Tag: ICT

Anyone Caught With Fake Certificate Will Be Prosecuted – NYSC DG

A file photo of corps members

 

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has vowed to prosecute any corp member that presents fake results or certificate for enrolment into the scheme.

Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim disclosed this on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja.

The DG lamented over the rising spate of fake corps members and threatened to blacklist any institution that engages in the presentation of unqualified persons for mobilisation into the scheme.

READ ALSO: FG Condemns Killing Of Nigerian Pastor In China, Demands Investigation

He also lauded the use of innovation in fishing out those with fake results and certificates.

“The deployment of ICT solutions in the NYSC formulation process and existing collaboration with WAEC and JAMB have enhanced the integrity of the process and reduced the incidents of fake corps members.

“However, this is threatened by the presentation of unqualified persons for mobilisation by some corrupt institutions for mobilisation into the scheme.

“We have discovered in recent times that unscrupulous individuals now present fake results sourced mostly from foreign institutions, particularly in West Africa for mobilisation into the scheme.

“Let me repeat our warning that anybody who presents fake certificate in any attempt to get mobilised for service will be handed over to security agencies for prosecution,” he said.

Ibrahim added that anybody involved in the presentation of fake results and certificates for enrolment into the scheme will face a minimum of two years jail term.

According to him, one of the major objectives of the scheme is to instil discipline in Nigerian youths.

He also disclosed that since 1973, inception of NYSC, 4,644,804 Nigerians have participated in the scheme.

INEC Denies Rumoured Resignation Of ICT Director

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied speculations that its Director in charge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Mr Chidi Nwafor has resigned.

INEC on its Twitter handle, asked Nigerians to disregard the rumour, adding that Mr Nwafor only just returned from South Africa where he went to represent the commission at an event.

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“The rumour circulating that our Director ICT, Engr. Chidi Nwafor has resigned is totally false and should be disregarded.

“The Director and another staff have just returned from South Africa where they represented INEC at the high-level 5th Annual Meeting of ID4Africa Movement in Johannesburg (18 – 20 June 2019).

“Neither he nor any senior staff has resigned his appointment or indicated such intention, since the elections,” the tweet read.

Nigeria, China To Sign $328m Agreement On ICT

Nigeria, China To Sign $328m Agreement On ICT

 

Nigeria will sign an agreement on the National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone Phase II (NICTIB II) with China.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari arrived in Beijing, the Chinese capital.

Mr Shehu said during the six-day official visit, President Buhari will join his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to witness the signing of the agreement between Galaxy Backbone Limited and Huawei Technologies Limited (HUAWEI) at the cost of $328m facilities provided by the Chinese EXIM Bank.

He explained that the bank facility is for the development of NICTIB II project which is consistent with the Buhari administration’s commitment to incorporating the development of ICT into national strategic planning under the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

President Buhari who is in China to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is also expected to witness the signing of the MOU on One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR), alongside Mr Jinping.

According to the statement, the Chinese leader had proposed the initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road in 2013, with a view to integrating the development strategies of partnering countries.

During the High-Level Dialogue between Chinese and African Leaders and Business representatives on the margins of FOCAC, the Nigerian delegation is expected to sign no fewer than 25 MOUs.

They included those proposed by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

On his arrival at Capital International Airport in Beijing, President Buhari was received by top Chinese government officials, including the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Zhou Pingjian.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Baba Jidda, and his wife, Zahra; the Deputy Chief of Mission, Ambassador Bakori Aliyu Usman; Consular-General of Nigeria in Guangzhou, Shairudeen Oloko; Consular-General of Nigeria in Shanghai, Anderson Madubuike; and Defence Attaché, Brigadier General Temitope Ademola, were also among those who received the President.

President Buhari is expected to hold a meeting with Nigerians living in China on Sunday.

This meeting comes one day to the kick-off of FOCAC, when President Buhari will join Mr Jinping and other African leaders for roundtable sessions which will essentially discuss the report of FOCAC since the 2015 Johannesburg Summit, including the implementation of the “Ten Cooperation Plans” adopted at the last meeting.

The Summit is also expected to adopt the Beijing Declaration and the Action Plan for the development of China-Africa cooperation, and fashion out new opportunities to grow Nigeria-China comprehensive strategic partnership from 2019 to 2021.

Osun Government Establishes Digital Village, To Train 1,000 Youths

 Fire Wreaks Havoc At FRCN Station In Osun

 

The Osun State government has established a digital village and is set to train 1,000 youths on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The digital village is named Osun Coding Academy and is aimed at making the state an Information Technology hub of Nigeria.

The Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology in the state, Remi Omowaiye said this on Friday, during the inauguration of the e-Learning centers in Ikire, Ikirun, Ede, Ilesa and Ila areas of the state.

The 1,000 youths which will be trained are selected from five communities in the state. Five centers out of nine centers of the digital village have been approved by the state government and are fully equipped by ATC Nigeria.

READ ALSO: President Buhari To Visit Netherlands

Omowaiye said that the digital village is constructed and equipped by ATC Nigeria with the support of the state government to offer intensive computer and software programming for the youths.

He added that the centers will subsequently be extended to other communities with the help of ATC Nigeria.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by Senator Mudasiru Hussein at the inauguration commended ATC Nigeria for supporting the state government in delivering the project to the youths.

Osinbajo To Woo Hollywood, ICT Investors In U.S.

We Must Create Opportunities For Young People – Osinbajo
File photo: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

 

 

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will be meeting with investors in Hollywood and the Information Technology sector in Los Angeles, California.

The meeting is expected to hold from Monday till Wednesday.

He will lead a public-private investment roadshow at the Silicon Valley in the United State, where he will also use the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders.

A statement from the Vice President’s office explains that the roadshow is designed to showcase the continued improvement in Nigeria’s business environment.

The Vice President be joined by members of the recently-inaugurated Advisory Group on technology and creativity, an integral part of the National Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council.

We Want To Make Nigeria Leading Exporter Of ICT Hardware In Africa – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration is committed to making Nigeria an export hub for Information Communication Technology (ICT) hardware in Africa.

The President said ICT is strategic in driving productivity and efficiency in all sectors of the economy and his administration is currently leveraging on this to increase productivity.

He said this during the commencement of the 2017 e-Nigeria Conference organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), at the International Conference Centre, in Abuja.

READ ALSO: Buhari Opens e-Nigeria Technology Conference, Exhibition In Abuja

Buhari said Nigeria as the most populous country in Africa can achieve the purpose of creating jobs for youths, and enhance the quality of locally produced infrastructure in the country by harnessing ICT.

“As the most populous country in Africa, there are huge opportunities for ICT manufacturing in Nigeria. This, when harnessed, will provide job opportunities for our teeming youths, enhance the quality of locally produced infrastructure, reduce the cost of acquisition and increase government revenue.

“There is, therefore, the need for deliberate efforts, both from the government as well as the private sector to see to the realisation of this. I urge you to come up with viable recommendations on how we can make the country an export hub for ICT hardware in Africa,” he said.

He expressed the administration’s “commitment and the strong belief in using ICT as a major driver of our developmental governance and economic reform plans aimed at bringing about the true change we promised our people.”

Buhari said ICT is strategic in driving productivity and efficiency in all sectors of the economy and currently, almost all sectors of our economy leverage on ICT to increase efficiency, productivity and performance.

“About 80% of ICT hardware purchases are imported through local distributors of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) by MDAs and other government establishments.

“This makes it difficult for us to benefit from the dividends of continuous procurement and consumption of ICT infrastructure and limited value retention within the country,” he said.

He stated the areas in which ICT has been harnessed to include the introduction of IPPIS and BVN in the country.

Another initiative leveraging on ICT and making huge impact on the economy is the introduction of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and Bank Verification Number (BVN). Its implementation has helped to eliminate the menace of ghost workers thereby reducing waste in the system by saving the government over N20 billion monthly.

200 Youths To Participate In Ooni Of Ife’s ICT Programme

About 200 youths have been selected to participate in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) empowerment programme of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye, Enitan Ogunwusi.

At the economic summit held in Ile-Ife, Osun State, the Ooni said the training was aimed at reducing the high rate of youth unemployment.

He, therefore, urged every Nigerian youth to take advantage of the many opportunities in ICT.

The 200 youths selected from across the state will be trained in various fields of ICT.

The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu also disclosed at the event that a University of Information, Communication and Technology will soon be established in Nigeria.

Anambra Trains 160 Immigration Officers In ICT

Photo: immigration.gov.ng

One hundred and sixty officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Anambra State Command, have participated in a continuous Capacity Building Training on Information Communication Technology (ICT) organised by the command in Awka.

According to the State Immigration Comptroller, Mr Ekpedeme King, the programme became necessary after a careful evaluation of the urgency to cut into the Presidential Executive Order on the ease of doing business in Nigeria with a follow up order by the Comptroller General of Immigration that all officers must have the requisite competence to efficiently deliver services to end users of the Immigration facilities within the time frame as stipulated in the Presidential mandate.

He disclosed that ICT will play a vital role in data collection, storage, analysis and in control and monitoring of migrants but most importantly will eliminate bureaucratic delays that have been detrimental to prompt action and efficient service delivery in NIS.

“The Comptroller General has insisted that all officers must improve their ICT skills because it is with this competence that we can deliver service. With the administration of service, we have now in Abuja, we will definitely continue to see a difference in Immigration Service, a Service that is oriented, and a Service that is determined to meet the expectations of Nigerians.”

The Secretary to the State Government represented by the Permanent Secretary to the Office of the SSG, Mr Dan Ezeanwu, who flags off the training programme urges the participants to see the training as an overall strategic plan to completely overhaul the service and ensure institutional relevance and excellence.

FG To Build ICT University

FG To Build ICT UniversityThe Federal Government is planning to build a specialised university that will address the existing knowledge gap in its Information and Communication Technology sector.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Adebayo Shittu, disclosed this to reporters on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Mr Shittu explained that if established, the institution would reduce the number of foreigners who currently manage critical parts of the nation’s ICT sector.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Sonny Echono, was also hopeful that the specialised institution would enable Nigerians to take full charge of the sector.

On his part, the immediate past Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Julius Okonji, said the university would help Nigeria improve in the area of research and development.

The ICT University if established will be first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa as there is currently no university on the continent that is fully dedicated to ICT.

There are however ICT institutions in other parts of the world such as the University of Information Technology in India, I.T. University of Gutenberg in Sweden, and the Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications in China.

Some experts have described the ICT sector as the fastest growing sector of Nigeria’s economy.

While the sector has continued to grow since the privatisation exercise, the Ministry of Communications decries the knowledge gap that continues to widen in the sector.

African Leaders See ICT As Solution To Youth Unemployment

African leaders at the Transform Africa Summit 2017 have identified ICT as the next big thing and ultimately, the solution to youth unemployment in the continent.

The summit, taking place in Kigali the Rwandan capital, brought together various leaders who have unanimously agreed to make youth employment a priority.

From a seven-country alliance in 2013 to an 18-member state in the Smart Africa Alliance today, the idea is to leverage technology in building city systems, economies, energy and transportation geared towards connecting, innovating and ultimately transforming the continent into a Knowledge based economy.

Having identified the enormous potentials of ICT, the leaders have also agreed that no substantial development can be achieved without full cooperation from the African states.

Deputy Speaker, Lasun Empowers 150 Youths In ICT Training

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honorable Yusuf Sulaimon Lasun,

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honorable Yusuf Sulaimon Lasun, has distributed about 150 laptops and printers to people of his constituency in Osogbo. 

The items are for those who graduated from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training programme, to help enhance their skills in ICT.

He affirmed that without productive engagement of about 45million Nigerians, the country’s economy will remain stagnant .

The programme tagged: “ICT Training Programme on Desktop Publishing, National Information Technology and Development Agency”, was held for youths of Olorunda, Osogbo and Orolu Federal Constituency.

Hon. Yusuf presenting certificate to one of the ICT graduating student.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the lawmaker, “Development of any nation largely predicates on the level of growth in its ICT.

“With nature of composition of the Nigerian nation-state, which is heterogeneous in content, more Nigerians need to acquire more skills and be productively engaged.

“Development encompasses growth in ICT, we need a knowledge based society to make our economy strong and viably sustainable.

“An individual who is educated with skills has the hope of a better future, and at the long run contributes immensely to the economy.

“I put up the programme to make every participant create an independent national economy, not in theory but in practical.

“By the scientific education acquired through the training, they would be able to contribute successfully to the construction of an independent national economy by the shortest possible route.

“With acquisition of this knowledge, I believe this has opened the way for the development of our national economy and set as the central task, the preparation of material and technical conditions to equip all sectors of the people’s economy with modern techniques.

“Knowledge is what is lacking in Nigeria, that makes life so difficult for many Nigerians, and you know, acquisition of knowledge is not limited to the four walls of classroom, you learn squarely”, Hon. Yusuf said.

The lawmaker who described ICT knowledge in any given society as inevitable, argued that any society that lacks it would be in perpetual retrogression in terms of self-reliance.

The Deputy Speaker, however, charged all and sundry not to regard learning of computer as something mysterious but master it to transform their immediate environments.

He stated that everyone must be brought up to be computer literate so they could become wizards and grow into invincible revolutionaries to overcome every difficulty and break through every bottleneck, fearing nothing technologically.

The lawmaker, therefore, charged youths in the country to be dynamic and computer literate, to be able to fit in to the current technological world of rapid development.

Google, Oyo Govt. To Train 30,000 Students On ICT

Google, Oyo Govt. To Train 30,000 Students On ICTThe Oyo State Government, has collaborated with Google to train 30,000 secondary school students on digital media across the 33 Local Government Areas and the 35 Local Development Council Areas (LCDAs) of the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, said on Wednesday, that the initiative was in line with the OYSG Digital Advocacy Drive.

Consequently, he reiterated the vision of Governor Abiola Ajimobi to make Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the bedrock of learning.

He stated that the pilot sessions of the programme commenced on Thursday, February 16, 2017 at St. Patrick Grammar School, Basorun, Immanuel College, UI and Loyola College, Ibadan.

He also added that another round of sessions would hold on Thursday March 2, 2017 at Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan, Oba Abass Alesiloye Secondary School, Eleyele and Lagelu Grammar School, Agugu, Ibadan.

Arulogun further stated that subsequent training of secondary school students will continue across eight zones of the state which include: Ibadan City, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Irepo, Saki, Kajola and Ibarapa after assessment and evaluation of the pilot sessions.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on ICT, Mr Niyi Ajao, in his remarks at the pilot session explained that the governor considered ICT as a prerequisite skill for students in an increasingly competitive digital economy.

He also noted that the office of the Special Adviser (ICT) and the Ministry of Education have identified centers for the training of the 30,000 secondary school students.

In a related development, Mr Arulogun said that digital technology has a lot of potentials and that the future of the country is bright with the increasing trend of internet connectivity.

The commissioner, while speaking at the launch of a free wireless service by Flobyt Nigeria in Lagos recently, had urged the founders of the initiative not to relent in their efforts to democratise internet usage in the country.