By Sylvester Thompson

Prof. Olalekan Akinbo, Supervisor at Centre of Excellence in STI, African Union Development Agency (AUDA –NEPAD), has called on Nigeria and other African countries to take advantage of innovation to improve livelihoods of citizens.

Akinbo made the call while responding to questions on genome editing technology in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

He said: “Since Africa is naturally agrarian, the opportunity this technology offers should be utilised.

“This is by adding value to the available rich natural resources through innovation, in order to improve the livelihood of the citizenries.”

Akinbo noted that many African governments had strong policies for innovation as a milestone that would improve the economy as well as create enabling environment to support innovative ideas.

“I’m talking about innovation in technology, agriculture, petrochemical among others because innovation is the pathway that many African countries have now taken in trying to improve the lives of citizens.

“A case in point are countries that have established ministries and parastatals that focus specifically on innovation and some of these ministries have added innovation to the name of the ministry.

“That shows government’s commitment to innovation and in most of the AU decision process, there have been decisions that support innovations for the improvement of livelihoods,’’ Akinbo said.

The AU Official stated: “African countries also commit some percentages of national budgets to support innovation but in this context, nothing is too much as there is always scarcity of resources.

“Governments have been making efforts to ensure that they are part of the agenda, as well as creating enabling environments to enhance innovation.

“Nigeria is an example, Nigeria is a leader and we witnessed how the Ministry of Science and Technology was changed to Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, indicating that the government supports innovation.

“There are also many start-ups in Nigeria these days and Nigeria is actually a leader in so many things in Africa especially in the area of innovation and creating enabling environment”.

According to him, out of the 55 member states in Africa, South Africa had taken advantage of innovative way of breeding plants.

Akinbo listed other countries that had also moved in this direction to include: Ethiopia, Malawi and Eswatini, who had all adopted biotechnology crops.

He said Kenya had not only adopted biotechnology crops but had also established research institute that focuses on biotechnology.

The AU Official recalled that Nigeria had adopted two biotechnology crops, both for feed and food while others were in the pipeline.

He said: “Looking at this, for a government to have approved these biotech crops is indicative of its willingness and even establishing an agency that sees about safety.’’

He maintained that Nigeria’s National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) was also responsible for the approval of biotechnology related products.

Akinbo re-iterated that Africa, especially Nigeria had given a supportive role to the improvement of biotechnology adoption which would also influence the pathway genome editing technology would go.

The expert said genome editing was an emerging technology with a new innovation that would help in various areas of improvements.

They include; agriculture, climate change and health, among others, all geared towards improving livelihoods.

On the safety of genome editing technology, he said people usually have a phobia and skeptical about the advent of every new technology.

“That something is new doesn’t mean it is not safe,’’ he said.

According to Akinbo, some food crops that people initially thought to be unsafe are now being eaten by them.

Citing an example, he said cassava, which has become a staple in numerous homes in Nigeria contains cyanide acid, adding, “but, due to its importance, scientists were able to manage this acid through processing for safety.

“Though nothing is safe as people are bound to entertain some doubt, genome editing does not include any external introduction.”

Akinbo assured that the technology of genome editing made use of information stored in the DNA to improve on its usage.

“So, from the scientific point of view, genome editing is safer compared to other imagined technology that had been in existence,”he said.

Akinbo added that apart from Nigeria that had already developed the guidelines for the adoption of genome editing, Ethiopia had also done so while others were either at the drafting or signing stages.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=================

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Fabian Ekeruche

Asteven Energy Institute is partnering the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to issue a National Innovation Diploma (NID) in Solar Energy Technology.

The institute made the disclosure at a virtual stakeholders meeting monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

In his opening remarks, Dr Sunny Akpoyibo, the President of Asteven Energy Group, underscored the need for certification in the nation’s renewable energy sector in line with global best practices.

Akpoyibo said the drive to establish the institute was borne out of a vision to ensure that Nigeria and indeed, Africa does not become just a project-based location.

He also said it was established to provide local expert technical manpower resource for the industry and for the quantum of solar projects being undertaken.

Akpoyibo, also the Chairman Governing Council of the Institute, said the need for certification became necessary because of the increase and importance of solar technologies in Nigeria.

He said that as part of the energy transition plan, there was a dearth of trained and skilled manpower; which if not promptly addressed, would see the industry overrun by quacks and foreign technicians.

The president noted that industries in developed climes have certification programmes which determine their skill levels.

“The solar industry has turned into an all-comers affair with the resultant effect of failed installations, wrong assessments and public apathy,” Akpoyibo said.

Also speaking, the Rector of the Institute, Prof. Magnus Onuoha, said that with the certification, no company, either local or foreign, would have the excuse that there were no trained or skilled technicians in the solar energy space in Nigeria.

Onuoha, a renowned green economist, carbon markets and renewable energy specialist, said that the certification would also provide an opportunity to continuous up-skilling and re-skilling capacity in the industry.

“The NID for Solar Technology is a practical based four semesters programme; two year diploma programme conceptualised as a school to work programme, whereby training is undertaken with a bent toward proffering easily transferable, replicable and implementable skills in the solar energy industry in Nigeria.

“This programme which will soon commence is offered by the Asteven Energy Institute, the only training centre accredited by the NBTE in Nigeria,” Onuoha said.

He added that the NID programme class is restricted to 30 students to ensure full scale training and impartation of skills; with JAMB/UTME score of 100 required for admission.

A representative of the NBTE, Mr Donald Odiyoma, said that the NBTE was the only organisation entitled by the law to assess and accredit enterprise innovation centres.

The session ended with a commitment by the Governing Council of the school to sponsor 10 students for the NID programme while individual sponsorships were committed to by other professionals present.

They include Dr Segun Adaju, the immediate Past President of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria; Dr Paul Abolo, the Chief Executive Officer of Ecologistics and Motunrayo Salami, a strategic development expert.

In attendance at the session were representatives from the NBTE, Diamond Initiatives, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Rural Electrification Agency, Council for Renewable Energy Nigeria, Sosai Energies and Blue Camel Solar

Others included: Nigeria’s Shippers Association, Solar Energy Society of Nigeria, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Associations Alliance, Sustainable Energy Practitioners Association of Nigeria and Women in Renewable Energy Association. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

============
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Fabian Ekeruche

By Jessica Dogo

The Federal Government said it has recorded 12,988,978 cyber attacks during the Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Pantami said the attacks originated from both within and outside Nigeria, adding the threats to public websites and portals averaged around 1.55 million daily.

He said the attacks skyrocketed to 6,997,277 on the Presidential and National Assembly elections day.

The minister said in the run-up to the 2023 general elections, threat intelligence revealed an astronomical increase in cyber threats to Nigerian cyberspace.

“It is worth noting that in the run-up to the 2023 general elections, threat intelligence revealed an astronomical increase in cyber threats to Nigerian cyberspace.

“Generally, threats to public websites and portals averaged around 1,550,000 daily. However, they skyrocketed to 6,997,277 on the elections days,”Pantami said.

He said a committee set up by his ministry to curtail the activities of cyber criminals during the elections started work on Feb. 24 and ended work on Feb. 28,2023.

Pantami said: “During this period, a series of hacking attempts were recorded, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), email and IPS attacks, SSH Login Attempts, Brute force Injection attempts, Path Traversal, Detection Evasion, and Forceful Browsing.

“It is worth noting that the centers successfully blocked these attacks and escalated them to the relevant institutions for appropriate action,” he said.

NAN recalls that on Feb. 24, 2023, the minister inaugurated the Ministerial Standing Committee on Advisory Role for the Protection of Nigerian Cyberspace and ICT Infrastructure. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Jessica Dogo

The Uniccon Group says the first African humanoid robot ‘Omeife’ will boost learning and aid effectiveness in digital literacy in the country.

The group’s Chairman, Dr Chuks Ekwueme, said this at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uniccon on Monday in Abuja.

Ekwueme said that the technological framework (Omeife) that would be deployed to achieve this goal had been designed and customised by Africans, for Africans.

He said this would aid effectiveness, unlike other forms of imported technology that tended to lack adequate consideration of Africans in their development and deployment.

Ekwueme expressed gratitude to the Director-General of NITDA for encouraging local technology content in Nigeria.

He commended the agency for its vision to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy rate in Nigeria by 2030, which was currently the highest target as compared to other African countries.

Ekwueme added: “Omeife as a Service (OaaS) will make learning easier when integrated with the agency’s Learning Management System (LMS).”

Mr Inuwa Kashifu, Director-General of NITDA, represented by Mr Garba Ya’u, Director, National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), said that the relationship was to assist in achieving 95 per cent digital rate in Nigeria by 2030.

Kashifu said the agency and Unnicon would leverage on the technical aspect to bring the project to reality.

He said that they were all thrilled with the indigenous technology thnat properly fell into the local content drive.

Kashifu added: “We have paid a visit to Unnicon group sometime ago and we had some discussions, they showed us some of their projects apart from Omeife.

“The DG directed that we work with the group to leverage Omeife in deepening the digital literacy content of NITDA and the ministry.

“We are going to leverage on four languages majorly spoke in Nigeria, which are: Pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.

“We want to show absolute inclusion, where no Nigerian will be left behind on the idea.

“Very soon, we will be going into the technical aspect to see how we can bring this to reality.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Stellamaris Ashinze

Google has announced  three new initiatives aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs in Africa and providing them with the resources to succeed.

Mr Folarin Aiayegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa, said that the initiative was the organisation’s way to celebrate 2023 International Women’s Day.

Aiayegbusi said in a statement  that the initiatives included the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, Women Founders Cohort, and the Hustle Academy for Women-Led Small and Media Enterprises, a social media series celebrating inspiring women in Africa’s technology sector.

“We are thrilled to announce the selected startups for the inaugural class of our Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Women Founders Cohort.

‘’These women are tackling some of Africa’s most pressing challenges, and we are excited to support them as they build the future.

“The 15 startups selected for the programme are from eight African countries and are creating innovative solutions that improve livelihoods in their communities,’’ he said.

According to him, Google’s Hustle Academy is a bootcamp-style training programme designed to help entrepreneurs increase revenue, position themselves for investment, and build sustainable businesses for the future.

He said that  as part of its International Women’s Day celebration, Google planned to host six women-focused cohorts of the Hustle Academy programme in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa in the month of March.

Aiyegbusi  said that Women entrepreneurs in these countries were invited to apply to join these cohorts at g.co/hustleacademy.

According to him, Google is celebrating inspiring women in Africa’s technology sector through its #WomeninIT social media series.

He said that the series would  feature the stories of six inspiring women breaking barriers and making impacts in the fields of technology, business, entrepreneurship, innovation and startups on the continent.

Dorothy Ooko, Head of Communications, Google, Africa, said that Google was committed to providing women entrepreneurs in Africa with access to funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Ooko said that the Google programmes aimed to bridge  gaps and empower women to succeed in their respective fields. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Ijeoma Popoola

By Olasunkanmi Onifade

The Managing Director, Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd, Mr Tukur Lawal says it will reposition its business development plan towards achieving the much-desired competitive edge.

Lawal said this at a two-day retreat organised for the Board and Management of NIGCOMSAT Ltd in Abuja on Tuesday.

The theme of the retreat is “Redefining the NIGCOMSAT roadmap for exponential growth”.

He said the purpose of the retreat was for the management and board members to work as a team to achieve the requisite excellence.

“Today offers us another opportunity to reappraise our situation and find lasting solutions to the myriad of problems surrounding NIGCOMSAT Ltd,”he said.

Lawal said the new approach would help breathe into NIGCOMSAT Ltd a new lease of life.

“As we dwell on issues surrounding this organisation, let’s all bear in mind that the future of this company lies on the outcome of this retreat, ” he said.

Lawal said the challenges were not insurmountable, adding that it had the mentality to defeat the challenges to turn around the fortunes of the company.

He recalled the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, had shared with them his thoughts on the prospects of the company, following a thorough evaluation of its performance, operational capacity and potential for rapid growth.

“The minister consequently tasked us to brace up for the challenges ahead. Indeed, his position was instructive in view of the numerous challenges before us and the last chance we have as an agency to exist.

“He advised that the board and management not to rush into competitive marketing with other competitors in the industry, it is because of our relatively recent entry into the country’s digital space,” Lawal said.

The md said it was against that background that the retreat called for retrospection, adding,”we need a serious soul searching as these two choices stare us in the face: To either survive in this industry or to perish.”

The Chairman of the board, Mr Yusuf Kazaure said the aim of the retreat was to reposition the company by reviewing its strategies and objectives.

“This event allow us the opportunity to work as a team .We expect a better alignment in managing the staffers of the company .

” We have been able to Identify some of the key things that hinder our operational success and come up with ways and means to be able to over come those challenges.

“We should also be able to achieve realistic measurable and smart objectives for better of performance of the company,”he said.

The Lead Consultant of the retreat, Mr Jack Chime, said NIGCOMSAT was a public sector company but private driven, adding,”We are yet to meet the expectations of the government.”

He, however, said the retreat was to redefine the process by addressing the strategic intentions, vision and road maps to reach greater heights. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Jessica Dogo

Chinese company, Huawei, says it has no plan to sue the Federal Government over the e-customs project.

A statement by the company’s Director of Public Relations, Mr Kelvin Yang, on Monday in Abuja, said the company remained committed to its long-term partnership with Nigeria.

“Our attention has been drawn to a news story with the headline “$176b Revenue at Risk as Huawei moves to sue FG in London over $304M e-customs project”.

“Huawei wishes to clarify that it has no intention of suing the Nigerian government over this matter,” Kelvin said.

He said rather the firm would continue exploring opportunities to support Nigeria’s technological development.

He also said Huawei remained committed to transparency and open communication with all its stakeholders and would continue to provide accurate and timely information to the public as appropriate.

According to him, Huawei is a technical partner in e-custom project.

He said that its role was to support the project with technical expertise to improve digitalisation of custom processes in Nigeria.

“It is essential to state that Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited is the technical partner in the e-custom project.

“As the technical partner, our role is to support the project with our technical expertise to improve the digitalisation of the customs process.

“As a global technology leader, Huawei has always been committed to partnering with governments, businesses, and communities around the world to drive innovation and foster sustainable growth,” he said.

He explained that Huawei believed technology could play a transformative role to improve people’s lives and help other countries achieve their development goals.

“The company is committed to working with the Nigerian government and other partners in the country to advance the digital transformation agenda and unlock new opportunities for economic growth and social development.

“We urge media outlets to exercise caution and verify their sources before publishing news related to Huawei or any other company.

“False or misleading news can have serious consequences, including damaging the reputation of companies and harming their relationships with partners and customers,” he said.  (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Isaac Aregbesola