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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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We’ve trained over 8,000 primary school teachers in Kano – PLANE

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria, PLANE, has revealed that it has trained over 8,000 primary school teachers in Kano. 

KANO FOCUS reports that the PLANE’s State Team Lead, Malam Umar Lawan, revealed this during a presentation at the Kano State Quarterly Review Meeting Agenda, held in Kano on Tuesday.

Represented by State Reform Facilitator Umma Muhammad Rakana, the State Team Lead said the training was conducted in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB).

Umma Muhammad Rakana

He added that PLANE had coordinated book and other learning materials distribution at the classroom level across the 532 schools in Kano state.

He said the distribution was to ensure every child own learning materials.

According to him, PLANE had supported 35 school-based management committees that sensitized stakeholders on book care and maintenance, including parents, SBMC, PTA chairmen, LGEA staff, community leaders, religious leaders, and youth groups.

Some of them, according to him, supported the programme by donating 2 hectares of land in Kafinwachiwaya, Takai Local Government area for the construction of 2 classrooms, and 2 bundles of zinc sheets.

“There were also various cash donations for bricks, sand, bags of cement ement, and costs for construction was also donated.“PLANE also organized
Reading Festivals in Minjibir and Gabasawa LGAs to promote reading culture amongst pupils, received financial donations from stakeholders, and LGEAs agreed to make the festival an annual event.

Cross section of critical stakeholders at the event

In the presentation, Lawan suggested that more teachers need to be employed to bridge the gaps of inadequate teachers in some schools, especially hard-to-reach areas.

He also advised for provision of other learning materials like pencils and exercise books by parent, noting that “this will further improve teaching and learning and better learning outcome for pupils.

Cross section of critical stakeholders at the meeting

“More school support visit needs to be conducted to ensure lesson delivery by teachers,” he said.

He said the purpose of the meeting was to give update on key activities conducted in the PLANE programmes in the last quarter, adding that the review would look at successes and challenges in order to find the way forward.

Earlier in a remark, the Commissioner for Education, Haruna Doguwa represented by Malam Munzali Mustapha commended the stakeholders for the meeting, which according to him, it was crucial to education sector.

Malam Munzali Mustapha

 

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Gov. Yusuf assigns Head of Service to supervise SSG’s office

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

The Governor of Kano State Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has directed the Head of Civil Service Abdullahi Musa to supervise the office of the Secretary to the Kano State Government.

KANO FOCUS reports that this was contained in a statement issued by Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the spokesperson to the Governor in the early hours of Thursday.

The appointment was as a result of medical vacation taken by the SSG Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi who flew out of the country for medical treatment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In a letter signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor Shehu Wada Sagagi, the Head of Service is to provide a supervisory role pending the return of the SSG in the next few weeks.

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Gov. Yusuf promotes CPS to DG, appoints other heads of agencies

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Kano State Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has approved the elevation of his official spokesperson Mr. Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa from Chief Press Secretary to Director General, Media and Publicity.

KANO FOCUS reports that the elevation was contained in a statement issued by Aliyu Yusuf, Director Public Enlightenment, Kano State Government House, in the early hours of Thursday.

According to the statement the appointment is with immediate effect.

The statement also announced the appointment of other political office holders to occupy various positions as follows:

“Hon. Rabi’u Saleh Gwarzo, Permanent Commissioner I SUBEB , Engr. Sarki Ahmad, Director General, Rural Access and Mobility Project.

“Hon. Surajo Imam Dala, Director General, Cottage Trade and Street Hawking.

“Dr. Dahiru Saleh Muhammad, Executive Secretary, Science and Technical Schools Board.

“Abubakar Adamu Rano, Deputy Managing Director, Radio Kano

“Hajiya Hauwa Isah Ibrahim, Deputy Managing Director, ARTV.

“Dr. Gaddafi Sani Shehu, Deputy Managing Director, Kano Hydro Electricity Development Company (KHEDCO).”

While congratulating the new appointees, the Governor directed them to assume their new roles immediately.

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