Headlines
BUK FM goes on air

Nazifi Dawud
Bayero University Kano (BUK) has formally opened its newly built high-tech radio station known as BUK FM 98.9.
KANO FOCUS reports that the new station was commissioned on Tuesday following a ceremony held at the premises of the varsity’s Faculty of Communication and attended by pre-eminent communication scholars from across Nigeria.
The digital station, which was established with the support of MacArthur Foundation in the United States, is equipped with facilities customized exclusively for BUK.
Speaking at the event, Vice Chancellor of BUK, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello, said the new station will be utilized to train “highly rated upcoming journalists in all aspects of broadcasting and particularly investigative and data driven journalism”.

“We have to support and encourage investigative journalism for evidence based broadcasting so that media, especially at the grassroots level, can be effective in keeping the process of governance accountable,” Mr Bello said.
“The station will be supported by the university to offer quality and innovative programmin in line with the National Broadcasting Code and our internal ethical regulatory framework. We are confident that our students who will be trained in broadcasting through BUK FM radio and BUK TV will be eminently equipped with the skills of modern broadcasting to serve as beacons of renewal in the industry,” he added.
The vice chancellor also explained that the varsity is currently in talks with the BBC World Service for “collaboration in capacity building for staff and students, content provision for BUK FM and BUK TV as well as equipment support”.
Mr Bello also thanked Dr Kole Shettima, the Director, Africa Office of the MacArthur Foundation for the foundation’s consistent support to BUK over the years.
“Dr Shettima and the MacArthur Foundation have remained great friends of the university. Over the years, the foundation through the good offices of Dr Shettima has offered the university many important interventions aimed at promoting academic and infrastructural development of the university,” he said.
McArthur injects fresh N288 million grant
Similarly, Professor Umaru Pate, Dean of BUK’s Postgraduate School and eminent communication scholar said MacArthur Foundation, which was impressed with the utilization of the earlier grant of $700,000 (N252,000 million) has given an additional $800,000 (N288 million) grant to BUK for the final establishment of BUK TV.
Mr Pate explained that the funds were granted to upgrade the university’s quality of training and research in investigative and data driven journalism, strengthen linkages with the communication industry, review and upgrade of curriculum among others.
“Three years into the life of the grant, the Faculty of Communication under the direction of the university management has been able to achieve the major targets of the grant.
“We have been able to utilize the grant to lead the process that led to the unbundling of Mass Communication; over 150 female students have been awarded scholarship support (and) we have been equipped a 150 computer laboratory as well as strengthen our linkages with the industry as our colleagues and students go on internship to selected media houses,” he said.
‘Not a mouth piece of vice chancellor’
On his part, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, a foremost scholar communication specialist said the new station should be seen not as a competitor to commercial radio stations in Kano, but as a loyal partner in media advertising.
Professor Akinfeleye however appealed that for the station to succeed, it “should not be the PR (public relations) outfit of the vice chancellor or DVC or any of the principal officers of the university.
“It should remain an organ of training for the students in Mass Communication and other related disciplines such as creative arts, law, engineering, English language and many others, ” he said.

Headlines
Kano Governor-elect pledges to reintroduce Kwankwasiyya free education, healthcare schemes

Aminu Abdullahi
The Kano State Governor-elect, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, has reaffirmed his government’s readiness to fix quickly the problems with the provision of potable water, basic education and good healthcare which are fundamental duties of a responsive government.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Spokesperson to the Governor-elect, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa revealed this in a statement issued on Friday.
Dawakintofa said, “despite huge tax payers’ money the outgoing administration claimed to have committed to the provision of basic water, Kano households strive in the twenty-first century to access safe drinking water in the State endowed with functional dams and resources to provide basic amenities.”
In his acceptance speech, the Governor-elect reassured Kano people that beyond fixing basic water supply, the incoming government will uphold the Kwankwasiyya philosophy with a wider scope of free education at primary and secondary levels involving provision of school uniform, learning materials, meals, conducive environment, paying SSCE fees for the students, training and motivation for the teachers to impart good quality education.

The incoming administration, which he said will be an off-shot of Kwankwaso administration, will be committed to free maternal and child healthcare programmes just as plans are underway for the upgrading of local health facilities across the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State.
To bridge the human capital gap in the various public institutions, Engr. Abba administration will rebirth Kwankwasiyya scholarship scheme for tertiary education and terminal degrees in special areas such as medicine, science and engineering in foreign countries.
It is a resolution that the incoming government will complete abandoned projects and continue with laudable populist policies of Kwankwasiyya administrations just as youth empowerment and enabling environment for MSMES and entrepreneurship to flourish will be provided as enshrined in the Campaign Blueprint.

Headlines
TMG, CISLAC, CSOs dismiss report calling for review of Kano Governorship Election

Aminu Abdullahi
The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, CISLAC and the Kano Civil Society Elections Situation Room have distanced themselves from call seeking for the review of the Kano Gubernatorial Election.

KANO FOCUS reports that Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Chairman TMG on Saturday told journalists at a news conference in Kano the group which identified itself as Accredited INEC Elections Observers are “fake, faceless and politically sponsored”.
Rafsanjani who was flanked by the Convener, Kano Civil Society Elections Situation Room, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya lamented that the spread of the fictitious and malicious group at a time when Nigeria is having it’s political space heated up is not only worrisome, but also has the potential to further over heat the polity.
Mr. Rafsanjani, warned that “as genuine Transition Monitoring Group and Civil Society Groups are left without options but to take necessary legal actions against these faceless Group using their names to championed a Criminal minded, Politically Motivated and sponsored missions.”
Rafsanjani, warned that, “as Champions of Democracy, we will not allow smear-campaigners and people with politically motivated reasons drag credible Civil Society Organizations in Kano State and indeed in Nigeria at large into political wars with political parties”.
The CISLAC boss said “TMG, CISLAC and the Kano Civil Society Forum have done incredible Work towards electoral reforms in Nigeria, since 1998, TMG has Championed the Democratic path in Nigeria as the foremost elections Observation group with the widest membership across the Nation”.
He noted, “we will never interfere with the conduct of elections or seek to interfere with the Judicial processes leading up to a Redress of grievances resulting from the elections”.
For that the TMG called on public to disregard in totality the reports making round and using the names of credible organizations and called for the review of Governorship Elections in Kano.

Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya
Also in his speech, the Convener, Kano Civil Society Elections Situation Room, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya, urged the Media to filter credible Civil Society Groups from faceless, politically motivated sponsored groups who hide under the names of credible organizations to concoct fake stories that suits their narratives.

Headlines
Nigeria recorded 3.9m cyberattacks before, during, after governorship elections

Mukhtar Yahaya Usman
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim aww Pantami has drawn the attention of the digital economy stakeholders and the general public to the ministry’s activities before, during, and after the 2023 gubernatorial and states’ houses of assembly elections.
KANO FOCUS reports that Pantami said the committee, which he inaugurated to monitor Nigeria’s cyberspace, recorded a total of 3,834,244 attacks, originating from both within and outside Nigeria, before, during and after the gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections across the country.
According to a statement released yesterday by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and signed by the Senior Technical Assistant (Research and Development) to the Minister, Dr. Femi Adelusi, the daily breakdown of the attacks showed that on Friday 17th March, 2023, there were 1,046,896 cyberattacks; On Saturday 18th March, 2023, there were 1,481,847 Cyberattacks; On Sunday 19th March, 2023, there were 327,718 Cyberattacks and on Monday 20th March, 2023, there were 977,783 Cyberattacks.
The statement further stated that activities on the Nigerian cyberspace during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections, we’re much lower than those during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“This is neither surprising nor unexpected as, Nigeria being Africa’s largest democracy, the Presidential and National Assembly elections are bound to attract much attention of everyone, including cyberthreat actors than during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
“The Minister is confident that the implementation of some recommendations as well as measures taken to fortify our cyber defence mechanisms might have helped in this,” the statement further said.
Pantami reiterated that the attainments would not have been possible without the continued support of President Muhammadu Buhari, in particular, and the administration in general, towards ensuring Nigeria’s successful transition into the digital economy.
“The digital economy sector has enjoyed Mr President’s unprecedented support and it is highly appreciated,” Pantami said.
Based on the Minister’s directives, the committee provided close oversight on the activities of the cybersecurity Centres, from Friday 17th March, 2023 to Monday 20th March, 2023.
During this period and as previously reported, a series of hacking attempts were recorded, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), email and Internet Protocol Spoofing (IPS) attacks, SSH Login Attempts, Brute force Injection attempts, Path Traversal, Detection Evasion, and Forceful Browsing, the statement further explained.
