By Sylvester Thompson

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has expressed commitment to encourage more female participation in Nigeria’s engineering sector.

Its Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Khalil Halilu, said this on Friday at the launch of Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her), in Abuja.

Halilu described the initiative as an opportunity platform through which girls and young women could pitch and present their exciting and ground breaking ideas for funding.

He disclosed that the agency would fund the project through its Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT).

“ What we seek to do is to close the gender gap in engineering, inspire the next generation, provide financial support for new ideas and projects, as well as strengthen the entire engineering ecosystem.”

He noted that global average for female representation in engineering was 28 per cent, which was very little.

“In Nigeria, it’s only five per cent, only one in 20 Nigerian engineers is a woman.

“ It is this imbalance that DELT-Her seeks to correct, by focusing attention and funding on young women.

” Very importantly, creating and cultivating public awareness around the need to train and mentor more women, ” he said.

Halilu said that through DELT-Her, the agency intended to double the number of female engineers in Nigeria over the next five years.

According to him, NASENI will contribute to the economic growth and development of Nigeria through job creation and technical skills development.

In his remarks, Dr Muhammad Dahiru, Chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), said the initiative was a call for proposals towards the implementation of DELT-Her initiative.

“It is no coincidence that the launch is scheduled to be held on the anniversary celebration of the International Women’s Day.

“It is to underscore the esteem attributed to the contributions of women as well as their potentials in our society, ” Dahiru said.

He said that the committee threw its weight of support behind women through the DELT-Her project.

He said that the project focused on encouraging more female participation in Nigeria’s engineering sector.

Dahiru noted statistics revealed the dire need for deliberate actions to be targeted at the existing gender imbalance in the engineering sector, to inspire inclusion while contributing to the nation’s GDP..

He maintained that the committee through NASENI’s support, was determined to fund innovative and commercially viable ideas in engineering and technology proposals by women.

He said to actualise the birth of multiple start-up companies from ideas selected under the project, each successful applicant would be matched with female mentors who are industry giants both in engineering and business.

According to him, the submission portal for proposals will go live from March 9 and proposals will be accepted till May 20, when submissions close.

Also, Mrs Margaret Oguntola, President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), said the initiative was a pivotal moment in the collective efforts to foster gender inclusion and empower women in the field of engineering.

She said women remained significantly under-represented in the engineering workforce, facing barriers and challenges that hindered their full participation and advancement in the field.

Similarly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, lauded the project as lofty and germane.

“ We must ensure cultural balance that women take their rightful places in the area of science and technology.

“ The right environment should be created for women to excel, ” Onyewuchi said. (NAN)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

QNET, a multinational wellness company, has unveiled its research findings focused on restructuring water to empower governments in formulating informed policies.

The study, titled “Structured Water and Its Biological Effects Study,” utilised the company’s product, Amezcua Bio Disc 3.

During the public presentation in Abuja, Mr Trevor Kuna, QNET’s Chief Transformation and Reputation Officer, emphasised the pioneering nature of the research, conducted at Covenant University in Ogun State.

The Amezcua Bio Disc 3, a technology featuring an engineered glass disc embedded with minerals, was employed to restructure water.

Kuna highlighted the disc’s ability to make water more bioavailable in the human body, enhancing hydration and energy levels.

Stressing the importance of water in the body, he explained that the study aimed to provide valuable insights for healthier and more sustainable living.

“The study examined various physiochemical properties and microbial aspects of different water samples structured with the Amezcua Bio Disc 3,” Kuna stated.

Results indicated a statistically significant positive impact of structured water compared to non-structured water, supporting the company’s commitment to research and development.

Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University and a member of QNET’s Scientific Council, conducted the study.

He emphasised the safety of drinking water structured with the Amezcua Bio Disc, presenting objectives that included evaluating physiochemical composition alterations in water samples.

The study involved eight water sources, such as rainwater, sachet water, bottled water, and borehole water.

Adebayo underscored the importance of restructuring water for better hydration, revealing discoveries related to pH levels and alkalinity.

“Structuring your water allows for better hydration for the optimisation of about 30 trillion human cells, and anything that contains water can be structured with Amezcua Bio Disc 3,” Adebayo explained.

Certified by regulatory bodies like NAFDAC, QNET’s products, as highlighted by Adebayo, contribute to national development by promoting wellness through enlightening the public.

The research findings add a new dimension to the discourse on water quality and its impact on human health. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ayodeji Alabi and Abiemwense Moru

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

QNET, a multi- national, wellness and lifestyle company, has commenced training of its business representatives and marketers on new business models aimed at empowering them for economic reliance.

The ongoing four-day training which marks the launch of 2024 QNET’s V-Africa conference in Abuja was targeted at enhancing the skills of the marketers in sub Saharan Africa.

Mr Trevor Kuna, Chief Transformation and Reputation Officer of QNET, while speaking on the sidelines of the training launch, said they used direct selling business model to empower distributors.

Kuna said the approach, which was powered by e-commerce, required that the marketers learnt the skills which would offer their customers a wide range of products and services.

“The participants, especially, top distributors were drawn from across Sub-Saharan Africa to learn how to manage and grow their QNET business in a more professional and sustainable way.

“They come to learn about all the products we offer, how they can earn money from the business.

“So the four- day training is about personal development, understanding how to run and grow your business in Sub-Saharan Africa, and how to make it grow for the long term”, he said.

Kuna explained that having being around for the past 25 years and holding their conferences in Malaysia, it was time to reach out to more customers in Africa, hence the conference in Nigeria.

According to him, QNET, with headquarter in Hong Kong, with customers in nearly 100 countries, have empowered millions of people with over 2,000 independent representatives across Africa.

“The company offers unique, premium-quality items that cater to diverse needs, ranging from health and nutrition, personal care, to home and living, travel and luxury, and education.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Some of the products displayed at the V-Africa conference were HomePure Water Filter, Bernhard H. Mayer Wristwatches, Kenta natural anti-aging formula, Qalive men formula, Physio Radiance among others.

NAN also reports the 2024 V-Africa conference and training which is on-going at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, brought together network marketing experts, business leaders, entrepreneurs in Nigeria and across Sub-Saharan Africa. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Gabriel Yough

By Sylvester Thompson

The Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, has assured Nigerians of availability of nutritional milk through its long term genomic transformation of Dairy Cattle Project.

Mustapha gave the assurance on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while giving an update on the project in Abuja.

NAN reports that NABDA in collaboration with Brazil, milk producing industries in the country is carrying out the project.

The director-general, who said the project was ongoing, added that Chief Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology was taking it seriously.

“We have reached a stage where we are waiting to see government’s intervention and we are optimistic that this intervention will come soon.

“This is because we are hoping to transform the numerous cows that we have, to be producing milk for the country,’’ he said.

Mustapha recalled that the genomic transformation of Nigerian dairy cattle for milk and meat project, embarked upon by the agency, was three years old.

He explained that the project would transform the Nigerian diary industry, where it would be possible to get many litres of milk per cow.

“We started with the first generation and have inseminated another set of dams who have now conceived and hopefully, in the next six months, we will analyse them,’’ the director-general said.

He said that the first cubs consisting male and female were recently analysed using genomic sequencing, in order to understand the characters they had taken from the parents.

He said the target was to determine and distinguish the character of dairy production, after inseminating the local ones with another breed.

He added that the quantity of litres they hoped to get was what they were particular about.

According to him, with adequate funding, we hope to beat Brazil’s 25- year record which it took to transform its dairy cattle, producing 40 litres of milk per cow.

He said if it took Brazil about 25 years to transform their cattle, Nigeria would endeavour to break that record using between 15 to 20 years.

“It’s not something to start today and finish today, but with our determination, hard work and those involved in research.

“Also, with the commitment of this government for food and nutrition security, we hope that this is going to be significant,’’ Mustapha said.

According to him, when the dairy cattle transformation project is achieved, Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief in access and availability of nutritional milk.

He said with the food security agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the commitment of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and backing from the present administration, NABDA would do more in 2024.

According to him, Nigeria will have no business importing milk after the project becomes successful. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab
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By Jessica Dogo

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has announced the commencement and selection of 270,000 Fellows for the second phase of three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative.

Tijani made the announcement virtually in Abuja.

He said that the initiative was set to position Nigeria as a net-exporter of talents.

Tijani said that the 3MTT second phase would train a total of 270,000 Fellows bringing it to 10 per cent after the first 30,000.

He added that the initiative had so far attracted about 1.8 million registrations from intended trainees in the 774 Local Governments across Nigeria.

According to Tijani, the launch of the second cohort was for the pilot phase of the programme.

“Our 270,000 new Fellows will have the opportunity to go through their courses in the next 12 to 18 months, and the goal here is to continue to provide them with cutting-edge content.

“This will make them learn at their own pace and also link them up to physical learning locations close to where they live.

“As we continue to build out these opportunities, our goal is to support our people to ensure that we can give them the skill set that they require to participate in the global digital economy.

“We understand that as we empower them, we will end up strengthening our ability to defend our GDP as a country.

“To defend the complexity of our economy, as well as ensure that we continue to drive the growth that we want to see in our beloved country,” he said.

The minister disclosed that the ministry was engaging with partners to provide support for fellows who may choose to start technology-focused businesses after their training.

Tijani said, “As we continue interacting, we are working with partners to ensure those who want to go the route of entrepreneurship can be supported to kick off their small businesses to start their technology start-ups.

“Hopefully it will help create a solution to many of the problems that we face in the country that technology can help address.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 3MTT initiative was launched in November 2023 is to empower Nigerians with critical digital skills.

It is the largest talent accelerator in the world targeted at driving effective and efficient use of technology to transform government services and creating workforce that can deepen the application of technology across critical sectors. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Bashir Rabe Mani

By Jessica Dogo

Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), has emphasised that Nigeria is slated to require $4 billion for a full transition to green energy by the 2050.

Abdullahi stated this at a press conference on Clean, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency use in Nigeria in Abuja on Friday.

He said the commission had been in consultation with some firms to invest in Nigeria’s renewable energy sector.

”No country relies totally on its own resources to build renewable energy plants, they make the environment conducive for investors to move in.

”As a commission, we are making policies that will attract investments in renewable energy generation,” he said.

Abdullahi said that the commission had been allocated 500 hectares of land by the Federal Capital Development Authority.

”We call it the Abuja Technology Village, We intend to make it a Tech city where investors will come and build several solar plants and renewable energy  plants,” he said.

The director-general said that promoting energy efficiency practices and adopting sustainable energy sources were critical to the campaign against climate change.

He said that the commission would intensify public awareness campaigns about the benefits of clean and renewable energy sources.

”Our job is to promote energy efficiency measures to reduce energy consumption, lower costs and minimise environmental impacts.

”We also encourage investments in renewable energy projects and technologies to diversify the energy mix and drive sustainable development,” Abdullahi said.

He said it was also part of the commission’s duty to engage with community and local government authorities to adopt practical solutions for clean energy and energy conservation.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Azubuike Okeh/Bashir Rabe Mani

By Jessica Dogo

Mr Khalil Halilu, the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) says its branded products will be ready by second quarter 2024.

Halilu stated this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by NASENI’s Director of Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan.

The CEO said this when members of Senate Committee on NASENI, chaired by Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, paid an oversight function visit to NASENI Headquarters, Abuja.

He said that the agency was establishing a Technology Transfer Hub within its headquarters to bring eco-friendly technologies closer to people and to make it affordable on short and long term basis.

“We promised Nigerians that by the first quarter of this year, they are going to be seeing NASENI products and today, you have witnessed three products.

“The solar irrigation system, which is like a generator, but completely solar and batteries and the second one is our electronic motorcycle and tricycle.

“The last one being the solar home system where you can power your entire house off-grid,” NASENI boss said.

According to him, Nigerians will soon start seeing NASENI branded products in our efforts to build a national brand for the country.

“Of course, if you are doing commercial viable products, they have to be affordable to the common man and very soon, you will start seeing them in the market,” Halilu said.

Earlier, the Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Onyewuchi, commended the agency for championing local content development of solar-powered smart irrigation, tricycles, electric motorbikes with accelerated technology transfer.

According to the lawmaker, the committee is quite pleased with the level of progress and we want to assure NASENI of the support of the National Assembly.

“To make sure that the agency drives effectively the vision of this administration in this area and I want to also thank NASENI management for making Nigeria go green, moving from fuel to non-fossil products.

“It is quite commendable. We are pleased and we want to encourage you to do more,” Onyewuchi said.

He said that with the NASENI home solar and the electric bikes owners, local businesses would be enhanced.

According to him, if NASENI solar system is mass produced, Nigerian economy will improve and urban and rural areas power challenges will be overcome.

Other products inspected included animal feed processing machines and NASENI transformers, as well as the NASENI home and irrigation solar systems.

Present at the oversight function visit were Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Aminu Abbas, Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Sen. Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo.

Members of the Senate Committee on NASENI, were Sen. David Jimkura, Sen. Sharafadeen Alli and Sen. Abdullaziz Yar’Adua. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

By Olasunkanmi Onifade

The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd. says its accelerator programme will foster innovation within the Nigerian space and satellite industry.

The Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Mrs Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, said this in Abuja on Thursday at the Unveiling of the Accelerator Programme with the theme “Fostering Innovation in Satellite Technology”

Egerton-Idehen said that the programme spanning 24 weeks would empower and propel Nigerian youths.

According to her, it will pioneer start-ups, space enthusiasts, and early-stage companies into the burgeoning space-tech realm.

She said the programme would provide a unique blend of mentorship, networking, and exposure, adding that it would catapult selected startups onto the global stage.

Egerton-Idehen outlined the key stages of the programme which included the sandbox environment, mentorship and check-in sessions, strategic growth support, visibility, market access, and the wrap-up.

Emphasising a win-win situation for all stakeholders, she highlighted the programme’s potential to position NIGCOMSAT as a key player in fostering innovation in the satellite industry.

According to her, it is also providing start-ups with market-fit products and access to national and global markets.

Egerton-Idehen expressed gratitude to the esteemed evaluators, mentors, and partners for their pivotal roles in shaping the programme.

She urged participants and stakeholders to move forward with enthusiasm, collaboration, and a shared commitment to advancing the frontiers of space technology.

In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Benjamin Kalu, said the theme of the programme titled “Fostering Innovation in Satellite Technology”, signified a giant leap forward for Nigeria’s technological advancement and economic diversification.

Kalu was represented by Dr Cliff Ogbede, Special Assistant on Special Duties to the Deputy Speaker.

He said, “Nigeria stands on the brink of unlocking the vast potential of satellite technology, envisioning its impact not only on communication and connectivity but also on various applications influencing every aspect of daily life.”

According to him, the unveiling of the accelerator programme aligns seamlessly with the government’s steadfast commitment to fostering innovation and supporting indigenous capacity building.

The deputy speaker said the programme would go a long way in nurturing talents and providing them with essential resources and mentorship.

He commended NIGCOMSAT for initiating the programme, saying that such initiative helped in enhancing technological advancement. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab