Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha,NABDA D-G(middle), Ms Sophia Mbakwe,MD,NNPC EnServe(right) and Dr Chbihi Driss, CEO, Rahad Global(left)

By Sylvester Thompson

The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Rahad Global Investment Ltd and NNPC Energy Services Ltd on Thursday signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).

The MoU and MoA signed in Abuja by the three bodies will see them partnering to utilise biotechnology to solve perennial problems in Nigeria’s upstream and downstream petroleum industry.

NABDA, Rahad and NNPC-EnServe formed this partnership for the application of biotechnology tools in oil tank farm cleaning, crude oil, paraffin recovery and remediation of oil-contaminated soil.

While speaking on the development, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, the NABDA Director-General, said utilising biotechnology tools to solve problems in the petroleum industry sector.

He added that it was part of the measures to enhance economic rejuvenation and environmental sustainability.

“NABDA is saddled with the responsibility of application of biotechnology in the country.

“There are NABDA researchers working with Rahad Global Investments to bring out this technology, while the NNPC Energy Services (EnServe) is responsible for the implementation,” Mustapha told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He disclosed that the NNPC was the custodian of the tank farm, the oil exploration, among others, and therefore the necessity for the tripartite agreement.

“Through biotechnology application, the soil will be rejuvenated where the exploration has taken place and paraffin would be recovered, instead of destroying the environment where chemical was used.”

Mustapha added that the pact was made possible through their collective will of purpose.

”This enabled the partners to match their collective resolve and enthusiasm with the required level of administrative and technical support.

“It is this strong resolve and commitment that has enabled the tripartite team to attain this milestone which will formally kick-start the activities spelt out in the agreement.

“I am strongly convinced that if similar dedication and commitment shown so far are taken into the implementation stage, all planned activities under the Agreement would be achieved,’’ he said.

Ms Sophia Mbakwe, Managing Director of NNPC EnServe, said there were roles they would play to ensure that there was no harm to the environment.

She said the implementation was to ensure that remediation and cleaning of the tank farm was properly done according to the timeline that would be specified by the team.

Mbakwe noted that the activities spelt out in the agreement were a continuous process in order to enable them keep the environment safe and ensure zero harm to persons.

“It is also to ensure that the soil retained its richness as it was before. There is already a working technical team.

“With all partners involved, we will be the ones to ensure full implementation of all the processes.”

She recalled that NABDA’s MoA with Rahad was anchored on the back of the MoU signed on Oct. 20 in 2021 between Nigeria and Morocco for research and development of biotechnological products and processes.

“In the same vein, our tripartite MoA involving NABDA, Rahad and EnServe is designed to achieve the domestication, deployment, commercialisation of biotechnological tools in tank farm cleaning, crude oil and paraffin recovery, remediation of oil contaminated soils, among others.”

Earlier, Dr Chbihi Driss, CEO of Rahad Global Investment Ltd, said he was delighted to discover NABDA’s excellent capacity and mandate on biotechnology which gave their solutions a real chance.

Driss said this would allow Nigeria, the first African oil power, to be the first country to reduce by nearly 90 per cent the oil discharges which pollute soil and ground water.

He pointed out that Nigeria would be the first country to generalise the treatment of oil waste by non-polluting biotechnology on a national scale.

The CEO added that Nigeria would also gradually replace mechanical and chemical techniques which lead to a polluting discharge.

“This will create hundreds of jobs through the gradual domestication of this technology and generate significant revenue in Nigeria through bioremediation which is an integral part of the solution in this project.

“This income, jobs, depollution, bio and high technology package will make thuis project a showcase of technical mastery at the international level,’’ Driss said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

SET/OLAL

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By Joy Obanya

The Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) has underscored the need for students to embrace the study of mathematics to enjoy successful science-related careers.

The Managing Director of NTIC, Mr Feyzullah Bilgin, gave the advice in Abuja at the 20th Annual National Mathematics Competition (ANMC) for Primary 5, 6 and JSS3 students.

The competition was organised by NTIC in collaboration with the National Mathematical Centre (NMC) to promote the study of the subject.

“Mathematics is the key of all the science subjects and when a person is very good at maths, the person is going to be able to think abstractly and highly.

“The study of mathematics will help the student become successful in anything, including other subjects.

“In the past in Greece where philosophers were famous and active, they had an academia and at the gate was written: ‘no one can enter if you do not know mathematics’,” he said.

Bilgin advised students of the college to study very hard, so as to “become the best of the best.”

He also advised parents to always support their wards with relevant tools to enable them realise their dreams of studying Mathematics.

Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NMC, Prof. Promise Mebine, described mathematics as the language of science on which “the future is built”.

The D-G, represented by Prof. Jonathan Ogidi, Head of International Linkages and Advancement at the centre, said any nation that did not prioritise mathematics would have no future.

“Mathematics is important because it is a means of clothing the future; a nation that does not honour and respect mathematics has no future,” he said.

He therefore advised parents to invest in the education of their children, so as to prepare them for a responsible future.

“If the parents know what it takes to invest in the future of their children, especially education, it is not the material things you buy for them that should be your priority.

“It should be how to let your child have knowledge that will keep and help him or her to stand on their own in the near future, when you are no more to help them,” he said.

Mebine disclosed that NMC has developed a Digital Mathematics Network which would contain JSS 1 to JSS 3 curriculum in digital form, to enable students learn mathematics on the go.

Also speaking, Mr Henry Aniobi, a mathematics olympian, encouraged students to be focused while in school.

“As a student, you should be focused on learning and put in your best in all that you do because this is the beginning of your life path.

“As a math olympian, mathematical problem solving is an art. When solving a problem, you need to think creatively. Mathematics helps you think outside the box,” he said.

Aniobi congratulated the awardees and thanked NTIC and NMC for the initiative.

Nwakuche Chidubem, a pupil from Pyramid Learning Academy, Anambra, who emerged overall best, received a cash prize of N100,000, a computer set for the school and a 100 per cent scholarship to NTIC.

Amah Chibuike from Diamond Special School, Imo, who came second, received a cash prize of N75,000, a tablet for the school and full scholarship to study at NTIC.

Also, Mofiyinoluwa Joshua of St. Saviour’s School, Lagos State, who emerged third got N50,000, a printer and full scholarship to NTIC.

In the JSS category, Chukwunwike Ezebube of NTIC came tops and was recognised with a certificate. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

Prof. Agbaje Lateef, a Nanotechnology expert, says Nigeria generates lot of wastes from agricultural products that can be converted to valuable materials to boost the economy.

Lateef, Head of the Nanotechnology Research group (NANO+) domiciled in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

While evaluating wastes from groundnut in Nigeria, he recalled statistics that stated the country was the highest groundnut producer in Africa and 10th largest globally.

The expert explained that most times, groundnut was being produced and used for oil or for consumption which the shells and pods must had to be removed.

“Most often we eat the groundnut or sell to industries that use it to produce groundnut oil, in either of the two you have to remove the shell which covers the nut.

“These form a huge waste and you hardly find any valuable thing it is used for.

“In the concept of bio-economy, we want to see how we can use biological materials to contribute to the economy and we use the wastes generated in one way or the other.

“People have used the groundnut shell to produce bio-fuel, bio-diesel which is a renewable form of energy,” he said.

He explained that in places where the country had short supply of energy, large groundnut wastes and other agro wastes could serve as bio-fuel or diesel for the supply of energy, hence taking some communities off national grid.

The expert added that groundnut wastes could also be used to produce enzymes which were biological catalyst that drive a lot of bio-chemical reactions.

According to him, industrial materials can be produced from the wastes and ensure the reduction in pollution, emissions emanating from production processes.

“Eight different kind of enzymes have been produced using groundnut shell, it has been used to produce different kind of nanomaterials, antibiotics, single cell protein, animal feed.

“It has been used to produce organic acids, it can be converted to fertilizer and we also have it as adsorbents.

“When we look at this, it can serve as a viable industry itself using groundnut shell to drive so many materials,” Lateef said.

He recalled that countries like Malaysia built their economy around oil palm and they were doing well.

He further mentioned that Citric Acid was another material the country could produce in large quantity and reduce its capital flight.

Lateef said the country could deploy the bio-technology of black mold or fungus that largely grow on vast agro waste without supplementing it.

Lateef explained that Citric Acid majorly used in pharmaceutical industry and according to reports was being imported to the country with $30 million annually.

“If we can produce citric acid and reduce our import by 10 per cent, we can even save a lot of money,’’ he said.

He said that some of the group’s research works focused on microbial valorisation, whereby they used micro-organisms to convert waste materials to high end materials.

According to him, valorisation of agricultural waste as a country has economic value.

Lateef added that disposal of some of the agro wastes constitute pollution to the environment, whereas they could serve as substitutes, while some contain nutrients that could be utilised by some micro-organisms. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Jessica Dogo

Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN) is seeking to partner with Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on specialised and industry-specific trainings for Executives and Board of Directors in the telecom industry.

The President of SCGN, Mohammad Ahmad made this known when he led the organization leadership on a courtesy visit to NCC on Monday, in Abuja.

Ahmad, represented by Tijjani Borodo, a Director and fellow of the society, said that the NGO would also like to partner with the NCC in the area of capacity building initiatives for the sector.

“The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria would like to partner with the commission on capacity building initiatives for the sector and the organisations regulated by it.

“The society hereby expresses her interest to partner with the commission on Specialised and Industry-Specific Trainings for Executives, Board of Directors, and the Executive Management of organisations in the Telecommunications industry around Board Leadership, Governance and Sustainability.

“The society would like to express her interest in collaborating with the commission to sensitise and create awareness of the guidelines within the sector and organisations regulated by it.

“We can provide framework for compliance and reporting of the anticipated corporate governance guideline.”

Ahmad said that the partnership was to promote good corporate governance and foster best practices in the communications sector and in the country.

“We strongly believe that the partnership will strengthen the commission’s position as a promoter of good corporate governance and setting an example to other regulators as a champion of excellence and progress,” he said.

In his response, NCC’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, represented by the Executive Commissioner Stakeholders Management, Mr Adeleke Adewolu, said the visit was one of great importance for several reasons.

Danbatta said that the SCGN and the commission have had fruitful professional relationships, adding that the NGO was instrumental to the development of the telecommunications Industry Code of Corporate Governance issued by the NCC in 2014.

He said that it was a pioneer code, which was carefully designed to enhance governance in the Nigerian communications industry and which led to the development of similar instruments by other sectors.

Danbatta said NCC had commenced the development of guidelines for the communications sector, adding that members of the SCGN have been part of that process.

He said the NCC had recognised that critical elements of its statutory mandate can only be realised when sector players adhered to best corporate governance and ethical standards.

“This is why we pioneered the development of sectoral Corporate Governance Codes and this is why we insist on the highest possible governance and ethical standards for our licensees.

“This is also why we consider it of utmost importance to strengthen our relationship with stakeholders like the SCGN,”Danbatta said.

He said one of the most important strategies that the NCC had adopted was to harness stakeholder views in the development of its regulatory interventions.

Danbatta also said that SCGN, in its role as a frontline advocacy group for sound governance and ethical business conduct, had been a worthy partner of the commission.

He said that the commission looked forward to many more years of fruitful professional relationship with the SCGN and its members at large.

Mrs Chioma Mordi, Chief Executive Officer, SCGN, said that the NGO had corporate members who spread corporate governance across various sectors.

Mordi called on the NCC to be a part of the society for continuous access to information in corporate governance, both locally and internationally.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SCGN is committed to developing and promoting corporate governance’s best practices and business ethics founded by Prof. Fabian Ajogwu.

The society had collaborated with some institutions to develop sectorial corporate governance codes and guidelines, as well as organise capacity-building training for their sectors and industries. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Sylvester Thompson

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, the Director General of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said Nigeria recorded success through the genetic improvement of livestock for milk and meat production.

Mustapha said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

“We are successful in terms of inseminating the cows and now we are waiting for the first generation (F1) to be produced.

“These F1 are going to be genetically checked to see what characters they have taken,’’ he said.

The D-G said the success in terms of inseminating the cows and success in the area of maintaining the pregnancy were all recorded.

“Now, we’re just waiting for the delivery of the first generation cows in April and that is a success story, which means that Nigeria will have its first breed of these livestock.”

Mustapha expressed delight that the climatic condition the new breed of cattle were going to face would be normal and congenial to them.

He said that was because they had made sure that the semen used in inseminating the cows possessed similar characteristics with Nigeria’s condition.

He assured that harmonising the semen with Nigeria`s climatic condition had been taken care of, which was the major issue farmers faced with already developed variety of livestock imported into the country.

“So, in our own case, if we have done it to suit our climatic condition, it means that this is a success.

“What we are hoping to see is the character they have taken in producing the milk quantity.

“At least we are expecting 50 litres per cow a day and if we are lucky to have it, that also reflects success,” Mustapha said.

The NABDA boss hinted that their target was to inseminate 2,500 to 5,000 cows this year when they have the resources with the possibility of inseminating more than that.

He lamented that the basic challenge inhibiting insemination of this number of cows for productivity centered on resources.

He said with adequate resources, the project would continue as they would increase the number of cows to be inseminated.

“So, that is a success story and I’m glad you asked me this.”

Mustapha said the launching of the improved variety of livestock and cattle in the country would take place in April.

Responding to the immediate project embarked upon by NABDA, he mentioned using genome editing to increase the lifespan of shelf life of tomatoes, adding that this was very important.

According to the D-G, the project is a big one considering the amount of money expended on the production of tomatoes with the amount lost from post-harvest losses.

He said the post-harvest losses were due to climate and other chemical activities occurring within the tomato between the period of harvest and consumption.

“I think it’s very important that we take the tomatoes issue seriously so that we can fix it.

“When we fix this a lot of money is going to come into the country; we are supposed to be exporting tomatoes across African countries and even outside Africa,” he said.

The D-G maintained that there were many African countries in need of tomatoes, but unfortunately due to how fragile it was, it could not be exported.

He said following this, the agency in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency (AUDANEPAD), was embarking on the project as all machineries were in place. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Idris Abdulrahman

L-R Chris Ebosie ,Group General Manager, UNICCON Group; David Sado ,HR, UNICCON Group; Blessing Daniel, Representative of NITDA; Chuks Ekwueme, Chairman, UNICCON Group; Hauwa Yahaya (Representative of Nigeria Computer Society); Tolulope Bankole (M&E Manger, UNICCON Group), Johnpaul Nwobodo (Investment Analyst, Adaverse); Ronald Ajiboye (Drones, Strategy, & Public Relations Consultant), and Kehinde Ake (General Manager, UNICCON Group).

By Jessica Dogo

The UNICCON Group of Companies has launched its first blockchain technology ‘SmartAfri Labs’, to drive the inclusion of Africans and adopt a specialised technology in the region.

The launch held at Uniccon’s Headquarters on Friday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SmartAfri Labs is the brain-child of Uniccon Group of Companies; founded in 2018 and developed under the STEM arm of the organisation.

Speaking during the launch, the Chairman of UNICCON Group, Dr Chuks Ekwueme, shared insightful statistics to illustrate the poor inclusion and adoption of the blockchain ecosystem in Africa.

According to him, Africa has less than a 5 per cent stake in the projected $1.1 trillion the industry promises.

Ekwueme said: “We have created technology and platforms to drive inclusion by up to 25 per cent by the year 2025.

“Our Virtual Reality (VR) headsets for example are more affordable, and will not exclude poor Africans from using the technology. This is inclusion.”

Ekwueme said that blockchain should not be viewed as crypto, adding that the notion should be vacated.

“It is erroneous to view blockchain technology as being crypto. It is much more than that, and that notion should be vacated.

“We have built this platform, which is a fusion of Web 2.0 and 3.0 and we are keen on being key participants in the 4th Idustrial Revolution (4G).

“There is a huge market in our Non-Fungible Token (NFT) marketplace as Nigerians and Africans from the creative and other industries can tap into it to generate wealth and add to the GDP,” he said.

The General Manager of Uniccon, Mr Kehinde Ake, said that SmartAfri Labs offered exceptional levels of security, transparency, and efficiency.

Ake said that the blockchain would grant users the ability to transfer assets, save data, and carry out smart contracts in a decentralised and fraud-proof network.

“We have created this technology to allow Africans to stand tall, raise their heads, spread their shoulders, and take giant strides in an ecosystem that was once alien to them,” he said.

Mr John Nwobodo, an industry investment analyst spoke about the monumental impact of blockchain technology in a wide variety of industries.

Nwobodo quoted the 2021 World Bank report as saying: “66 per cent of Nigerians are unbanked and the banked are being recycled by existing financial service providers.

“The cost of cross-border remittance is very high and using blockchain can help reduce these numbers, making cross-border remittances cheaper and defying geographical barriers.”

The company’s Chief Technology Officer, Eval Esege, in his presentation ‘SmartAfri Labs’, took the audience on an experiential journey of what it does, how it works, and its many bundled benefit the users.

“SmartAfri Labs was borne out of the need to create a blockchain ecosystem that represents African values and culture.

“We have set up a partnership opportunity available from today to allow those who resonate with our vision to join us on this journey,” he said.

The launch had in attendance representatives from the National Information Technology and Development Agency (NITDA), the Nigerian Computing Society (NCS),the blockchain community and the private sector.

NAN also reports that the novel product, which is the first African blockchain technology consists of SmartAfri Chain (blockchain node), NFT Marketplace (Create and sell NFTs), SmartAfri Verse (Metaverse),

Others are: SmartAfri eMarket (fusion of 2.0 and 3.0) and UNICCON VR(locally made and subsidized headsets).

The project seeks to increase stakes for Africans, encourage more developers to get into the niche and overall, to drive massive inclusion. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Taiye Agbaje

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have expressed their readiness to partner with Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) France on the protection of Nigerians’ digital rights.
The Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, and Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, gave the assurance, on Wednesday, during the launch of e-Rights Project by ASF France in Abuja.
The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also said they would support ASF France, also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, on achieving the objectives of the project.
Prof. Danbatta, represented by Mr Chidi Dingwu, Head of New Media and Information Security, said the project was the latest intervention in promoting the fulfilment of human rights in Nigeria.
“To transform Nigeria into a leading digital economy providing quality life and digital economies for all, it is imperative that we strengthen the people’s confidence in the use of digital technologies, and involvement in the digital economy as stipulated in the soft infrastructure pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020-2030),” he said.
He said this pillar addressed the importance of cybersecurity, digital rights, data protection and privacy frameworks and guidelines that encouraged citizens to embrace the opportunities which digital technologies offer with a view to repositioning the Nigerian Economy.
He said since the digital and other user rights in communications and electronic media are becoming more significant in the society as technology advances, there is the need to protect these rights.
“The event is an acknowledgement of the drive of ASF France to promote the rights of individuals to information, freedom of expression, privacy and data protection as they engage online,” Danbatta said.
He said as the country continued to boost confidence and trust in its digital economy through fruitful deliberation and conversations, all hands must be on deck to safeguard the people’s rights to information, freedom of expression, privacy and data Protection, in the context of digital technologies, especially the Internet.
Abdullahi, also represented by Mr Emmanuel Edet, NITDA’s Head of Legal Unit, said that as at the last statistics, about 84 million Nigerians had access to internet
He said this showed that the number of internet users in the country had grown astronomically, hence, the need for the protection of their digital rights cannot be over-emphasised.
He said there was the need for every stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that digital space was safe.
Abdullahi, who said that the agency was working with NCC and others to develop child rights protection in the digital space, said he aligned totally with e-Rights Project and to ensure that this was adequately and properly used in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Mr Anthony Ojukwu, said he was always inclined to associating with any programme aimed at protecting the human rights.
“So there is the need to address the challenges and annex the potentials of digital space,” he said.
Ojukwu also said that there was need for legislation that would help safeguard the digital space.
The Chief Executive Officer of NDPB, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said with the huge population of internet users, effort must be made to safeguard the people’s rights.
Olatunji, who was represented at the event, said as nations across the globe march to the ever increasing tempo of technological advancement in the 4th industrial revolution, the need to safeguard the rights of citizens must be addressed with the keenest sense of equity and justice.
Alexandre Borges-Gomes, Deputy Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation in Nigeria and ECOWAS, said new technologies can contribute significantly to the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy and make public participation easier and more effective.
He, however, said that this could also be abused
“In this context, the e RIGHTS project is strategic because it aims at promoting people’s rights in the digital space in Nigeria; digital rights are all about freedom of expression and privacy and an extension of human rights for the internet age,” he said.
Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, the Country Director of ASF France, said the project was the latest human rights initiative of the organisation funded by the EU.
According to her, it is aimed at enhancing digital rights in Nigeria.
She said the organisation “is canvassing that all the rights that are respected offline to equally be respected online.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, organised by Lawyers Without Borders France, was in partnership with Centre for Technology and Development (CITAD) and Spaces for Change (S4C).(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

edited by Sadiya Hamza

By Sylvester Thompson

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director-General of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), says Nigeria is ready for genome editing technology with the biosafety laws in place.

Nigeria officially signed the Biosafety Bill into law in 2015, making it eligible to join the League of Nations already using genetic engineering (GE) to boost food production.

The law is to regulate the practice of modern biotechnology, handling and use of its products (genetically modified organisms) that may have adverse effects on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Mustapha, who stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said that this would enhance agricultural productivity in the country.

He said genome editing technology was a scientific innovation that helps in precision agriculture, where genetic impairment of a crop was targeted and fixed, enabling the crop to actualise its optimal yield.

He explained that the technology came with numerous benefits including reduction in time frame between planting and harvesting, mitigating climate change and less application of pesticides among others.

The D-G said the technology does not endanger nor harm the crop, adding that it only repairs what was responsible for the crop’s impaired growth through its DNA.

Mustapha said that as a target specific science, Nigeria has put in place regulations that would ensure the use of genome editing in the country.

“When used in agriculture, all the diseases bedevilling crops in the country, most especially crops of interest used as food and industrial raw materials are the ones being targeted.

“When this has been achieved, the country is going to gain quite a lot in terms of food supply and agricultural raw materials for industrial development.

“With that, there would be wealth creation as employment opportunities shall be available for our teeming population of youths,’’ the NABDA boss said.

He stressed that Nigeria’s agricultural focus was to be self-sufficient with enough food for all, with ample supply of industrial raw materials by industries to agricultural companies in the country.

“So, this technology is going to help in the area of providing the huge amount of crops that are going to be sufficient for these two purposes,’’ Mustapha said.

He said that the technology was an initiative of the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).

He said the mission of the Centre was to make use of modern technology to foster development across the African continent with focus on agricultural productivity.

Mustapha said about seven selected African countries including Nigeria were involved in the AUDA-NEPAD initiative, whereby collaboration would be formed to actualise this initiative within a specified timeframe.

He said this collaboration would enable exchange of ideas and strengths in order to foster scientific development and bring political will to bear on facilitating STI through the use of genome editing technology.

He explained that on the recent visit of the AUDA-NEPAD team, led by NABDA, the host agency and custodian of the technology, they had visited the Ministers of STI, Agriculture and Rural Development to solicit for support.

Mustapha said the genome editing initiative of the AUDA-NEPAD was a policy issue, and both ministers had pledged to enlighten the presidency on the prospects of using the technology to fast- track development.

“Presently, policy and working documents are being drafted for the technology to be applied on the African continent,’’ he said.

The NABDA D-G added that on the AUDA-NEPAD team’s return to Nigeria, part of their consortium would see about how some of the laboratories would be upgraded in order to achieve the aim.

“The goal of Africa that can feed itself in terms of agricultural produce is why the genome editing technology was conceived and why they came here,’’ Mustapha said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said that gender equality in the digital space could increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country by over 50 per cent.

Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA said this on Friday at the closing ceremony of its ‘Fasaha Gina Mata, Gina Al-Umma’, digital skills programme in Abuja, in collaboration with World Bank and Natview Technology.

The NITDA,Fasaha Gina Mata Gina Al-Umma is a digital skills training programme to equip young women with the relevant skills they need to succeed in the digital world.

The four-day programme was held as part of the activities from the agency to celebrate the International Women’s Day, as well as the month.

Inuwa recalled research by Mckinsey Global Institute which said that placing women together with their male counterparts would increase the global GDP to about 18 trillion USD in 2025.

“The research was narrowed to some countries which included Nigeria and it said that if we can achieve gender equality, we can add to the Nigerian GDP 299 billion by 2025.

“Within our own mandate, implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy,we are working on so many initiatives.

“One of them is the National Digital Skills Strategy, which World bank has keyed into as one of the implementation partners.

“Under that strategy, we want to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy, we want to position Nigeria to become global talent factory,’’ Inuwa said.

The director-general said that looking at the global talent factory and according to research by Korn Ferry, a global organisational consulting firm, by 2030 there would be 85 million talent deficit globally.

He further said the deficit would result to 8.5 trillion USD unrealised annual revenue.

Inuwa added that deploying the Gig economy strategy which he explained as leveraging the power of information technology to work remotely, do freelance work could help the country position for revenue globally.

He also said that with the Gig economy and having skills like content creation, digital marketing could help one use digital platforms to promote their businesses.

“If Nigeria can position itself, we can be part of this, we can have Nigeria be part of the Gig economy and working remotely.

“We can be part of the global value chain working remotely from Nigeria for European countries, the US companies, Asian companies and programmes like this will help us achieve that,’’ Inuwa said.

The director-general added that they were initiating programmes that were women based to encourage more female participation and digital literacy among women.

He decried that from November 2022 to-date, the agency had trained 226,000 young Nigerians on various digital skills but women represented only 28 per cent of the figure.

The NITDA boss said that the idea was to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 which was kick-started with the Gina Mata programme to train 800 young women in the pilot programme.

Inuwa further said the training would accord the participants access to education, job opportunities, access to information, enable them learn to protect their data against threats and promote gender equality.

Mr Nuradeen Maidoki, Chief Executive Officer of Natview Technology, the implementing partner, said Fasaha Gina Mata, Gina Al-umma was translated as ‘Building Women, Empowering Communities.’

Maidoki said that they intended to create a chain of highly skilled female technologists who could contribute to innovation and growth in Nigeria’s technology industry.

“We believe that by empowering young women with digital skills, we can create a more inclusive and diverse technology industry that reflects the richness and diversity of our society,’’ he said.

Maidoki added that the additional 600 young women would be trained from Borno, Gombe, Kano and Zamfara.

He said that they were working with SheCluded, a digital financial company for women that would be ensuring mentorship, helping the women access loans and grants where needed.

Two participants, Miss Adewumi Adekola and Mrs Hajara Musa-Mohammed, said that with the knowledge they acquired, they would be financial assets to their families and the country.

Certificates of participation were also issued to the participants. (NAN)
(www.nannwes.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani