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NCC has committed over N200 million to Research and Development – Danbatta

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Nasiru Yusuf

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Umar Garba Danbatta, has declared that the Commission had committed over N200 million into the promotion of research and development (R&D) in order to drive innovation in the country’s telecommunications sector.

KANO FOCUS reports that Danbatta stated this during the prize presentation ceremony of the 2021 NCC National Essay Competition held on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, at the Conference Room of the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja.

At the event which marked the 3rd edition of the annual competition organised by the Commission, the EVC said the Commission has invested modestly in research grants, instituted professorial chairs in universities across the country, supported tech startups, and sponsored national essay competitions and many more social investments in order to ensure synergy and linkages among industry, the academia and the youth.

A statement sent to KANO FOCUS by commission’s Director, Public Affairs Ikechukwu Adinde said over 2,000 entries were received from 97 public and private tertiary institutions for the competition in which Esther Oluwabukola Gbeja, a 600-Level student of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ilorin, was declared overall winner. Gbeja received a cash prize of N500,000.00, a laptop, and a printer; while the first runner-up, Moses Nosa Edosa, a final year student of Accounting at the University of Port Harcourt, received a cash prize of N300,000.00 only.

Two second runners-up emerged from the competition to pick the third prize. MarcPatrick Efevuriri Efeni, a 200-Level student of Cybersecurity at the Airforce Institute of Technology, Kaduna; and Nasiru Abdul Karim, a 400-Level student of Computer Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, both came third having scored same number of points. They both received cash prizes of N200,000 each.

The EVC said NCC gladly accommodated the additional prize due to the tie in the third place, as a mark of encouragement.

According to Danbatta, the topic for this year’s essay competition, “5G Technology: Opportunities & challenges”, was carefully chosen to ensure that the youths have a good understanding of the new technology.

He said Nigeria’s vibrant youth populace stands to benefit massively from the deployment of 5G technology, which the Commission is set to launch in 2022.

The NCC CEO said the Commission initiated and has maintained the annual essay competition to stimulate the interest of Nigerians especially the young people, to contribute to efforts in driving innovation in the technological ecosystem of Nigeria. “It is on this premise that NCC took the step to encourage Nigerian students to remain pro-active and partake in the national competition that challenges students to be competitive and engage their best efforts,” he said.

While emphasising the critical importance of communications as the foundation for the technological  development of society and its role in the provision of vital infrastructure for national security, the EVC highlighted the need to invest in research programmes as observed in advanced nations, where a lot of resources are channeled into R&D.

Danbatta seized the opportunity provided by the event to reiterate the assurances of the Commission to Nigerians that 5G technology will expand the mobile ecosystem into a new realm and the impact will be felt in various sectors of the economy.

The Chairman of the 3rd NCC National Essay Competition Committee, Edoyemi Ogoh, who is also a Deputy Director in the Commission’s Technical Standards and Network Integrity Department, commended the EVC’s effort in recognising the academia as a key stakeholder in the development of the communications sector, and in encouraging that critical sector to have a natural connection with the industry.

Ogoh further said that the Commission “knows the importance of innovative thinking in the growing ICT industry in Nigeria and as such, this has made the Commission to engage youths in various tertiary institutions across the nation to compete in essay writing on 5G technology.”

Also speaking at the event, Director, Public Affairs at the NCC, Ikechukwu Adinde, said the essay competition is one of the most important initiatives the Commission, and expressed his delight at the ability of the winners who have demonstrated vast knowledge on the subject matter during their presentation. Adinde also emphasised the influence of the competition in the stimulation of the minds of the target audience and the creation of positive awareness to debunk misconceptions about the 5G technologies.

The Director Public Affairs said, the outcome of the competition is an encouragement to the NCC Management to continue to support the national essay competition while ensuring that the Commission sustains such programme. He said the results are evident today as the NCC has, through the essay contest, produced four ambassadors of 5G. “These youths can go out and engage their peers about 5G, its benefits, opportunities and address the negative preconceptions about the 5G network,” Adinde said.

The essay competition was initiated by the NCC to deepen awareness and knowledge of telecommunications stakeholders in the country, especially the young people. Interestingly, every successive year, the competition is marked by massive responses in the number of essays submitted by students.

Though the Commission has been able to organise three of such national essay competitions, the resultant social and emotional equity has had impressive and quantifiable values on the Commission as a leading Nigerian public sector brand.

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Police arrest five over unauthorised distribution of local herbal medicine in Kano

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

The Kano State Police Command has arrested five persons over the alleged unauthorised administration and sale of locally made herbal medicine at a church premises in Kano, warning individuals and organisations against conducting medical outreaches without regulatory approval.

 

KANO FOCUS reports that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.

 

According to the statement, operatives of the 52 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Chalawa, intercepted six men on August 4 at the ECWA Church located behind the 52 PMF Base in Challawa, following complaints from residents and public outcry over the activity.

 

The police identified the group’s leader as **Simon Gbaaondo**, 50, from Karu in Nasarawa State.

 

The suspects were alleged to have been administering unverified locally made medicine free of charge and offering it for sale to large numbers of residents from Panshekara and surrounding communities without approval from the relevant health regulatory authorities.

 

The police also invited the individual who hosted the group at the church to assist investigators in establishing the circumstances surrounding the exercise.

 

The case was initially reported at the Panshekara Police Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where five of the suspects are currently undergoing further investigation.

 

The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, cautioned members of the public against administering drugs, herbal medicines or conducting medical outreach programmes without authorisation from the Kano State Government, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant health authorities.

 

The police said such activities pose serious public health and security risks, particularly when they attract large crowds.

 

The command urged residents to report any suspicious medical outreach or distribution of unverified medicines to the nearest police station, assuring the public of its commitment to safeguarding lives and maintaining public order.

 

Police said further details on the investigation would be made available as the case progresses.

 

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Kano Assembly passes bill to regulate private school fees

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Ibrahim Khalil

 

The Kano State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to regulate fees charged by private schools and strengthen oversight of private educational institutions across the state.

 

KANO FOCUS reports that the legislation, titled the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduces measures aimed at protecting parents from arbitrary tuition fee increases while improving the administration of private schools.

 

Speaking after the bill was passed on Monday, the House Majority Leader, Alhaji Lawan Hussaini, said the amendment requires all private primary and secondary schools in the state to consult their Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) before implementing any increase in school fees.

 

He explained that under the new law, any approved fee increment must not exceed 10 per cent of the existing tuition fees.

 

The Executive Bill, which is awaiting the assent of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, also provides that the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board must be a retired or experienced educationist who attained at least Grade Level 14 in the public service.

 

Hussaini further disclosed that private schools would no longer be permitted to charge students more than 10 per cent above the official registration fees prescribed by external examination bodies, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).

 

The amendment also reduces the statutory charges payable by private schools to the Board from 15 per cent to five per cent.

 

According to the Majority Leader, the provisions are part of broader reforms aimed at streamlining the administration of private schools, promoting transparency, and improving educational standards across Kano State.

 

The bill will become law upon receiving the assent of Governor Yusuf.

 

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Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga resigns from NDC

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga, who represents Kano Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has resigned his membership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

KANO FOCUS reports that the resignation was conveyed in a letter dated August 3, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the NDC in Dakata Ward, Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

In the letter, Hanga said his resignation took immediate effect from Monday, August 3, explaining that the decision followed “careful reflection and personal deliberation.”

He stated that he had decided to withdraw his membership from the party to pursue “other personal commitments and career paths.”

The senator expressed appreciation to the ward leadership, the Ward Executive Committee and members of the party for the opportunities, support and fellowship he enjoyed during his time in the NDC.

“I cherish the relationships built and the experiences shared during our political activities together,” he wrote.

Hanga also requested that his name be removed from the party’s membership register at the ward level and said he had attached his official NDC membership card to the resignation letter.

He wished the party and its members success in their future endeavours.

Meanwhile, the senator’s son, Samir Rufa’i Sani Hanga, shared the resignation letter on his Facebook page on Monday with a brief comment in Hausa.

“Cin amana ya kori Baba daga tafiyar da ya runguma bisa amana,” he wrote.

The statement, which translates roughly as “Betrayal has forced my father out of the political journey he embraced in good faith,” appeared to suggest that issues of trust and loyalty influenced the senator’s decision, although Hanga himself did not cite betrayal as the reason for his resignation in the letter.

KANO FOCUS reports that the senator has yet to announce his next political move or indicate whether he intends to join another political party.

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