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Federal Govt. Urges NCC To Issue Research Grants On Artificial Intelligence

Rhoda Onuzulike
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Federal Govt. Urges NCC To Issue Research Grants On Artificial Intelligence

The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has directed the National Communications Commission (NCC), to provide grants for tertiary institutions to enhance research on robotics and emerging technologies.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isah Pantami, disclosed this during the International Conference on Computing and Advances in Information Technology, organised by Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria on Tuesday.

The three-day conference, theme “Fostering Digital Economy Through Recent Trends in Information Technology’’ was organised by the Department of Computer Science of the institution

Pantami said the ministry was passionate about supporting emerging technologies in the area of artificial intelligence, robotics and many more.

To achieve this, the minister said he directed the NCC to come up with research grants that would be given to higher institutions to partake on research in emerging technology.

He said there was a meeting about three weeks ago to review proposals sent by academics in order to see how the Federal Government would support them with research grants in the area of emerging technologies.

According to Pantami, there is a research grant under the National Information Technology Development Agency, where the Federal Government sponsors young academics to higher institutions abroad.

He said all these initiatives were to support the digital economy of the country.

The minister noted that according to the world economic forum, as at 2016, the global contributions of ICT to economic development stands at 16 per cent, and the figure has been predicted to reach 50 per cent by 2022.

He added that the world economic forum had also predicted that by 2022, 132 million jobs would be created within the digital economy sector.

“All these aspects of emerging technologies come up with new opportunities that make ICT to dominate the world economy; as it is today, ICT was a key enabler to the growth and development of the world economy,’’ the minister said.

“In the first quarter of 2021, the fastest growing economy in the country was ICT, in the second quarter of 2021, the contribution of ICT to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 17.92 per cent,’’ he added.

Pantami therefore, attributed the unprecedented ICT’s contribution to GDP on policies of the ministry, stressing that within two years the ministry with its agencies came up with 16 national policies.

He added that of the 16 developed national policies, more than a dozen were being implemented, like the `National Digital Economy Policy Strategy for a Digital Nigeria”, which he described as the umbrella policy upon which other policies were developed.

The Minister said the ministry was coming up with subsidiary legislation and regulatory instruments to support the development of ICT sector in the country.

Detained Football Kenya Federation Boss Granted Bail Amid Corruption Investigation

Emenike Agu
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Detained Football Kenya Federation Boss Granted Bail Amid Corruption Investigation

Nick Mwendwa, president of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), was granted bail by a Kenyan court on Monday after police had sought his detention for 14 days to allow for an investigation into allegations of corruption.

Police arrested Mwendwa on Friday, the day after the sports ministry announced that a caretaker committee would run the federation for six months while authorities investigate allegations of financial irregularities during his tenure.

There is concern that the move could have broader implications for Kenyan football. World soccer’s governing body FIFA has previously suspended countries, including Kenya, for government interference in a national football body.

Mwendwa’s bail was set at 4 million Kenyan shillings ($35,700).

“Over the past few years, the Football Kenya Federation has faced several governance issues that have been of great concern to the ministry,” sports minister Amina Mohamed said last week.

The FKF, Mohamed said, had failed to account for all of the public funds that had been allocated to it and failed to disclose financial assistance received from other sponsors.

Neither FIFA nor the FKF immediately responded to requests for comment.

Police will continue their investigation into the allegations, which they said include “fictitious” money transfers and withdrawals, while Mwendwa is on bail.

“From the documents we have seen, this appears to be a witch-hunt,” Erick Mutua, one of Mwendwa’s lawyers, told newsmen. No evidence indicating financial mismanagement or theft of funds had been shown, Mutua said.

Lagos judicial panel proposes renaming of Lekki Toll Plaza to #EndSARS Tollgate

Henry Williams
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Lagos judicial panel proposes renaming of Lekki Toll Plaza to #EndSARS Tollgate

The Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Monday submitted its reports on the cases of killing and assault by security personnel during October 2020 #EndSARS protest.

The report contained a list of recommendations for implementation to the Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Some of the recommendations by the panel include the designation of the Lekki Toll Plaza where young Nigerians were killed while waving the Nigerian flag and national anthem as a memorial site for the #EndSARS protest and renaming the plaza as #EndSARS Tollgate.

Panel says Nigerian troops massacred #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate

Henry Williams
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Panel says Nigerian troops massacred #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate

A judicial panel set up by the Lagos State Government in the wake of the #EndSARS protest that grounded the state in October 2020 said in a report it submitted to the government on Monday said that Nigerian troops massacred protesters.

Nigerian troops on the evening of October 20, 2020, arrived at the Lekki toll plaza to disperse unarmed protesters, largely young people, who were protesting against police brutality. Nigerian Army said it was invited to the location by the state.

But what followed, though disputed by the government, was described by witnesses and right organisations as a “massacre”

Amnesty International insisted that its investigations showed that officials of the Nigerian Army and police killed at least 12 people that evening at two locations – Lekki and Alausa – the same day.

Five die, others injured in Lagos gas explosion

Henry Williams
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Five die, others injured in Lagos gas explosion

In an update on the kpapa Ajao gas explosion in Ladipo, Lagos south west Nigeria.

The director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye said the incident was reported at 08:42 am via the State emergency reporting platform and was responded to by a combination of the State first and secondary responders.

Adesye said on arrival at the scene, it was discovered that it is an open space used for several activities including a beer parlour, mechanic workshop, spare parts sale and gas shop amongst others while housing a makeshift structure.

Preliminary investigations to establish the fact of the incident continue and further discovery will be made public.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles seek World Cup playoff slot

Henry Williams
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Nigeria’s Super Eagles seek World Cup playoff slot

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr declared yesterday that today’s Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier against the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde would be ‘total war.’

Nigeria tops Group C with 12 points, while Cape Verde is second with 10 points.

Rohr, already, has instructed the players to go all out against the Sharks today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

He said the Eagles need to redeem their image that was battered by the Central African Republic CAR in Lagos.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference yesterday at the Eko Hotel camp of the Super Eagles, Rohr said the Cape Verdeans are hungry and desperate for a win in order to qualify for the play-off. The Super Eagles need just a draw to advance.

Group urges NNPC to sanction petrol hoarders

Henry Williams
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Group urges NNPC to sanction petrol hoarders

PMB Oil and Gas Progress has alleged that some petroleum marketers are planning to create artificial petrol scarcity in the country ahead of the Yuletide, calling on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to sanction the culprits.

The group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mallam Sabiu Abdullahi, yesterday, expressed concern over alleged attempts by some petroleum marketers to hoard over 90 million litres of petrol, to be sold at exorbitant prices during the festivities

The group called on the NNPC management not to be lenient with any marketer found guilty of creating artificial scarcity.

Libya prosecutor opposes Gaddafi’s presidential bid

Henry Williams
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Libya prosecutor opposes Gaddafi’s presidential bid

Libya’s military prosecutor, Mohamed Gharouda, has asked the electoral body to halt processing the paperwork for the presidential candidacy of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the country’s late ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

The prosecutor also asked that the paperwork for warlord Khalifa Haftar – who is also seeking the presidency – be suspended.

The electoral commission on Sunday said that Mr Gaddafi had submitted the necessary documents as a presidential candidate in the elections set for next month.

But in a letter to the electoral commission, Mr Gharouda warned that the commission would be held responsible for consequences if the processing of the paperwork was not halted.

Inflation ‘decelerates’, defies market reality

Henry Williams
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Inflation ‘decelerates’, defies market reality

Again, the October inflation rate defied market reality as data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), yesterday, showed prices of goods and services have continued to increase at a slower rate.

Amid escalating prices, the October Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of goods and services, showed inflation decelerated to 15.99 per cent (year-on-year) in October 2021 as against 16.63 per cent recorded in September.

According to NBS, the inflation rate has decelerated for seven straight months, a rare trend in recent history. The headline inflation, driven by soaring food prices, had accelerated consistently for about three years, hitting 18.17 per cent in March. Since April, the rise in inflation has been slower, according to NBS statistics.

Group threatens to occupy CBN for seven days over exchange rate

Henry Williams
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Group threatens to occupy CBN for seven days over exchange rate

Nigeria youths under the auspices of Nigerian Youth Initiative for Good Governance (NYIGG) have vowed to mobilise Nigeria masses to occupy the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to relieve the governor, Godwin Emefiele, of his duties within seven days.

According to the Convener / National Coordinator, NYIGG, Engr, Adeyemi Lukman, the inconsistent and poor monetary and fiscal policies of the CBN was solely responsible for the sky-rocketed prices of commodities in the market which he noted is almost going above the reach of the masses.

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