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Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in EPL opener

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Arsenal FC, trashed Crystal Palace 2-0 in 2022/23 English Premier League opener on Friday.

Goals from Martinelli in the 20th minutes and Own Goal(OG) by Palace’s Guehi at the 80 minutes gave Gunners their first EPL win.

Reacting to the game, Crystal Palace’s manager,Patrick Vieira spoke on his team approach against Arsenal tonight.

“For today, the tactical side will be secondary, what will be important today will be to play with determination, aggression, and put that Arsenal side under pressure.”

 

Insecurity: Police AIG sustains bullet injuries, orderly dies in terrorist attack

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Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 12 with headquarters in Bauchi, Audu Madaki, has sustained bullet wounds as suspected terrorists attacked their vehicle near Kwoi in Kaduna State.

The attack occurred on Tuesday when the AIG was traveling from Bauchi to Abuja in his staff without escort vehicles.

According to security sources who spoke to Daily Nigerian on the condition of anonymity, the attackers came in a Volkswagen Sharon and opened fire on the vehicle.

The sources said Mr Madaki sustained two bullet wounds on his leg, while his orderly was shot dead by the hoodlums.

A source said the AIG made the mistake of plying the dangerous road without his full convoy.

“He was wrong to travel through a very dangerous terrain without his convoy. He only travelled in his staff car with his driver, his escort commander and orderly.

“But for the gallantry of his escort commander who returned the fire, the situation would have been worse.

The police are yet to officially speak on the incident.

NCC Restates Commitment to fund research as VCs attend Roundtable

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Prof. Kayode Adebowale, Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan; Prof. Bola Oboh, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics & Research, University of Lagos; Prof. Adeolu Akande, Board Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Ms. Josephine Amuwa, Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC; Prof. Adenike Oladeji, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure; Prof. Owunari Gengewill, Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt; and Prof. Kolawole Ajanaku, Director, Research, Covenant University, during a two-day Regional Roundtable with the Academia, Industry and other Stakeholders by the NCC which commenced in Lagos on Wednesday

Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Adeolu Akande, has restated the commitment of the Commission to commit more funds to research and prototypes resulting from grants from the Commission to the academia. This is coming at the backdrop of the recent revelation that the Commission has commitment more than N500 Million in funding research across the Nigerian universities.

Professor Akande told a gathering of Vice Chancellors and professors from universities in the southern parts of the country at a roundtable conference at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, that the Commission acknowledges the importance of working with stakeholders to engender innovations and build indigenous technological capabilities that would strengthen the ICT ecosystem.

“We want to use this opportunity to assure you that the Commission will continue to give support to the educational sector in the interest of national development. We will also continue to encourage research and innovation in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions,” Akande said, explaining that the essence of the roundtable was to dialogue with the academia, industry and other stakeholders on how research efforts and prottotypes can be transformed into commercially viable products that solve real-life problems.

“Consequently, the Commission will continue to allocate the requisite resources to research, development and innovations necessary for the industry to continue to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country,” Akande said.

Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, represented by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services of the Commission, Josphine Amuwa, said academia is a key driver of innovation in all spheres of human endeavour.

He said this is why his leadership at the Commission is determined to not only give grants to the academia but also support the commercialisation of these prototypes to deepen the indigenous technological capabilities which would support the overall development of the industry.

Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Engr Bako Wakil, who represented the NCC Executive Commissioner, revealed that the Commission had so far awarded a total of 49 telecom-based research grants to the academia out of which 10 prototypes have been successfully developed. “We are hopeful that these sessions will culminate in the development of common framework that would facilitate the commercialisation of the existing prototypes and future research outcomes (prototypes) for the benefit of the economy and the industry,” he stated.

Coming shortly after a similar round table in Kano for the northern region, the event organized by the R&D Department of the Commission, was aimed at bringing together Resources persons, business savvy industry experts, the academia, relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), entrepreneurs and renowned individuals who have successfully commercialised their inventions to brainstorm on the way forward for research output commercialisation.

 

AriseTv Journalist, Rufai tenders apology over traffic infraction in Lagos

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…As court fines him N70,000

AriseTV Journalist, Anchor Mr Rufai Oseni has apologised on Wednesday during a live broadcast, indicating he was deeply ashamed of his conduct.

Nigerian Newssphere correspondent who monitored the development on the popular, AriseTV ‘Goodmorning Show’ learnt that the reporter was indeed sober for his action.

This is as Lagos Police Command confirmed that he has been charged to Court and was fined N70,000 for the offence.

Earlier Oseni and policemen who caught him while plying the BRT lane on Monday in Lagos.

In a viral video, Oseni was seen railing at the policemen in a vehicle who had arrested him for plying the prohibited BRT lane.

A policeman and another man were trying to placate the angry Oseni to go back to his SUV after it was released to him.

He came back again to assault the policemen inside their vehicle.

Oseni was heard, saying “I will call the governor, I will call the governor, nonsense”, he said.

This generated reactions from concerned Nigerians and authorities.

To this end, yesterday fourt in Lagos state found him guilty of driving on the BRT lane in contravention of the law and was fined the sum of N70,000 and after he made the payment, his vehicle was released to him.

This was disclosed by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, while giving an update on the development on his Twitter handle on Tuesday night.

According to his tweet: “Mr Rufai Oseni was in court earlier today. He was found guilty of contravening Lagos State Transport Law (2018). He was subsequently fined Seventy Thousand Naira Only. He made the payment, after which his vehicle was released to him.”

 

Pantami reaffirms FG commitment to Indigenous telecom content, Danbatta lauds efforts

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Minister of the Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, has reaffirmed Federal Government’s determination to reverse the trend of importation of all types of telecommunications products, especially where production in Nigeria is possible.

This was contained in a statement released to Nigerian Newssphere on Tuesday by Nigerian Communications Commision, Director Public Affairs, Mr Reuben Muoka.

Pantami who spoke at the first indigenous telecom content expo at the Landmark Center in Lagos, got immediate commendation from the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta, who told the audience that the Minister’s efforts and support has spurred the Commission to take certain steps that have yielded immediate results that were being showcased the expo.

Pantami emphasised that Government has put efforts towards the protection of the telecom industry, which contributes impressively to the GDP, by insisting on the drastic reduction in the reliance on foreign products. He consequently warned against importation of such products like SIM Cards that can be produced in Nigerian.

He also took a swipe at the recent efforts to impose 5 per cent Excise Duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria, arguing that the Ministry which oversees the industry was not consulted and that the timing of such duty in a period of hardship as is being witnessed in Nigeria today is  antithetical to the growth of the industry.

“I was not consulted before the decision on 5 per cent excise duty was reached, and it was unfair to impose such a tax on an industry that was already burdened with other taxes and already contributing about 17 per cent to the country’s revenue”, he said.  Pantami told his audience, including the Chairman of the House Committee on Telecommunications, Hon. Akeem Adeniyi Adeyemi, that his position was already shared by the National Assembly which was also not also consulted on this issue before it was announced.

“We must do what we need to do to protect the industry.  Beyond making our opinions known, we will take legitimate and legal steps to stop any plan against the interest of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry”, he said.

Speaking further on the efforts of the Commission to pursue indigenous content in the industry, EVC of NCC, Prof Danbatta, said the objective of the policy is to transform the enormous strides achieved by the telecom industry in the last two decades into long-term indigenous economic development outcomes for Nigerian companies and citizenry.

Danbatta said the Commission has taken various steps to ensure that this process is painstakingly pursued through capacity strengthening, institutional building and strategic policy tools which will further promote domestic and economic linkages, job creation and the participation of local Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the telecom value chain via the supply of goods and services to the sector.

Mass production of Andriod phones, others to kick off in Abuja soon- FG

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…Initiative will address unemployment
The Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Mr Joseph Ari, has said that the federal government agency is currently concluding plans towards mass production of Android phones for Nigerians.
This is coming as Ari stated that the initiative, when implemented will address unemployment in Nigeria.
He disclosed this in Jos on Monday during a media briefing organised by the ITF to unveil its strategic policy direction for the 2022-2025 period.
According to the DG, apart from the need to widen the capacity of the  machines involved in the mass production of Android phones, there was also the need for the agency to finalise the legal framework for the purpose intellectual property rights.
Ari said,  “Yes, it is true that in June last year,we gave a sample of our android mobile phone to Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari but you know that the issues surrounding productions are long and varied .As I speak to you , two weeks ago,I was able to inspect the Assembly plant which has now been installed at the Model Skill Training Centre in Abuja because we needed to widen the capacity of the machines but they have now been installed .
“We needed to also work with other regulatory agencies in terms of drawing the legal framework and other things and we are now at the concluding end to find the legal framework for the purpose of intellectual property rights .So, from that June last year till now, we have done a lot to ensure that we roll out the mass production of the Android mobile phones and even a private company in Lagos. Afrione an Indian company  has also approached us to partner with us in the area of capacity building and we have already signed a memorandum of understanding in that regard. So the roll plan is on course.”
The Director-General decried the high rate of unemployment in the country which he  noted stood at over 33 per cent, pointing out that the situation had persisted  mostly because over 23 million Nigerians that were desirous to work but without requisite skills.
“It is based on the above and in line with our mandate of developing a vast pool of skilled manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the public and private sectors of the national economy, coupled with resolutions at the recently concluded ITF National Skills Summit in Abuja, that we found it imperative to review and refocus our strategies to address the above challenges and to meet the skills requirement of the nation in line with global best practices. In arriving at our strategies. We considered the need to scale up our activities to address the soaring unemployment and other socio-economic challenges by leveraging on our three Es (Experience, Expertise and Expansive network), deployment of technology for wider coverage and more flexible service delivery.”
Ari explained that the new policy framework, which had as its theme, ‘Re-Engineering Skills for Sustainable Development’ had external and internal components.
“To actualize this, the Fund will develop National Occupational Standards; Evaluate and certify apprentices, technicians and craftsmen; Train and certify learning and development professionals and; Create and maintain a data bank on skills training.When fully in place, our efforts will lead to the development of a robust National Occupational Standard (NOS); create a pool of certified apprentices, technicians and craftsmen as well as assessors and verifiers as well as create a pool of certified learning and development professionals and a regulated skills training environment,” he added.

ASUU Strike: Woes persist for students as varsity lecturers extend industrial action by Four Weeks

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) has extended the prolonged industrial action embarked upon over five months ago by another four weeks.
This is as public universities students would have to spend another Four weeks at home.
Recall that the striking lecturers shut down public universities on February 14, 2022, following the inability of the Federal Government to implement a Memorandum of Action (MoA) entered by the two parties in 2020.
National President, ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke in a statement on Monday, said the decision to further extend the strike was to enable the FG satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues raised.
The development was sequel to an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the union held at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Sunday
The statement reads in part, “Following extensive deliberations and taking cognisance of Government’s past failures to abide by its own timelines in addressing issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA), NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues.
“The role-over strike action is with effect from 12.01am on Monday, 1st August 2022″.

Economic crisis in Nigeria: Officials continue to trade blame as Naira maintains free-fall against USD

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…BDC Operators advocate floating of Naira

… Nigerian economy suffering lack of productive activities— Chizea

…FG must fix structural, money, policy issues — Muda Yusuf

Following trade of blame by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), other government officials on the reason for free fall of Naira against US Dollar over the weekend.

The Naira traded for N680/$1 at the parallel market against the N710/$1 traded a day earlier, which indicated a 4.2 per cent recovery.

This is just as the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators urged the apex bank to float the Naira in order to halt further depreciation.
The Nigerian economy is chronic lack of productivity, policy inconsistencies are major issues stifling the performance of Naira against Dollar, stakeholders who spoke exclusively to Nigerian Newssphere opined.

Recall that the Apex Bank had attributed the non-remittance of Dollars to foreign reserves by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to free-fall of Naira in the official and parallel markets.

While assuring that it would continue to make deliberate efforts in the foreign exchange sector to avert further downward slide in the value of the Naira, CBN said the depreciation was fuelled by speculative tendencies.

Float Naira to halt further depreciation — BDC Operators to CBN

The President of ABCON, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe said the Central Bank should abolish the official exchange rate to stem free-fall of the currency at the exchange market.

Gwadabe said that the CBN should do all within its powers to undertake a sustained injection of Dollars in the market to reverse the loss in the value of the naira at the parallel market.

“It might sound counterintuitive but the way out of the current frenzy is to abolish the official fixed exchange rate and allow the Naira to float.
“CBN should contemporaneously undertake a large-scale dollar intervention in the open market that can inspire confidence in the Naira and checkmate the current tailspin.

“Once there is a significant positive movement, the market will react and, in all probability, spur an avalanche of panic selling and further buoy the Naira,” Gwadabe said.

The financial expert said that the CBN could gradually buy back the Dollars used in its intervention from the open market at a lower exchange rate for a decent profit.

He argued that the next phase would be to strengthen the Naira in the medium to long term, adding that both fiscal and monetary policies should be aligned to stimulate the tradable sector.

On CBN’s Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 13 per cent, Gwadabe said that the adjusted rate would stifle growth.

He said efforts targeted at reducing Inflation in an underperforming economy should focus on stimulating the supply side.

“Increasing the MPR contracts the supply side, it is the wrong prescription.

“Let’s not copy the Americans who target inflation with FED rates to curb money supply; their factors of production have been fully mobilized, ours is at less than 20 per cent and requires stimulation of the supply side.
“The U.S. per capita GDP is around 66,000 dollars, ours is $1,500 in real terms which underscores the need for a pro supply side monetary policy,” Gwadabe said.

Nigerian economy suffers chronic lack of productivity — Chizea

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, BIC Consultancy Services, Dr. Boniface Chizea said the fundamental problem of the Nigerian Economy is chronic lack of productivity.

In his words, “The basic and fundamental problem of the Nigerian economy is chronic lack of productivity. Recall that not long ago in an attempt to be proactive with this problem, the Central Bank took the policy decision to deny access to 40 odd products to the official foreign exchange market.

“All hell was let loose as everyone jumped on the bandwagon shouting themselves hoarse that demand management was wrong.

“But not too long after positive results were achieved as local capacities were restored in some critical sectors resulting to the creation of badly needed employment opportunities.
“The cry to free float the determination of rate of exchange of the Naira has abetted. What bothers me is that most of these experts have been around for as long as I have been.

“And anyone who has closely tracked policy in this regard must admit that all that have been tried before only for us to beat a quick retreat.
“The basic problem with the exchange rate is that the demand for Dollars is insatiable almost to the point of being inelastic.

“The CBN is on record to say it will attempt liberalization if we stop importation of refined petroleum products which currently consumes approximately 30 per cent of available supply of foreign exchange.

“I thought this is not contestable. The rate of exchange reacts to the supply and demand conditions. If the supply reduces the rate of exchange falls. This is no brainer!

“And we must also recall that the medium of exchange as we continue to perpetrate corruption inducing cash and carry politics that the medium of exchange is Dollars. In fact not long ago it was reported that some delegates were actually paid in fake dollars!
“This is comical if not that it is such a serious matter. Why should anyone be surprised that EFCC was reported to have recently raided the operators of Bureau de Change (BDC)? Afterall what is happening is illegal as it is a direct abuse of the legal tender status of the Naira.

“Another startling recommendation is that the CBN should close the official window for the sale of foreign exchange. Not surprising this recommendation is said to have emanated from the BDC operators intent on enlarging their coast.

“Again as alarmist as this recommendation sounds, it is nothing novel. This is what the CBN did whenever in the past it tried to float the Naira. The CBN will announce that it will stop supplying the market ready to play the role of a swing producer.

“But the precipitous rate of fall of the exchange rate frightens the Bank as it quickly revises the policy thrust. Well may be, the BDC operators would prefer that official dollars be routed through them!

“What capacity do the BDC operators have to deal with the real sectors of the economy; Industry, manufacturers, agriculture, the big trading companies, phermaceuticai companies etc.? We must avoid steps that will complicate our dare situation!

“Everyone is feeling the pinch of a weak rate of exchange but unfortunately the chicken has come home to roost as we are now paying for the mismanagement that was the hallmark of our management of the Nigeria economy all these years.

“I will caution that we must brace up as it is bound to get much worse as there is no quick mend in sight. We should bear in mind our current experience with diesel prices which are no longer affordable.

“I read that for the first time in a long while the bonds which Debt Management Office took to the market was under subscribed. Therefore, it is necessary to remember the Sri Lanka’s experience? It now regrettably beckons on us!!!”, he stated.

FG must fix structural, policy inconsistencies to address depreciation — Muda Yusuf

On his part whilst speaking on the development, an economic analyst and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf said Nigeria must fix the structural, security and policy inconsistency challenges in order to address Naira depreciation against foreign exchange.

According to him, “It is true that the low accretion to reserves is a major factor in the current forex crisis.  Oil output has been very low,   falling significantly below budget benchmark and OPEC quota.  Massive oil theft was responsible for this.

“The phenomenal  growth in petrol subsidy and the huge import bill from petroleum products importation is also a major factor constraining the capacity of the CBN to support the foreign exchange market.

“However, the dysfunctional foreign exchange policy of the CBN had compounded the problem.  The fixed exchange rate regime and the multiple forex windows had created serious distortions, disruptions and dislocations in the forex market.

“It has also resulted in transparency problems, perpetuation of roundtripping, deepening of a rent economy and corruption in the forex market, especially in the official window. The forex policy is a major factor.

“Therefore,  to fix the problem of the tumbling exchange rate,  it  is imperative to address the structural, security and policy issues,”he stated.

BBNaija Season 7: Deji, Modella introduced as fake Housemates

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Deji, Modella has been introduced as fake housemates in the Big Brother Naija Season 7.

The Host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu made this announcement on Sunday.

According to him, the announcement comes handy to spice up the show.

Details later!

NCC Doles out N500m for research in Nigerian Universities

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L-R: Mr. Ismail Adedigba, Director, Research and Development, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Dr. Caroline Alenoghena, Director, Entrepreneurship Centre, Federal University of Technology, Minna; Mr. Abdulrahman Ado, Executive Director, 9Mobile;  Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC; Engr. Ubale Maska, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC; Prof. Kabiru Bala, Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, during the Regional Roundtable with Academia, Industry and other Stakeholders hosted by the Commission in Kano recently.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has committed over N500 million to the Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions across the country to facilitate research and innovations to promote developments in the Nigerian telecommunications industry.

Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta who disclosed this at a two-day Regional Roundtable with Academia, Industry and Other Stakeholders which ended in Kano at the weekend, said the funds have been committed to research grants to universities and tertiary institutions, including professorial chairs in the universities in salient areas to drive technology development.

Danbatta said the Commission is now focused on supporting the academia in the commercialisation of the prototypes from these innovative researches as this is relevant to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s policy towards achieving indigenous technology for sustainable development  of our country. He said the roundtable organized by the Commission was to provide the necessary platform to support the commercialisation of locally- developed telecommunications innovations which NCC has been sponsoring.

“The Commission collaborates with the Academia in maximising the contributions of tertiary institutions to innovations and sustainable development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry as finance is needed to drive possible success of these endeavours. ” Danbatta said. Danbatta said these efforts has enabled the Commission to contribute to national efforts to ensure overall growth of the industry and create wealth for innovators, saying all these are fundamental to the objective of the NCC’s R&D-oriented programmes.

On the basis of these, he said ideas, inventions, and improvements that emanate from the academia are required by the industry for improved efficiency and productivity. Danbatta said appreciable impacts had been achieved since the Commission reinvigorated research grants for telecommunications-based research innovations from Nigerian academics, focusing on successful commercialisation of locally developed solutions to foster and deepen the uptake of indigenous technology by Nigerians.

NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr Ubale Maska, also disclosed that the Commission, has so far awarded 49 telecom- based research grants to the academia  out of which 10 prototypes were successfully developed and displayed to industry stakeholders. He said the R&D efforts of the Commission were aimed at actualizing some of the 8-point Pillar Eight of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030, focusing on Indigenous Content Development and Adoption.

The event, which featured series of panel session discussions, particularly focusing on sub-themes that addressed the overarching theme of the stakeholders forum from different perspectives, drew participants from the academia, telecoms industry stakeholders, financial services sector and other critical sectors or the economy.

Participants deliberated on understanding commercialisation and entrepreneurial model within the university and industry perspectives as well as brainstormed on investment/ funding opportunities for prototype development, sustainability and the sale of new products in the market place.

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