Nigeria defeated Angola owhelmingly to advance to the Semi Finals of Africa Cup of Nations.
Ademola Lookman came through for the Super Eagles with a lone goal victory against the Black Sable antelopes at the Quarter finals of AFCON.
Nigerian Newssphere recalls that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had called Super Eagles to wish them success.
The Biafra Republic Government in Exile, BRGIE, has announced the commencement of a self-referendum to actualize the age-long agitated sovereign nation called Biafra.
In a document by Ekpa Simon, Prime Minister of BRGIE, sighted by our correspondent, the E-voting platform overview said the referendum is part of steps meant to be taken to actualize the Biafra Republic peacefully.
Accordingly, voting will start on February 1 2024, until it reaches a reasonable number of votes; this is because of the challenges of the internet and lack of electricity in rural areas.
The group called on all Nigerians of Igbo extraction to participate in the ongoing online referendum, saying all Biafra citizens have the right to choose their sovereignty freely.
BRGIE states, “Biafrans have demonstrated unparalleled loyalty to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra Government in Exile by sitting at home every Monday for the past two years during our Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court appearances.
“Collectively, through these actions, Biafrans have demonstrated beyond doubt a desire to be free from subjugation and the unprovoked periodic massacre of our people.
“As such, we are taking steps to satisfy the requirements for a peaceful actualization of a quest for self-preservation and independence of the United States of Biafra.
“Through the ongoing delegitimization of Nigeria in Biafra territory(through the Grievance Declaration, institutionalization Declaration and Commitment Declaration) and the legitimization of the Biafra Government, the Biafra Liberation have attained the status for state recognition by successfully setting up institutions required by international law and standards.
“This referendum election provides yet another step towards our freedom. As a Biafra citizen, you will further demonstrate your resolve for an independent United States of Biafra by participating in the Biafra Self Referendum (BSR)”.
The group said to qualify for the exercise, the participant must ” be a Biafran by birth (born of mother and/or father who themselves are Biafrans)” and from 18 years above.
“You must know your State and County, which serve as your precinct.
“You must have a passport photo or a phone to take your passport photo. Your photo must not be more than 2MB”, it added.
See link for voting:
https://forms.gle/7gdEC9jgoBoPRkNL9
The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, NOTAP has ranked University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT as the best Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office, IPTTO in Nigeria.
NOTAP acting Director-General, Dr Idoreyin Imiyoho, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the awards to the top three IPTTOs in Abuja.
To this end, NOTAP presented a cash reward of N500, 000 to UNIPPORT, N300,000 to University of Lagos and N200, 000 to University of Ilorin.
Imiyoho was represented by Mrs Anie Osuagwu, the Director, Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination of NOTAP.
She said the ranking of IPTTOs in the country was necessary in order to encourage demand-driven research and launch Nigeria into the comity of technologically independent nations.
“ The IPTTO ranking programme initiated by (NOTAP) is aimed at strengthening the operation of IPTTOs in the country to promote the culture of invention and innovation.
“The establishment of IPTTOs in Nigerian knowledge institutions across geopolitical zones of the country was an initiative of NOTAP in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a UN agency based in Geneva, Switzerland,’’ she said.
NOTAP boss said IPTTO initiative was to sensitise the Nigerian knowledge institutions on the importance of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) as well as the need to engage in market driven research as against conventional research.
She recalled that the programme started in 2006 with the establishment of six centers and has progressed both in number and quality to over 60 IPTTOs across the country,’’ she said.
According to her, the world economy is driven and sustained by knowledge. So, agency is saddled with the responsibility of regulating the inflow of foreign technologies through the registration of technology transfer agreements.
She said that the criteria for ranking comprised of visibility of the center within the institution, documentation of institutional research and development results, institutional intellectual property policy in place among others.
In her remarks, Prof. Mary Iwundu, the Director of IPTTO, UniPort, who received the award, appreciated NOTAP for its efforts in recognising the efforts of researchers in the country.
“NOTAP has done a lot for the research community in Nigeria; it has been supportive through funding and various trainings.
“ As a recipient of this award and emerging the best and, as a university we are very proud that our hard work is being recognised.
“It is a good thing that there is enough sensitisation to make people understand intellectual property rights and patenting, ” she said.
She commended NOTAP for establishing IPTTOs in universities, polytechnics and research institutions in the country, saying this will promote interaction and strengthen the linkage between university/research institutions and industries.
The Kano State government has assured the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of maximum cooperation in fighting and preventing corruption in Nigeria, and in Kano State in particular.
This assurance was given on Wednesday by the Governor of the State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, when the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN led the management team of the Commission to pay a courtesy call to the governor.
Welcoming the Chairman and his team, the Kano State governor expressed his delight that Kano State was the first one visited by the Chairman since his assumption of office, and commended his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a testament of his pedigree and undiluted commitment to the Nigerian project,
The governor further commended the government for putting mechanisms such as ICPC and EFCC in place noting that these have helped curb impunity in the system.
“It may interest the ICPC management to know that my administration’s zero tolerance on corruption and related tendencies remain sacrosanct, thus in ensuring the successful implementation of this government’s anti-corruption policies, I prioritized a preventive approach without compromising the existing curative mechanisms in the State’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC)”, he added.
Earlier, the ICPC Chairman had thanked the Executive Governor for granting the Commission audience, explaining that the Commission had held a Management Retreat in the state, and it was only proper to pay a courtesy call.
The Chairman recalled the previous partnership of ICPC with the Kano State PCACC in the areas of training and sought a continued partnership with the agency in the fight against corruption.
The courtesy call featured goodwill messages from the Chairman of the Kano State PCACC and the Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice of the State.
The National Identity Management Commission, has announced the distribution of more computer systems to boost enrollment of National Identification Number.
Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, NIMC, in a statement on Wednesday, said the NIMC DG/CEO Engr. Abisoye Odusote-Coker approved the distribution of additional enrolment systems to all the states.
Accordingly, the nationwide distribution of computer systems is part of the steps to ease NIN enrollment challenges and increase operational capacity.
Odusote-Coker emphasized that her administration will not condone extortion of applicants and has since directed that any staff found wanting will be dealt with in line with the provisions of the constitution and extant Public Service Rules.
“The provision of additional enrolment devices underscores the commitment of the DG/CEO to streamline operations and enhance overall effectiveness.
“The systems have since been installed and in use across all the states and have not only resulted in reduced time spent by applicants but have also increased the number of applicants attended to daily.
“Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote has also sent out monitoring and evaluation teams across various centres nationwide to ensure the smooth running of enrollment and modification exercises.
“The team will also strictly comply with her zero-tolerance stance against extortion and unethical practices”, the statement reads.
It is no longer news that in the past 48 hours, Nigeria’s Naira crashed by 42 per cent against the US dollar at the foreign exchange.
According to FMDQ data Naira further depreciated against the to N1,482.57 per US Dollar on Tuesday from N1,348.63 on Monday.
Accordingly, a combined figured showed that Naira has fallen by 42 per cent from Monday to Tuesday.
Similarly, the exchange rate depreciated by 1.4 per cent at the parallel market, where majority of Nigerians source for forex, quoted at N1,470 per US dollar.
Interestingly, this is first Naira is quoting at higher at official market when compared with the parallel market since the floating of the country’s currency since June 14 last year.
The development comes despite the recent release of over $500 million US dollar by the Central Bank of Nigeria to clear forex backlog.
Meanwhile, Financial Experts have been lack of revenue from crude oil sales on the continued forex crisis.
Muda Yusuf, the Director of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise urged the government to ramp up crude oil production and boost accountability in the product’s sale.
Nigeria has witnessed a steady increase in active voice and internet subscriptions, including a drop in teledensity in the latest telecommunications statistical indicators released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which have been adjusted to reflect the latest population growth figures and align with international best practices.
In a statement by the director of Public Affairs NCC, Reuben Muoka, the adjustment, which is reflected in the telecom industry statistical reports of September, October, and November 2023 published on the Commission’s website, was predicated upon the Nigerian Population Commission (NPC)’s projection of Nigeria’s population at 216,783,381 as of 2022, replacing the previously used 2017 projection of 190 million people.
With the consequential adjustment, which is in line with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s calculation of teledensity, the nation’s teledensity dropped from 115.63% to 102.30 per cent in September, while Broadband penetration witnessed a similar drop from 45.47 per cent to 40.85 per cent in the same month.
However, the active voice subscription statistics witnessed a marginal growth from 220,361,186 to 221,769,883 as of September 2023. In addition, Internet subscriptions also enjoyed a marginal growth, from 159,034,717 in August 2023 to 160,171,757 in September 2023.
In October 2023, the industry also experienced a 0.19 per cent growth in Active Voice subscriptions while teledensity stood at 102.49 per cent, with Internet subscriptions increasing by 0.60 per cent compared to September 2023.
In November of the same year, the industry experienced a 0.46 per cent growth in Active Voice subscriptions. Teledensity stood at 102.97 per cent, with a 0.57 per cent increase in Internet subscriptions compared to October 2023.
Teledensity is an index prescribed by the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, for the measurement of telephone penetration in a population by a factor of one line per 100 individuals in the population.
The adjustment by the Commission is consistent with Section 89 Subsection 3(d) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA 2003), in which the Commission is mandated to monitor and report on the state of the Nigerian telecommunications industry, provide statistical analysis and identify industry trends concerning services, tariffs, operators, technology, subscribers, and issues of competition.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, affirmed the nation’s telecom statistical adjustment process as an appropriate step to maintain the integrity of data about the Nigerian telecom industry as collected, collated, and published by the Commission. He noted that this will also ensure the accurate measurement of the Commission’s progress towards attaining increased broadband penetration rates, improved quality of service, and increased population coverage, among other targets set out in the Strategic Plan for the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.
He also said such data provides information for the International Telecommunications Union to which Nigeria belongs, other development agencies, operators, investors, multilateral agencies, and the public.
The host nation, Côte d’Ivoire have defeated the defending champions, Senegal to reach the quarter-finals at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Côte d’Ivoire will have to battle Cape Verde at the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Ademola Lookman brace gave Nigeria victory against Cameroon in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 on Saturday clash.
Ademola Lookman scored twice in each half to hand Nigeria a famous win 2-0 over the Indomitable Lions.
Victor Osimhen broke free and laid off a pass to Lookman, who saw his weak finish trickle pass the line.
With time running out, Lookman touched home Calvin Bassey’s cross.
Jose Peseiro’s men will now face Angola in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Earlier in the day, Angola thrashed Namibia 3-0 in their last-16 clash.
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu SAN, has underlined the commitment of the Commission to go all out in its bid to stamp out corruption as one of the keys to actualizing good governance, growth and development of the country.
In a statement by the Commission’s Spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, Dr Aliyu made this assertion during a strategic meeting with delegates from the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) at the Commission’s headquarters on Wednesday.
The ICPC boss stated that the Commission owed it to citizenry to detect and tackle corruption that has negatively impacted the image of Nigeria for so long.
According to him, the impact of corruption is manifested in underdevelopment and poverty which makes the prospect of investment unappealing. He insisted however, that the responsibility for projecting the country in a positive light, must be a collective effort.
Dr Aliyu stated that his predecessors had left a legacy of strategic partnerships with organisations which he intended to build upon, pointing out that there was a viable track record of ICPC and NEPAD working together on various projects including election monitoring. He added that future collaborations must be geared towards projecting a positive image of Nigeria to encourage internal and foreign investment while fostering development.
Speaking from a larger perspective, the ICPC Chairman pointed out that eradicating corruption in Nigeria would be infectious to neighbouring countries and the continent as a whole which in turn would significantly boost development through improved socio-economic values and infrastructure.
In a similar vein, the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu Esq, suggested that policies developed from joint initiatives between the Commission and stakeholders would be invaluable to development as a result of increased efficiency.
The Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Honourable Princess Gloria Akobundu who led the visiting delegation, said NEPAD hoped to ensure Nigeria is respected continentally and globally. This she said, could be achieved by advocating for improved governance and economic growth.
Akobundu asserted that the APRM initiative was meant to encourage African countries to foster healthy relationships based on self-assessment and improvement.
In a statement on Wednesday by Azuka Ogugua, the Spokesperson of the Commission, Dr Aliyu made this assertion during a strategic meeting with delegates from the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) at the Commission’s headquarters on Wednesday.
The ICPC boss stated that the Commission owed it to citizenry to detect and tackle corruption that has negatively impacted the image of Nigeria for so long.
According to him, the impact of corruption is manifested in underdevelopment and poverty which makes the prospect of investment unappealing. He insisted however, that the responsibility for projecting the country in a positive light, must be a collective effort.
Dr Aliyu stated that his predecessors had left a legacy of strategic partnerships with organisations which he intended to build upon, pointing out that there was a viable track record of ICPC and NEPAD working together on various projects including election monitoring. He added that future collaborations must be geared towards projecting a positive image of Nigeria to encourage internal and foreign investment while fostering development.
Speaking from a larger perspective, the ICPC Chairman pointed out that eradicating corruption in Nigeria would be infectious to neighbouring countries and the continent as a whole which in turn would significantly boost development through improved socio-economic values and infrastructure.
In a similar vein, the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu Esq, suggested that policies developed from joint initiatives between the Commission and stakeholders would be invaluable to development as a result of increased efficiency.
The Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Honourable Princess Gloria Akobundu who led the visiting delegation, said NEPAD hoped to ensure Nigeria is respected continentally and globally. This she said, could be achieved by advocating for improved governance and economic growth.
Akobundu asserted that the APRM initiative wasmeant to encourage African countries to foster healthy relationships based on self-assessment and improvement.
