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NITDA/ICPC to hold 2022 IFFs hackthon, seeks Nigeria’s participation

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through its subsidiary, the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), in partnership with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is opening applications for the 2022 Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) Hackathon.

According to a statement signed by NITDA, Head Corporate Affairs and External Relations, Mrs Hadiza Umar and ICPC’s Spokeperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua on Monday, said the project is supported by Ford Foundation office for West Africa.

“The Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) Hackathon is aimed at developing indigenous solutions to curb illicit financial flows (IFFs) in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), check illegal transfer/movement of funds within Nigeria and across international borders, and ensure effective monitoring of procurement processes.

“This Hackathon will also provide young Nigerians the opportunity to contribute their creativity and entrepreneurial skills by leveraging emerging technologies to combat corruption and other unethical practices impacting negatively on the socio-economic fortunes of the nation.

“Therefore, these talented Nigerians will be tasked to come up with clearly-defined ideas and prototype solutions to checkmate IFFS with emphasis on leveraging emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud, Big data, blockchain, Quantum computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) among many others.

“The two-day event scheduled to hold on 1st and 2nd September 2022 will open with a bootcamp at the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), Abuja while a Demo Day will take place at ICPC Auditorium, Abuja on the second day and final day.

“Therefore, ONDI is calling for applications from eligible individuals/groups with an innovative ideas and prototypes that would leverage emerging technologies to help address the menace of IFFs within the nation’s expanding digital economy.

“ONDI is a subsidiary of NITDA, created to ensure the promotion, growth, and protection of Nigerian digital innovation ecosystem for the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy. The Office has responsibility to facilitate the growth of the Nigerian digital economy through the creation of innovation-driven enterprises that will promote job creation and the proliferation of market-creating innovations to create more prosperity for Nigeria.
For more details on application requirement, interested individuals/groups should visit: https://bit.ly/iffhackathon and apply before the closing date on 26th August 2022”, the statement read.

 

Q1 Reports:Untamed by insecurity, Nigerian banks rake billions as profit

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…As manufacturers, farmers shut operations

Untamed by insecurity in Nigeria, Nigerian banks have maintained positive records by raking Billions of Naira as profits in the first quarter of 2022, Nigerian Newssphere learnt.

This finding comes on the heels of a report that both farmers and manufacturing firms are closing up operations owing to the spate of insecurity in the country.

Taking a look at the results of leading Banks in Nigeria, the Unity Bank grew its profit before tax by 20 per cent to N869.265 million in first quarter Q1 2022 from N721.537 achieved in first quarter Q1 2021.

First Bank increased marginally by 73.7 per cent to N117.8 billion in Q1 2021 compared to N67.8 billion accounted in Q1 2020
Union Bank reported 17.9 per cent growth in profit to N42.9 billion in Q1 2022 from 36.4 billion recorded in Q1 2021.

Zenith Bank grew it profit in first quarter Q1 of 2022 to N191.5 billion from N157.3 billion generated in Q1 2021, reflecting a marginal difference of 23 per cent.

Guarantee Trust Holding Company recorded 15.5 per cent decline in profit to N93.1 billion in Q1 2021 from N109.7 billion in Q1 2020.
Wema Bank grew its profit before tax by 119 per cent to N3.3 billion in Q1 2022 compared to N1.5 billion achieved in Q1 2021, reflecting an increase of 119 per cent.

These positive results of Banks financial stance negate the prevailing circumstances that both farmers and manufacturing companies in the countries have been facing since the resurgence in insecurity across Nigeria.
The domestic operating environment, especially insecurity, increase in diesel price and others are taking a heavy toll on manufacturers outputs in the country.

On July 8, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), which is the umbrella body of those in the sector with over 3,000 manufacturers in the country, issued a press statement where the body clearly stated that the manufacturing sector of the Nigerian economy has been battered by numerous familiar challenges that have plummeted the number of industries in Nigeria and converted industrial hubs in many parts of the country to warehouses of imported goods and event centres.

Farmers, on the other hand, have been bearing the brunt of insecurity as testified by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mahmood Abubakar, who said that attacks by terrorists were denying farmers access to their farms, especially in the North-West and North-Central. He however said the government was making efforts to address the problem.

“That is one of the reasons why we have an arrangement for security agents known as agro-rangers, who are providing some measures of security so that the farmers will be able to access their farms.

“Truly, if they cannot completely access farms all over the country, you will expect a drop in production, but right now we are doing everything possible to make sure production is maintained through that security provision.”
In another report, by a leading Newspaper in Nigeria (not this paper), findings revealed that insecurity especially in the North has prevented them from taking maximum advantage of the rainy season, which would have boosted their harvest and crash the price in the market.

Chelsea, Tottenham ended 2-2

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Chelsea, Tottenham Premier League game on Sunday ended 2-2.

Details later!

 

Brentford United 4 goals in the first 35 minutes earn Manchester United terrible defeat

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Agile Brentford produced a stunning first-half performance as they scored four goals in the first 35 minutes to condemn Manchester United to a humiliating defeat at Gtech Community Stadium.

Josh Dasilva put the hosts ahead when his strike from distance somehow eluded United goalkeeper David de Gea.

Mathias Jensen doubled the lead after dispossessing former Brentford player Christian Eriksen, with Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo goals putting Thomas Frank’s side four up during an incredible first half in which they dismantled United in stunning fashion.

The defeat is United’s seventh in a row on the road – their worst run since 1936 – while it is the seventh time they have conceded at least four goals in a league game since the start of last season.

While Brentford can bask in a historic win, United boss Erik ten Hag faces the unenviable task of lifting his players in time for the visit of Liverpool to Old Trafford on Monday, 22 August.

Yanluowang Ransomware: NCC-CSIRT urges stronger security measures

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The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has urged organisations to adopt stronger cybersecurity measures.

These measures include ensuring that organisations’ employees use strong, unique passwords for every account and enabling multi-factor authentication (2FA) wherever it is supported to prevent ransomware attacks as well as advising organisations to ensure regular systems backup.

The NCC-CSIRT’s warning contained in its advisory of August 12, 2022, came after the Yanluowang threat actors gained access to Cisco’s network using an employee’s stolen credentials after hijacking the employee’s personal Google account containing credentials synced from their browser.

Ransomware is a malware designed to deny a user or organization access to files on their computer until they pay the attackers.

Cisco reported the security incident on its corporate network but said it did not identify any impact on its business although the threat actors had published a list of files from this security incident on the dark web on August 10.

NCC-CSIRT estimated potential damage from the incident to be critical while predicting that successful exploitation of the ransomware will result in ransomware deployment to compromise computer systems, sensitive products and customers’ data theft and exposure, as well as huge financial loss to organizations by incurring significant indirect costs and could also mar their reputations.

The team said, “The first step to preventing ransomware attacks is to ensure that employees are using strong, unique passwords for every account and enabling multi-factor authentication (2FA) wherever it’s supported.”

It further disclosed that “In response to the attack, Cisco has immediately implemented a company-wide password reset. Users of Cisco products should ensure a successful password reset.

“As a precaution, the company has also created two Clam AntiVirus signatures (Win.Exploit.Kolobko-9950675-0 and Win.Backdoor.Kolobko-9950676-0) to disinfect any potentially compromised assets. Clam AntiVirus Signatures (or ClamAV) is a multi-platform antimalware toolkit that can detect a wide range of malware and viruses.

“User education is critical in thwarting this type of attacks or any similar attacks, including ensuring that employees are aware of the legitimate channels through which support personnel will contact users, so that employees can identify fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information. Organisations should ensure regular systems backup,” the advisory urged.

The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large.

The CSIRT also works collaboratively with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risks incidents by preparing, protecting and securing the Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, problems or related events.

BBNaija S7: How Modella’s beautiful outfit won fans admiration, praise

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Big Brother Naija season 7 Housemate, Modella has wowed spectators, audiences over her beautiful handmade outfit during yesterday’s wager fashion show.

Modella, Phyna, Hermes, Chichi others were lauded by Biggie for being outstanding on their outfits.

Particularly, Modella stole all the praise as she kept fans, audience wondering how she could pull up such a skill without any sewing machine in the BBNaija house.

Reacting to Modella fashion prowess, BBNaija anchor person, Ebuka Obi- Uchendu said on his official page, ‘Wait, did Modella sneak sewing machine inside her bag to sew this outfit? Because, how?”.

Outside Ebuka, fans, audience have also reacted to Modella’s gorgeous outfit.

Big Uncle: This is too much of a creativity
💯

QueenB: E shock me o. Even my designer with sewing machine will never give me that quality of work😩😩

Dam_Assan:

That is what skill does.When you are skillful you don’t need the best of conditions to thrive,But a lot of people are wasting away because they expect the perfect conditions.Those are lessons youths should learn from the show but they are all interested in the nud!ty!Cheers

This is coming as enthusiasts of this year’s show tagged ‘Level up’, await Saturday night party occassioned by dance, music, drama and a lot of fun

Wike says report of him suing Atiku over PDP Presidential Primary is fake

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Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has denied filing a suit against the Peoples Democratic Party, its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

Speaking at the commissioning of House of Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt, Wike said he was focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers State.

“People have called me that I went to court against Atiku Abubakar,” he said.

“I want to state categorically that I didn’t go to court. I just want to say it for Nigerians to know. I have kept quiet. I am busy with delivering the dividends of democracy.

“If they lose election, nobody should call my name. I have told the candidate.

“If I wanted to go to court, I would have gone to court within two weeks.

“It is the candidate’s group that are doing all these things. Let the world hear. They are the ones plotting all these things, thinking they will spoil my name.

“We are supposed to be talking about winning election.”

FG inaugurates presidential steering Committee to review IPPIS, TSA, GIFMIS systems over irregularities

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FG inaugurates presidential steering Committee to review IPPIS, TSA, GIFMIS systems over irregularities

…Pantami to chair committee

…Committee vows to correct leakages exploited by evil persons to divert public funds

Federal Government via the Minister of Communications and Digital Ecoonomy, Prof Isa Pantami on Friday inaugurated a presidential steering Committee to review Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System(IPPIS), the Treasury Single Account(TSA), Government Integrated Financial Management System( GIFMIS) over irregularities.

This is as Prof Pantami was designated to chair the special committee.

In his remarks during the inauguration ceremony, Pantami confirmed that the systems have technical challenges which needed to be corrected.

He said the singular mandate of committee is to proffer solution to the possible leakages inherent in the systems that are being exploited by evil people to divert public funds.

“On behalf of President Muhammed Buhari. I am to inaugurate the Presidential technical committee.

“”I am to inaugurate a technical Presidential committee, Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“This technical committee, has been mandated by Mr President through a letter written by my humble self, requesting his approval to review some of the technical processs and systems deployed in government.

“This committee, will serve as a president committee with the mandate of ensuring the review of the strengths of these systems and the challenges or weaknesses and advice Mr President on how to improve particularly, if there are leakages that are being exploited by evil people. The issue came about on the 19th July 2022, we had a meeting with Mr President along with other ministries where some technical issues and some Challenges were discussed. In the Course of the discussion, I made a presentation, there and then Mr President directed me to formalize it so that he will approve for further implementation.

“Historically, as we all know, these three ICT systems for the first one (IPPIS), the process of its deployment commenced in 2006 while for GISFMIS, it deployed commenced in 2012. While TSA, the process commenced in 2015. At the time they were deployed, the provision of NITDA act 2006 under section A, of setting the standardization of ICT deployment in federal public institutions were not followed. Because of this, these three systems were not subjected to government certification and IT project clearance as encouraged by law and many other government policies.

“However, inspite of that, many achievements have been recorded by their deployment. For example, based on the report from the relevant institutions of government, the IPPIS, saved the government over N120 billion naira. While the TSA saved over N10 trillion naira for government. These records show that at least government has recorded some gains from their deployment, particularly, with the recent allegations coming up that these system are being exploited by evil people where they syphone money, and we read these allegations from time to time. It is because of this, after my submission to Mr President ok this allegations that they should not be ignored and we must identify where the challenges are if any and see how these systems can be enhanced technically so that we be able to consolidate the gains achievers so far and also improve on them to achieve many more successes. It is because of this, we converged here under Presidential technical committee which is going to be inaugurated.

“The committee is for ministers and CEOs. However, looking at the technical nature of the work, Mr President has approved for us to set up a technical committee that will do the work, and that committee will be supervised by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and other relevant government institutions where their role is mentioned.

“While NITDA, looking at it’s mandate will serve as the secretariat. The approval and the directive given by Mr President it is clearly mention that all government institutions that managed these three systems (IPPIS, GIFMIS and TSA) must give unlimited access to the committee to ensure that they come up with a very strong recommendation to Mr President for approval. Any institution that fails to give access will be reported to Mr President immediately and in additional addition to that recommendation, a punishment is going to be recommended to Mr President for implementation”, he stated.

Members of the committee are Chief Executives, Director General of Agencies, including the National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA), Galaxy Bankbone, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission, Bureau of Public Service and Reforms(BPSR) and the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy(FMoDE).

Recall that federal civil servants, Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) and others have faulted the implementation of IPPIS, TSA and GIFMIS over irregular deductions.

Nigerian Newssphere learnt that the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Idris Ahmed is currently facing persecution over diversion of funds from TSA, IPPIS systems.

However, Minister, Pantami has assured that recommendations, advices from the inaugurated special committee would cleanse the systems from the manipulation of corrupt people.

 

Why Gov El-Rufai says terrorists are running ‘parallel government authority’ in Kaduna state

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Unfortunately for Nigerians, terrorists are consolidating their grip on communities in Kaduna with a parallel government and permanent operational base, according to Governor Nasir El-Rufai in a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari.

El-Rufai in the memo, warned the president of the terrorists’ consolidation in a late July memo, according to online platform, Premium Times.

The terrorists belonging to Ansaru for short, are believed to have moved to Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State in 2012 when they broke away from Boko Haram.

In the memo, the governor laid  bare how the terrorists have infiltrated and dominated communities and formed “a parallel governing authority,” exercising control over social and economic activities and dispensation of justice in the area.

He said the terrorists had advanced in their plans to make Kaduna forest areas their “permanent operational base” for the North-west region, citing a “series of intelligence reports.”

“Observed movement patterns and intercepted communications of migrating terrorists have shown a clear interest in setting up a base, with the stretches of forest area between Kaduna and Niger states strongly considered,” he wrote.

Law banning political activities

As the political activities towards the 2023 general elections pick up steam, the terrorists, El-Rufai told Buhari, have promulgated a law to ban residents from participating.
“The insurgents enacted a law in the District, banning all forms of political activity or campaign ahead of the 2023 elections, especially in Madobiya and Kazage villages,” the governor wrote.

The Ansaru terrorists are known to have an extremist ideological posture against democracy and secular authorities.

In 2021, the census enumeration exercise could only hold in two of the 11 wards that form Birnin Gwari due to the threat of armed banditry and terrorism, officials in both Kaduna State government and the population commission had said.

The ban on political activities, the governor said, followed a recent wedding ceremony involving the terrorists.

“According to actionable intelligence, members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Musulmina Fi’biladis Sudan (aka Ansaru) are hibernating in Kuyello district of Birnin Gwari LGA, which recently conducted a nuptial ceremony during which they married two yet-to-be-identified female residents of Kuyello village,” Mr El-Rufai wrote.
“The ceremony was attended by various Ansaru members and witnessed by residents of the area. After the marital rites, insurgents in attendance reportedly conveyed the brides to the dreaded Kuduru forest, in the same District.”

Extracting revenues

In the area of adjudicating disputes, Mr El-Rufai said the terrorists “fined one Mu’azu Ibrahim, a resident of Kuyello community, the sum of One Million Naira for selling plots of land without the consent of the owners.”

In addition, with the government becoming removed from rural communities, leaving them at the mercy of violent criminals, terrorists, Mr El-Rufai suggested, are manning the ungoverned space and extracting revenues from the people.

“Multiple reports also exist of bandits and terrorists exacting protection levies and similar taxes from farmers and communities, in return for permission to cultivate their fields,” the governor said.

Terrorism researchers say that revenues from taxes and levies forced on ungoverned spaces – created by the failure or limited capacity of the government – are a major source of financing and sustenance for terrorists.

Like the Kaduna situation described by El-Rufai, ISWAP terrorists based on the Lake Chad islands are also extracting huge revenues from the fishing activities and pastoralists operating in the area.

El-Rufai, when contacted, said he would not comment on this story because his correspondence was supposed to be confidential communication to the president.
In 2016, he wrote a similar confidential letter to the president, warning that the Buhari administration was losing momentum just about a year after coming to power.

FG to add 204MW electricity capacity in Ekiti

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…begins transmission line, substations project

The federal government has begun the construction of a 132 kilovolts transmission line, a 2 X 60MVA transmission substation, and a switching station in Ekiti state to raise the state’s capacity by 204 megawatts (MW).

This was contained in a statement released to Nigerian Newssphere on Wednesday by Transmission Company of Nigeria(TCN), General Manager Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah.

The Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, during the groundbreaking ceremony in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, said the project consists of a 50 kilometre stretch of 132kV transmission line from Ikere (Ado Ekiti) with a turn in – turn out at Ijesa Isu that terminates at Ilupeju Ekiti.
It also has a 2X60MVA, 132/33kV transmission substation with four line bays at Ijesa Isu Ekiti with a switching station at Ikere (Ado Ekiti) in the state.

The Minister who was represented by the Managing Director and CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said: “For TCN, this is a very strategic project and we believe it will have a massive impact on bulk power transmission in Ekiti and environs.

“The projects are part of the many projects being undertaken by the Transmission Company of Nigeria in pursuit of its grid expansion programme which is in line with Mr. President’s mandate for the expansion of the Power Sector for sustainable development.”

The Minister said in various transmission regions nationwide, TCN is equally executing substations and lines projects which are all at various stages of execution.

“These are a clear indication that the Federal Government is not relenting in its determination to ensure that the nation’s power sector receives the desired boost.

For the residents of Ekiti State and its environs, the additional 204MW capacity to the grid means that more bulk supply will be readily available for offtake by Benin DisCo for its customers in Ekiti and environs,” he noted.

The substations’ project will also take care of suppressed load in this axis and relieve the Ado-Ekiti substation which has been overburdened to ensure a more reliable electricity supply to the people of Ekiti, he added.

The Minister also called on Ekiti residents to support the government efforts against vandalism of power facilities, saying, “We must demonstrate our collective responsibility toward preserving the nation’s power equipment in and around our communities so that the government can concentrate on its grid expansion initiative instead of wasting funds replacing vandalized power infrastructure.”

In his remarks, the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi said, the state receives just only 26MW of electricity from the national grid.
“This level of electricity supply is worrisome and grossly inadequate going by the energy need of our population, estimated to be around 150 megawatts in 2014. Beyond this intolerable level, the quality of the electricity supply is grossly below standard due to non-availability of adequate 132/33KV transmission line and the associated equipment that can help improve the quality of power to be delivered to our people, especially those in the Interior and the rural areas,” stated Fayemi, represented by his deputy.

The governor said although, the project is one of the Federal Government awarded contracts, “for us as a state, the project, when completed will complement the plans of the Ekiti State Government at improving the quality of energy supply to the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.”

 

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