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DIGITAL SKILLS: NITDA GIFTS LAPTOPS TO TEN OUTSTANDING LEARNERS OF ITS COHORT 2 COURSERA PROGRAMME

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE has presented laptops to top ten learners of the cohort 2 NITDA-COURSERA Training Programme who were the first to successfully complete their professional certification.

The DG made the presentation during the November edition of the NITDA-COURSERA familiarisation webinar.

Represented by the Acting Director, Digital Literacy and Capacity Building Department, Dr Amina Sambo- Magaji, the Director-General congratulated the beneficiaries and commended them for surpassing expectations, creatively utilising the knowledge gained during the training and performing excellently.

Inuwa who noted that the promise of giving laptops as prizes to winners was to encourage healthy competition among the trainees for them to think outside the box and perform optimally in their respective areas of interest, especially as the outcome of the first batch of trainees wasn’t quite satisfactory, expressed satisfaction at the innovative ideas birthed by the learners.

“After our first batch, we realised that the competition rate was not very encouraging, so, we looked at different options, brainstormed on possible best option to increase the competition rate and one of them was the concept of giving the laptops which eventually paid off as there were timely and tangible results gotten from learners.”

“Also, we know that having a laptop will support you in actually using it as a tool for job, so, it was more of a double impact”, the DG stated.

The NITDA Boss reiterated the fact that the youthful population of the country remains one of the key competitive advantages over other nations and as such should be explored and exploited to achieve the Federal Government’s quest of making Nigeria the global talent hub.

“For us to be able to harness the potential of that competitive advantage we have in our youthful population, that is why we are undertaking a number of capacity building initiatives to make sure that Nigerians have access to the global on-demand skills”, Inuwa maintained.

According to Inuwa “most of the beneficiaries completed their professional certification in Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Digital Marketing”.

While presenting the laptops to the ten outstanding learners who completed their NITDA-Coursera courses, the DG encouraged them not to relent in their efforts to bridge the digital gap and come up with indigenous solutions that have global impact, adding that their expected contributions to the tech ecosystem will trigger the needed growth in the industry, the Nation’s digital economy as well as their general well-being.

Some of the beneficiaries who shared their success stories, thanked NITDA-Coursera for affording them the opportunity to learn on the platform.

They assured the organisers that they will most definitely use the transformative experience to impact on their chosen fields as well as contribute their quota by passing on the knowledge to others.

Earlier, the Assistant Director, Digital Literacy and Capacity Building Department, NITDA, Dr. Ahmad Yusuf Tambuwal while giving an overview of the NITDA-COURSERA Scholarship Programme said Coursera is one of the world’s top online learning platforms hosting thousands of courses from some of the world’s best universities and tech companies.

According to Dr Tambuwal, “In its effort to achieve its One Million Developer and Skills target, NITDA established a 3-year learning partnership with Coursera with effect from 19 October 2022”, stressing that the partnership is designed to be implemented in six (6) Cohorts: (Cohort 1 – Cohort 6).

“Learners in each Cohort will receive full access Coursera licenses for self-learning and professional development over a six (6) months duration and every 6 months, at least 4000 learners are graduated from the programme while a new set of learners are onboarded and invited to join the platform”.

“NITDA organises monthly webinars to give learners direct access to Coursera and NITDA support teams, interaction and networking, Q&A, guest lectures etc.”, Tambuwal noted.

NITDA, he explained further, implements a license management policy to ensure full utilisation of available licenses.

“If a license is not being utilised, several reminder emails are sent to the learner, and if still not being used, it is eventually revoked & re-allocated”.

“So far, the first set of 4000 learners In Cohort 1 have already graduated, and Cohort 2 learners will be graduating at the end of December 2023”, Dr Tambuwal added.

The hybrid event which witnessed over 500 participants joining the webinar also featured a brief on how the NITDA-COURSERA platform works by the Coursera representative and host, Khaled Kokhon.

The NITDA-Cousera partnership is aimed at achieving some key objectives which include: empowering twenty-four thousand (24,000) Nigerians with digital & developer skills in 3 years, empowering Nigerian citizens with job-ready skills and create a large pool of IT talents for the local and global markets, fostering innovation and supporting start-ups with IT knowledge & skills needed to build real-life solutions.

It is worthy to also mention that since the start of Cohort 2 in June 2023, learners have spent over 10,000 hours learning on Coursera every month as July witnessed over 20,000 learning hours.

So far, 12,664 Courses have been completed by the learners since the programme started.

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Lagos Island Lawmaker, Afinni Picks Patient Surgery Bill

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Lagos Island Lawmaker, Afinni Picks Patient Surgery Bill

Ajagbe Adeyemi Teslim

sponsored by: H&H

“May you never experience such, May God be with you and your household, may you never fall sick, your enemies will never overcome you, These are the prayers from the heart of a resident of Lagos Island constituency ll, Mr. Abiola Shuab when favour falls on him during and aftermart of his successful surgery Operation been sponsored by Lagos Lawmaker, Hon. Lanre Afinni.

August24news.com gathered that Mr. Abiola Shuab was suffering from a premium Nasal Nose Blockage and as been placed under drugs and treatment before his doctor prescribed him for a Surgery Operation.

The surgery Operation was carried out successfully by a team of medical expert at the Ilorin General Hospital last Friday.

Upon reaching the Lawmaker for Financial support for the surgery, Hon. Lanre Afinni who represent the good people of Lagos Island Constituency ll at the Lagos State house of Assembly quickly reacted to the request and ask his Committee on Health to rally round Abiola and carry out all the necessary action claiming the bill should be credited on his account.

Commenting on the Goodwill done by Hon. Lanre Afinni is the Apex Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos Island Constituency ll, Chief Babajide Damasio commended Affini for the prompt and good act describing him as a lawmaker of the people who is always at alert for the good gesture.

On his own Part Hon. Lanre Afinni who doubles as the Chairman house committee on Environment at the Lagos State House of Assembly told Our Correspondent that “health is wealth, “we remain committed to our constituents members healthcare, their health is Paramount to us and that is why we have to come to their aid when needed.

According to Afinni, When we came into Office in 2023, we inaugurated several committees to look into the needs of our consistency members in different capacity and appoint professional to head the team in various offices such as Education, Sport, Security, Empowerment, Job Creation and Health.

“On our Health Committee desk, we have been able to organize series of medical talks, we also help with medical bills of our constituency members, We have done 3 editions of the medical outreach program, which includes dentals and distributions of free eye glasses with over 2,000 Two thousand in every edition and the 4th edition will be held in December this year. Afinni Stated.

Mr. Abiola Shuab is an Higher National Diploma holder in Banking and Finance from the prestigious Ibadan Polytechnic, Oyo State and resident of Number 17 Ajanaku Street, Lagos Island East LCDA.

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Smear Campaign Won’t Stop Police Reforms, CASA Stands with IGP Egbetokun

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Smear Campaign Won’t Stop Police Reforms, CASA Stands with IGP Egbetokun

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Civic Alliance for Security Accountability (CASA) has strongly condemned what it calls a coordinated campaign of calumny against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, urging Nigerians to disregard all unfounded attacks on his person and leadership.

In a statement released on Friday, May 30, 2025, the President of CASA, Charles Egbunike, described the attacks as part of a broader agenda to discredit not just the IGP, but also President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under whose administration Egbetokun was appointed.

“These campaigns are not only malicious but deliberately designed to create instability,” Egbunike said. “Those behind them are not just attacking the IGP; they are using him as a tool to hit at the President. This is because of the IGP’s long-standing association with President Tinubu, dating back to when he served as his Chief Security Officer during Tinubu’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State more than two decades ago.”

According to the group, the real masterminds behind the smear campaign are disgruntled elements who lost out following the IGP’s recent reforms aimed at sanitizing the system, especially his decision to implement the position of the law and the Police Service Commission on retirement age and service years. These individuals, who are angry over the unalloyed support Egbetokun enjoys from the President and the members of the Nigeria Police Force, he said, are now collaborating with unscrupulous figures in the online media space who have been paid to do a hatchet job.

“These individuals prospered under a corrupt system and are now resentful because Inspector General Egbetokun has put an end to that era of impunity and unprofessional conduct. They are using faceless online platforms and questionable media outlets to spread lies and cast doubt on the IGP’s credibility. Very soon, we will start revealing the people behind this campaign, including a retired Senior Police officer who is unhappy about the way he left office. We will also expose those paying for online attacks meant to weaken the police and, by extension, the government. This is not just an attack on one man, it is an attempt to undermine national security. We will not let that happen,” Egbunike said.

Speaking alongside Egbunike,  a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Idris Dauda Dabban, described IGP Egbetokun, as a truly professional, hardworking, humble and forward-thinking officer whose leadership is shaping a more disciplined and professional Nigerian Police Force as he advises those who are attacking him for their myopic selfish reasons to desist from it.

AIG Dabban (rtd), who was a coursemate of Egbetokun at the Police Academy and later served closely with him, gave personal insights into the character and work ethics of the country’s top cop.

“IGP Egbetokun is a very humble, selfless, courageous and hardworking officer,” Dabban said. “He’s someone who listens, interacts well with people, and genuinely cares about getting the job done.”

Their connection goes way back, not just as coursemates but also as close colleagues posted to the same units and living in the same police barracks. According to Dabban, that experience gave him a front-row view of the IGP’s drive, care for the people and passion for duty.

“After we left the academy, we were both posted back to Lagos. We served in the same unit and even lived in the same barracks at Satellite Police Barrack. I can confidently say I know him very well,” Dabban recalled.

“He’s always ahead, very proactive, never reactive. He doesn’t tolerate anything that goes against the ethics of the Force. He’s very forward-looking, passionate about the job and holds himself and others to high standards. I can say Nigerians are lucky to have this kind of incorruptible cop as their IGP.

“He’s a nationalist, he is never tribalistic or considers religious sentiment. For him, it’s all about the job, work, work, and more work. He’s fully committed to building a better police force that I am certain about.”

Speaking in a similar vein, the Secretary-General of CASA, Emamode Peters, praised IGP Egbetokun for the positive changes he is bringing to the Force.

According to him, Egbetokun is not only a strong leader but also a highly educated officer who brings deep knowledge and discipline into policing.

He said, “One thing I admire most about the IGP is his work ethic. He drives his subordinates hard because he believes in results. Laziness and unprofessional conduct have no place under his leadership. I have personally observed that he leads from the front; he works round the clock, comes to the office early, and spends more than 14 hours in the office daily, and I also know that most days he does not go to bed until 4 am. Because he continues with meetings and work at home. I marvelled at how he attends to the deluge of work and files on his table and he does all of that with vigour and professionalism.”

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NiMet SAPZ Partner to Empower Smallholder Farmers Across Agro Processing Zones

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NiMet SAPZ Partner to Empower Smallholder Farmers Across Agro Processing Zones

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has formalized a strategic partnership with the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Program to advance climate resilience and sustainable agriculture across key farming regions in Nigeria.

The partnership, formalized in Abuja, will initially be implemented across seven pilot states—Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—with a roadmap to scale nationally. The initiative targets smallholder farmers and agro-processors, equipping them with real-time weather forecasts, seasonal climate predictions, and tailored advisory services to improve decision-making and mitigate climate-related risks.

The SAPZ initiative, a five-year national agricultural transformation program co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), aims to stimulate inclusive agro-industrialization, raise rural incomes, and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on food imports.

Professor Charles Anosike, NiMet’s Director-General/CEO, welcomed the partnership, emphasizing that meteorological services are critical to enhancing food security and reducing climate risks within Nigeria’s agricultural value chains. “We are proud to support SAPZ’s vision with timely, accurate, and accessible climate information. No farmer should be left behind in the climate-smart agriculture movement,” he said.

Dr. Kabir Yusuf, the National Program Coordinator for SAPZ, emphasized the critical role of climate-smart solutions in addressing the unpredictable weather patterns that pose a threat to agriculture. He stated, “This collaboration with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) will provide actionable climate data and advisory services to farmers and agro-processors, thereby enhancing productivity, minimizing losses, and fostering resilience.”

Under the agreement, NiMet will provide seasonal rainfall forecasts, localized weather updates, training for extension workers, install mini weather stations, and develop innovative applications for real-time alerts. SAPZ will integrate NiMet’s climate data into its Agricultural Industrial Hubs and Transformation Centers, supporting training, equipment, and infrastructure deployment.

A joint technical committee will oversee implementation, monitor progress, and develop innovative solutions such as localized crop calendars and precision farming tools. The MoU is initially valid for five years, with plans to evolve into a long-term institutional framework supporting Nigeria’s national climate adaptation strategy.

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