engineering, health, production, safety and environmental management, communications and various other fields, is a Chartered Environmentalist at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, and the Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute. He is a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), a member of numerous professional bodies and institutes. Engineer Tukur is an author and is married with children.

Recall that the Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) falls under the purview of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

Uwa Suleiman (Mrs)

FG DETERMINES TO BUILD CAPACITY OF NIGERIANS ON CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

FG DETERMINES TO BUILD CAPACITY OF NIGERIANS ON CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

 

The provision of massive employment opportunities through digital skills has informed the decision of the Federal Government through National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to embark on several initiatives aimed at upskilling and reskilling Nigerians across all walks of life in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).

Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, Director General of NITDA who was represented by Dr Salihu Abdulkarim stated this while delivering his goodwill message at the closing ceremony of the Creative Technology Programme, Phase 1 Training that focuses on business opportunities in Nigeria.

He said Creative Technology Programme is aimed at developing and retaining talents in Nigeria on promoting career skills and providing job opportunities among the beneficiaries with the goal of nurturing and upskilling Nigerians’ talents into viable career options; and create an ecosystem that will boost the economic potential of all participants.

Inuwa stated that the Agency is making tremendous efforts in pursuing a robust and all-inclusive talents development agenda that will create a competitive environment for the development and production of IT goods and services in the country, adding that the program would serve as mechanism for diversifying the nation’s revenue using digital economy.

He said, “The various capacity development programmes in our strategic plan have been designed to serve as a foundation for rapid development in all sectors, and we have built hundreds of digital capacity training centers and IT incubation Hubs across the nation to facilitate these programmes.”

Inuwa maintained that it is very important for Nigerian to build its talent from within because the nation is endowed with abundant talents.

“We have all we need to grow and compete with some of the biggest industries in the world. The retainment of talent within Nigeria can only happen if we all agree to stay here and build what we have. We have started building an ecosystem that will accommodate more people and help the development of a thriving community for tech talents in animation, games and AR within Nigeria,” he opined.

Acknowledging the intensity of the two-weeks training, Inuwa informed the participants that their “work has just begun,” adding that bringing the participants together is very important to the growth Nigeria seeks in promoting the Africa’s narrative in content creation.

“We see you all as creative technology ambassadors who will contribute positively to the Nigerian economy and build business opportunities within your sector. It is time to implement and we believe that you are all interested in bridging the creative technology skill gap,” he said.

While expressing his appreciation to the organiser of the capacity building, Ascend Studios Foundation for partnering with NITDA on the “crucial project of skilling and upskilling Nigerians with the trending digital skill,” the NITDA’s boss enjoined the participants to ensure that they judiciously utilise the knowledge acquired and pledged that NITDA would continue to “support them in any best possible ways.”
30 participants were successfully trained in the first phase of the programme and they are expected to train another 3000 participants across the country.

FG gets industry commendation on telecom policies

FG gets industry commendation on telecom policies

 

 

Cross section of participants at the ongoing 10th Edition of the National Council on Communications and Digital Economy, which commenced at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, since 4th December 2022, have commended the Federal Government for its commitment in providing leadership and guide for industry growth.

The commendation followed the listing of about 20 policies by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami aimed at promoting different areas of the digital economy, including the flagship National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020 – 2030, and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 – all of which have started to yield concrete, positive results for the economy.

Pantami said the recent assessments by the Foreign Development and Commonwealth Office (FDCO) and the KPMG Consulting which adjudged the communications and digital economy sector as the best performing sector in Nigeria, were based on 8 key priority areas, one of which was in revenue generation, where the sector has raised government revenue profile by 594 percent.

Among those who applauded the Federal Government’s vision for the sector are the Secretary to Oyo State Government, Her Honour Olubamiwo Adeosun, who represented His Excellency Oluseyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State; and the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta.

Emphasising the centrality of digital innovation and digital entrepreneurship to a robust digital economy, the Minister commended the participants for the quality of evaluation, recommendations, and criticisms that attended the memoranda presented at the Council. He urged the media to give the best coverage to the communique to be issued after the meeting. He also enjoined professionals in the media systems of communication to note specific recommendations and the corresponding role of each stakeholder in the implementation of each item in the communique.

The Minister announced that 110 memoranda and recommendations were presented to the Council, out of which 67 were approved for implementation. The remaining 43 recommendations are to be reconsidered in the next meeting of the Council.

Pantami thanked the Government of Oyo State and the Olubadan of Ibadan, His Imperial Majesty, Dr. Lekan Ishola Balogun Alli, Alliwo Okumade II, for receiving him and his team on the courtesy visit he paid earlier to the Palace, and to the Governor’s Office where Adeosun had also received the Minister on behalf of the Governor.

In his goodwill message, the EVC/CEO of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta praised the minister for his impeccable supervisory role as the leader of the sector. Danbatta also praised the Federal Government for being the most revolutionary administration in its commitment to the utilisation of digital resources for the growth of individuals, businesses and the national economy through design of policies to achieve concrete, measurable and remarkable deployment of cutting-edge technological applications.

On behalf of the Board and Management of NCC, Danbatta thanked participants for their attendance and active participation, which attested to the importance they all attached to the promotion of digital economy and culture.

Amplifying the voice of the Minister, the EVC stated that the participants’ commitment to government’s digital economy agenda has been well demonstrated in the methodical review of the recommendations of the 9th Council meeting, objective identification of achievements, and the frank approach taken to chart the path towards future goals and expectations.

The EVC promised that, “NCC remains committed to supporting all policies, strategies, plans and initiatives that promote the provision of modern, universal, efficient, reliable, affordable, and easily accessible communications services that give the widest range throughout Nigeria”. He also emphasised that it is in demonstration of its commitment that the Commission undertook a timely release of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for the deployment of 5G services to ensure that Nigerian citizens, businesses, public institutions and other stakeholders are enabled with requisite infrastructure to engage in the emergent digital economy and culture.

 

ON THE UPCOMING AUCTION OF TWO (2) LOTS OF 3.5GHZ SPECTRUM

ON THE UPCOMING AUCTION OF TWO (2) LOTS OF 3.5GHZ SPECTRUM

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (the Commission), in line with Section 121 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (the Act) has the responsibility to manage and administer Spectrum resources for the communications sector in an efficient and effective manner. This is for the socio-economic benefit of the country.

Accordingly, it is the Commission’s responsibility, as the industry regulator, to ensure that harmonized and standardized Spectrum resources are made available in a timely manner to ensure its optimal utilization. The impact of the Commission’s regulatory activities in this regard is evident in the contribution of ICT, and telecommunications in particular, to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

The Act allows available Spectrum resources to be licensed through different methods. Spectrum licensing via Auction is one of the most transparent methods of assigning Spectrum resources globally. It is important to note that the Commission in response to requests for more Spectrum lots to be made available during the 2021 Stakeholders’ engagement had estimated a period of 24 months to clear all encumbrances in the remaining two (2) lots of the 3.5GHz band.

The Information Memorandum that guided the 2021 Auction process further stated the Commission’s intention to migrate incumbent users of the remaining portion of the C-band to free up Spectrum and make it available for the deployment of new services. The Commission has achieved the clearance earlier than estimated 24 months, thus making the Spectrum available for licensing.

The Commission wishes to reiterate that as a regulatory body holding in trust the management and administration of scarce spectrum resources on behalf of Federal government that it will continue to make available, the much needed harmonized and standardized Spectrum resources to the industry. The Auction is designed to boost competition by making it open to both new entrants as well as existing licensees.

We, therefore, wish to reassure all stakeholders and investors, that the processes and schedule for the Auction of two (2) lots of 3.5GHz Spectrum will take place as planned. The final Information Memorandum for the Auction has been published on the Commission’s website. Interested applicants are advised to adhere to the requirements as specified in the Information Memorandum for participation in the Auction.

CHUKWUMA SOLUDO: THEY HAVE DECEIVED YOU LIKE THE DID TO OTHERS –  EKPENYONG ISAIAH 

CHUKWUMA SOLUDO: THEY HAVE DECEIVED YOU LIKE THE DID TO OTHERS –  EKPENYONG ISAIAH 

 

 

Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Nwa Mgbafor, please permit me to address you this way because that is what you told us before to call you and the way you wanted to be addressed. You said instead of adding His Excellency to your name, we should just address you as Soludo Nwa Mgbafor. To your admirers and those currently clapping for you to dance, please, know that it is not an insult addressing you this way, but obeying the instructions you gave to us during your electioneering campaign and after you won the elections. I pray that everybody from now henceforth will not forget to address you the way you wanted to be addressed.

Soludo Nwa Mgbafor, Prof., you have proven a practical example why there is a big difference and gap between knowledge and wisdom and the superiority of wisdom over knowledge . You may have graduated with first class in all your degrees and had the opportunity to work in high level institutions, sir, your current position as the governor of Anambra State and your recent comments and positions on national issues and as it concerns the Igbo race, your tribe, has exposed a lot about you, a clear showing that something is grossly lacking in you and that is, WISDOM, sir, pray for it.

I pray that God will grant His Excellency, Peter Obi, his spokespersons or party, the Labour Party the wisdom not to respond to your recent tirade against Peter Obi, which is what you are looking for to suit the demands of those playing the drums, I am now currently convinced that, may be, the problem of the Igbo man in Nigeria is made in heaven, having read all what you said and realized that it came out from an Igbo Professor, and having also been a witness to what happened in the early 2000s where Igbo Senators conspired with Senators from other places to replace at regular intervals, Igbos who were Senate Presidents then , the very act that brought to fore the renowned saying, that Igbo do not love themselves.

Soludo Nwa mama, let’s get down to the points you raised.

On your paragraph one, you talked about you saying the truth about Peter Obi’s investment of about $11million in Anambra State that is worth not more than $3million now and went further to say that the investment was in a company Peter Obi has interest in, directly putting the decline on investment on the investor, Peter Obi. Sir, I will call this your truth The illusory truth effect (also known as the illusion of truth effect, validity effect, truth effect, or the reiteration effect) which is the tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure. Soludo Nwa Mgbafor, in trying to talk down on Peter Obi and that investment, as an economist, you have failed to tell the world the worth of $11million as 10 years ago when Peter did the investment and the worth of $3million today even as the investment declines.

Again Soludo, how will you put blame on an investor who left for about 10 years ago and no longer incharge of the investment, instead of those who took over from him and were in position to take decisive actions for or against the investment if they believe the investment was not doing well? Soludo Nwa Mummy, should I put my personal blames on you? As Central Bank governor, Bank Executives under you encouraged most of us to buy shares as we were told that was the easiest, safest and most reliable way to make wealth then and we did. Sir, few years down the line, the shares we bought became worthless and we all lost out because of the mismanagement of the Nigerian economy, should we blame you for overseeing such failure then?

Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, will you rather invest in your enemies company or that of your friends if both were to bring same returns on investment? Sir, will you tell us any investment company then that did better than the one Peter Obi invested Anambra money, citing clear examples of other States whose investment did better?

Chukwuma Soludo, I am not an Igbo man, but it is sad that an Igbo man of your pedigree believes that almost 50 years after the civil war, that the Igbos are not ripe to become president of Nigeria unless they come back to join you to start the process now. Some of your reasons is that the Igbos may not have built enough political structure and reached out enough. This your reason gives me a lot of concern because you are currently acting the real Igbo man that can be bought and used against his brother. Sir, may I remind you that Alex Ekwueme in 1979 was Vice President to Shehu Shagari and won a re-election with him before Major General Muhammadu Buhari and his group struck in 1983. May I also remind you Soludo, that even when the Yorubas rejected President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, the Igbos stood by him and voted him. Sir, have you forgotten that in 2007 when majority of northerners rejected Umaru Musa Ya’arua and instead went for Buhari, the Igbos did not vote their own Odumegwu Ojukwu and Edwin Umezeoke who was with Buhari and rather voted Ya’arua who contested with Jonathan, an Ijaw man as running mate. What else do you think the Igbo man should do ?

Sir, there was a time PDP controlled all the five South East States of Imo, Achike Udenwa. PDP ; Anambra, Chiwoke Mbadinuju, PDP? Enugu, Chimaoroke Nnamani PDP; Abia, Orji Uzor Kalu PDP; and Ebonyi, Sam Ominyi Egwu, PDP. And of recent, the South East had remained the lifeline of PDP, but the makers of Nigeria have refused to give the Igbo man PDP Presidential ticket. If after sacrificing all this for PDP and the Igbo man is not given ticket in PDP, how many years do you think Prof., that the Igbos will join you in APGA for the party to be seen as a National Party and be allowed to rule Nigeria? Again let me say this, Bola Ahmed Tinubu only led part of the Yorubas in 2015 to form alliance with the North and 8 years down the line, he is being rewarded with Presidential ticket. But the Igbos have been in this alliance since 1999 with nothing to show for it, don’t you think that it requires thinking out of the box, may be, like what Peter Obi is doing now?

It is really sad that you Prof. Chukwuma Soludo have assumed the role of God in the affairs of men and the duty of voters by convincing yourself and those urging you on, who may have promised you the presidency, that Peter Obi will not win and can never win; creating an impression that because you are the governor of his State, he has already lost out in Anambra.

That you also raised irrelevant issues like how you called Peter Obi to come and contest under APGA not for winning sake, but to create better future chances for the Igbo man is not just ridiculous but an urgent call for prayers for you by those surrounding you for God to grant you little wisdom. Soludo Nwa Mgbafor, who can predict what will happen tomorrow ? Let me again remind you that when President Muhammadu Buhari contested in 2015 to become president under APC, his home State, Katsina was controlled by the PDP and his governor was Shehu Shema. We never saw Gov. Shehu Shema come out this way to condemn Buhari for going to contest election under APC the way you are doing.

Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, it is sad that you are not different from the nominal Nigerian Politician who believes the young people in this country have no right to condemn or express dissatisfaction about the way Nigeria is runned over the years, the very reason you see them as mob that has no brain to think. Soludo you have proven who you are, the fear of not being allowed to loot the way others did is all over you and we can see it that is why you have suddenly decided to join enemies of Nigeria to condemn the hope of the masses.

Soludo Mgbafor, in Paragraph 15 of your long essay condemning Peter Obi, a man that has in no way attacked you or your government, you said and I quote, “government exist to save lives and not money” explaining that you cannot save when poverty is high in your state, but went further to tell us that as governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, you encouraged Nigeria to save and even saved and grew our foreign reserves from $10million you met it to $63million. Sir was there no poverty then in Nigeria while you were saving for the country, or were you able to eradicate poverty all in Nigeria before you started the saving? I am asking this question because your condemnation of saving by Peter Obi could be a precursor to you planning to loot Anambra dry and not save shishi like your predecessor, Willie Obiano.

Prof. Chukwuma Soludo Nwa Mgbafor, let me end here first by telling you that those that promised you presidency if you will constantly attack Peter Obi who is not in anyway publicly attacking you or your government are deceiving you, they have lied to you and how could you allowed that at this your level with all the knowledge you have except wisdom? If you think I am lying, ask Rotimi Amaechi, Dave Umahi, Rochas Okorocha, Orji Uzo Kalu, Hope Uzodinma, Ogbonnaya Onu and many others who fell for that cheap promise of “we will make you president, attack your brothers” they may tell how far it has been because you seems to be a johny just come, JJC in the game.

Nobody says you and Peter Obi as “brothers” cannot be in opposing political camps, but we just want to remind you that Shehu Shema and Muhammadu Buhari are brothers and were in opposite camps in 2015, Seyi Makinde and Bola Tinubu are brothers and in opposite Political camps now , yet, what Shehu Shema and Seyi Makinde has to handle the situation that is lacking in you Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is wisdom, seek for wisdom.

Ekpenyong Isaiah-isababa
Commander, Infantry Pen Battallion
isacool4good@yahoo.com

Security Alert: FG Assures of Safety, Security For All

Security Alert: FG Assures of Safety, Security For All

 

The Federal Government has assured that Nigeria’s security forces are doing everything possible to secure and protect Nigerians and foreigners living in
the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who gave the assurance in Abuja on Tuesday at a Ministerial Session at the ongoing UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week, said the military and other security forces have been very proactive in tackling security issues.

“I can assure all that our military and other security agencies have continued to do everything possible to secure and protect Nigerians and foreigners living in
Nigeria. Terrorists have been hard hit and put on the run. Bandits have been decimated and scattered. Our country is safer today than at any time in recent times, thanks to the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said while the government did not discountenance the fact that terrorists, bandits and their kind would always want to do whatever it takes to disrupt the nation’s peace, security and stability, Nigeria’s security forces are up to the task of protecting citizens and non-citizens alike.

“Nigerians too should continue to be alert but must not panic. Like I said in a recent statement, as far as insecurity is concerned, the worst is over for Nigeria,” he said.
While speaking on the topic “National Media and Information Literacy Frameworks, Sustaining Beyond Disinformation,” the Minister said the threat of disinformation to national and global peace and stability is glaring, as it undermines the trust by citizens in the system.

He said some media outlets and social media personalities are usually caught spreading unverified information on their platforms just for clickbait and the attendant monetary gain.

“Talking of clickbait, this may be what informed the spread of the supposed security alert issued recently by some foreign embassies in Nigeria. One would imagine that if indeed this kind of security alert was issued, it was for the attention of citizens of the issuing countries in Nigeria. Suddenly, this alert found its way into the media, both new and traditional, thus creating panic in the polity.

“Schools were shut. Businesses were closed. Travel plans were altered. Lives were disrupted. No one cared to find out about the authenticity of these alerts. They just published, got the benefit of massive clickbait and damned the consequences,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

He said the deliberate spread of fake news has become more prevalent with the ease in access to connectivity over the digital space since there is available and affordable technology/software that can be used to distort digital content (audio, visual and images) such as photoshop, deep fake and voiceover software, which are readily available as open source/free or paid apps on the Internet.

The Minister, however, said there is a ray of hope as the tech companies are increasingly involved in the development and deployment of technology to checkmate the spread of disinformation over their platforms, in addition to the availability of technology through text and reverse image search engines to decipher and verify such contents.

The session, which was moderated by the Assistant Director General, Communication and Information of UNESCO, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, had the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Dr. Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Goodluck Opiah, as panelists.

NIGERIA HAS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE GLOBAL TALENT FACTORY

NIGERIA HAS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE GLOBAL TALENT FACTORY

 

The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has said Nigeria has a competitive advantage to continue positioning itself as the global talent factory in the areas of technology, sports, music, and movie industries.

Inuwa made this known when he received the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of Outsource Global, Ms. Amal Hassan on a courtesy visit to the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters, in Abuja.
The visit was aimed at partnering with NITDA in the area of digital economy policies and initiatives, and to work with NITDA to actualise the rebranding of the country.

While assuring the team of the Agency’s maximum cooperation, Inuwa noted that NITDA is one of the Federal Government’s Agencies in charge of implementing National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS). According to him, the Agency wishes to partner with Outsource Global in achieving the needed result in Nigeria’s digital space.

He reminded the visitors that NITDA was established in 2001 to help with the integration of IT into Nigeria’s system noting that at that time, less than 500,000 Nigerians have access to computers with ICT’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, (GDP) less than 0.5 percent.

However, today, according to Inuwa, more than 100 million Nigerians have access to internet and computers because “our mobile phones are computers and with improved contribution of ICT to the tunes of 18.44 percent to the GDP; almost twice than what oil and gas were contributing to Nigerian GDP, because the latter contributed about 8 percent.”

He added that NITDA was calibrating to transform the Agency and the sector to position Nigeria in the global digital economy map, create and capture value, and become the superpower in Digital Economy.

He said “Outsourcing is the greatest idea in which critical stakeholders, and influential mindsets people have to listen and look into collectively for making Nigeria a strong Digital Economy nation, and working with the tech ecosystem, and listening to them would help stimulate the growth of the tech ecosystem.”

“To believe in the eecosystem, everyone has his own role and responsibilities, and the government’s responsibility is to intervene in terms of infrastructure, policies, and regulations,” he added.

Inuwa reiterated that Nigeria has a brighter future when it comes to Business Process Outsourcing.

In her remarks, the CEO of Outsource Global, Amal Hassan and her counterpart, Ben Faes described the visit as timely considering the warm reception and sharing of ideas on the partnership with NITDA.

She underscored the importance of Outsourcing as a subsector that offers employment opportunities to thousands of people globally.

She concluded that Outsourcing Global would tap from NITDA’s wealth of experience to rebrand Nigeria as a world-class ICT destination.

FG TO ESTABLISH SIX INNOVATION CENTRES.

FG TO ESTABLISH SIX INNOVATION CENTRES.
The Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, said that the establishment of technology and innovation centres in the six geo-political zones will enhance collaboration of researchers which is necessary for achieving the desired research output in the country, rather than working in silos.
The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mrs. Monilola Udoh said this at the North Central Dialogue on the Establishment of the Technology and Innovation Centres for Global Competitiveness and Productivity today in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the centres are aimed at establishing a frame work for consultation, sharing experiences, information and practices as well as creating a conducive environment amongst scientists.
Chief Ikoh stated that Technology and Innovation Centres, under the Executive Order NO. 5 are designed to serve as centres of excellence with the objective of improving the role of STI in the socio-economic development of the country.
He commended the effort of the immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu for his tenacity, consistency and passion about the role of STI in the development of the country.
He strongly believe that the outcome of the dialogue will result to increased patenting, innovative discoveries and inventions, emergence of commercialization of research and improved research findings amongst scientists in the country.
Speaking, the representative of UNESCO Dr. Moma Enan said that the organization is ready to collaborate with the ministry in some areas of STEM, and research, thereby, making one of the agencies of the Ministry a UNESCO capacity centre.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Niger State, Professor Abubakar Baba Aliyu, commended the ministry for its achievements in the area of STI, adding that Niger State is blessed with natural resources especially gold.
To this end, he called on the minister to convey the message to Federal Government in order to enable the State Ministry of Solid minerals to work in synergy with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel.