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Lagos Lauds SAP, Tips Africa Code Week to Bridge Digital Skills Gap

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(L-r): Olu Familusi, head, Business Operations, West Africa at SAP; Femi Odubiyi, commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology; ‎Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology‎ and Olajide Ademola Ajayi, Nigeria’s Coordinator of Africa Code Week, at Africa Code Week 2016 held at Lagos State Digital Village, Alausa, recently.
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The Lagos State Government has identified ‘Africa Code Week’ (ACW), a continent-wide initiative to spark the interest of African children, teenagers and young adults in software coding, as a digitally revolutionary approach to get the youths acquainted with the required skills set to face future workplace/ technological developments.

Spearheaded by SAP as part of its social investments to drive sustainable growth in Africa, Africa Code Week (ACW) is the story of hundreds of schools, teachers, ministers, community centres, code clubs, NGOs, businesses and non-profits getting together to give birth to the largest digital literacy initiative ever organized on the African continent.

Speaking at the week-long AfricaCodeWeek 2016 in Lagos, Mr. Femi Odubiyi, Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology, said that with SAP’s long-term goal through ACW, to empower over 200,000 teachers and positively impacting the lives of five million children and youth within the next 10 years, the programme is appropriate and critical to the State’s plan to empower the youths.

Odubiyi said, “One of the things that drive this government is the action to grow and empower our youths. One of the areas through which we can articulate that, is through the information and communication technologies (ICTs). We are in the era of digital revolution. This government wants to ensure that we do not miss out of that revolution; we want to empower our future leaders who are the youths of today.

“We want to help them to develop their creativity and be able to think out of the box. Today they are using coding tools; tomorrow they will be empowered to do more than that, by developing programs on e-health, security apparatuses and so forth.  What is been imbedded in them today are skills required for the future.”

In reflecting on the ICT/coding curriculum for Schools in the State, the Commissioner said that ICT is consistently changing the environment; hence the State is moving with the trends. “This is the principal reason the State adopts programmes like Africa Code Week. We want to enhance the capacity of our teachers to be relevant”.

To the participating teachers the Commissioner had the following message: “The teachers are the first beneficiaries; thus, they are being empowered. What they are doing now is to get the required skills to develop the future cognitive thinkers.  They are trail blazers who are going to lead the digital revolution in Lagos State”.

Also speaking at the event was Mr. Olu Familusi, head, Business Operations, SAP West Africa, who said that with businesses increasingly digital and globally connected, coding is the new language for individual and economic growth.

With the distinction of being the fastest growing digital consumer market on the planet, Africa continues to quickly embrace new technology and digital trends as estimated. For example, there will be 360 million Smart Phone users in Africa by 2025, there are 100 million African people active on Facebook every month, 40% of African businesses are in the planning stages of a big data project and 31% of all Africans live within 25kms of fibre node.

To this end, Familusi said, “We have to emphasis ‘Digitization, Youth and the Skills Gap in Africa. Today’s millennial generations are truly digital natives. Over the next 25 years, it is estimated that Africa’s working-age population will double to one billion, exceeding that of China and India, with 122 million people to be added to the workforce by 2020. It is also estimated that less than one percent of African children currently leave school with basic coding skills.

“Moving forward, coding skills will almost become like the math and English. That is what we see and we are trying to address same. At this point in time in Africa, less than one percent (less 1%) of school leavers has this skill. So we have this metric around people who are coming on board, huge workforce, but how prepared are they to face the future.”

Africa Code Week (ACW) is aligned with SAP’s skills development program launched in 2013. Investing in IT skills for young people is critical to SAP’s commitment to build sustainable growth in Africa. SAP has launched successful IT skills development programs around the world touching the lives of children and youth at various phases of education from primary to graduate. ACW builds on the success of government driven Code Week across the EU, which SAP strongly supports as a private sector partner.

Speaking on the significance of ACW, Mr. Olajide Ajayi, Nigeria’s Coordinator of Africa Code Week,  emphasized that by sparking interest in creative computing through hands-on, playful learning,

Africa Code Week simplifies the face of coding for the young generation.

“When it comes to accessing higher skills development, training thousands of teachers, parents and educators across 30 African countries and providing access to them online with courses beyond the actual event time allows to multiply efforts and impact.”

Even the results recorded in 2015 speak for themselves. The 2015 edition went viral with over 89,000 youth introduced to coding across 17 countries in 10 days only (over 4 times the initial goal of training 20,000).

What makes ACW unique is that, by sparking interest in creative computing through hands-on, playful learning, Africa Code Week simplifies the face of coding for the young generation.

ACW is aimed at spreading digital literacy across the continent and start shaping tomorrow’s skilled workforce for sustainable growth in Africa.

SAP already invests in Skills for Africa, which provides additional business and IT skills to recent university graduates.

ACW reinforces that commitment to graduates while extending it to primary and secondary students, creating a full lifecycle of skills support for young people in Africa.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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NIPOST to Crack Down on Criminal Courier Operators

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Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has vowed to clamp down on courier companies found to be aiding the trafficking of drugs and other illicit items through the country’s logistics network.

NIPOST to Crack Down on Criminal Courier Operators

In a statement issued on by Franklin Alao, director of Corporate Communications,  NIPOST expressed outrage over a recent report in some newspapers with the headline: “Nigerian courier services easily transporting hard drugs since Tinubu became president – NIPOST.”

The agency described the headline as false, misleading, and damaging to national security efforts. According to NIPOST, the article falsely attributes the claim to the postal regulator, thereby creating the impression that the agency had endorsed or confirmed such allegations.

“This is categorically FALSE,” the statement said. “At no point has NIPOST made such a statement or associated these activities with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

NIPOST maintained that while it respects the role of the media in promoting accountability and transparency, the publication in question was reckless and sensational.

It warned that inaccurate reporting on sensitive national issues like drug trafficking not only misinforms the public but also undermines the collaborative work being done to sanitise the courier and logistics sector.

Restating its position, the agency said it strongly condemns the use of courier services for criminal purposes, including drug trafficking.

It reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy toward the misuse of Nigeria’s postal infrastructure and said it remained committed to regulating the sector with integrity, transparency, and accountability.

NIPOST noted that it had embarked on a range of interventions aimed at improving surveillance and enforcement across the logistics industry.

It stated that all courier operators are currently undergoing a revalidation process and that Know-Your-Customer protocols and compliance audits are being enforced to tighten controls and prevent abuse of the system.

The postal regulator said it is also working closely with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Customs Service, and other relevant security institutions to investigate and deter the use of logistics channels for the transportation of narcotics and other contraband items.

In addition, NIPOST said it had intensified engagement with courier operators, transport unions, and logistics associations to promote sector-wide vigilance and encourage the reporting of suspicious packages.

It also revealed that a new Digital Postcode and Parcel Identification System is being deployed nationwide to enhance traceability, eliminate anonymity, and improve parcel screening from the point of dispatch to final delivery.

“The Nigerian Postal Service is fully committed to restoring the integrity of Nigeria’s courier and logistics industry,” the statement said. “Any operator found to be involved in criminal activity will face immediate regulatory sanctions, including license suspension or revocation, and be reported to appropriate authorities for prosecution.”

The agency urged members of the public to use only licensed courier companies and to report any suspicious activity either to NIPOST or relevant security agencies.

It also called on journalists and civil society groups to approach issues in the sector with accuracy, caution, and a shared sense of responsibility.

 

 

 


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DICON, Saudi Firm to Produce Drones, Satellites in Nigeria

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Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Homeland Protectors and Supplies Limited, a Saudi Arabia-based security company, to begin local manufacturing of drones, satellite systems, and advanced communication equipment.

DICON, Saudi Firm to Produce Drones, Satellites in Nigeria

The agreement, which was signed at DICON headquarters in Kaduna, will see Homeland Protectors bring in production lines and technology to Nigeria to manufacture satellite systems, laser equipment, border security drones, and sophisticated communications solutions.

Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, director general of DICON, shortly after signing the MoU, described the deal as a “major milestone” in Nigeria’s drive for defence self-sufficiency.

He said the collaboration would not only meet local demands but also position Nigeria as an exporter of security technology to other African countries.

According to him: “Today is another milestone for DICON. What Homeland Protectors is bringing on board is expertise and experience in the field of satellite, laser systems, communications, and border security drones.

The agreement we have just signed is for them to bring the production line to Nigeria and start producing here, so we can satisfy the defence industry requirements, other security agencies, and export the excess capacity to other African countries.”

He expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he called his “constant support and firm belief in DICON,” especially for signing the DICON Act 2023, which has now paved the way for international partnerships of this magnitude.

Alaya also thanked the Minister of Defence and Minister of State for Defence for their unwavering backing, stressing that their support made the joint venture possible.

Mr. Ali Hussain A. Aldayhani, managing director and chief executive officer, Homeland Protectors and Supplies,  who led the Saudi delegation to Nigeria, hailed the partnership as a game-changer for Nigeria’s security architecture.

“I am in support of this amazing job today in collaboration with Homeland and DICON. This is in support of the Nigerian President and the Minister of Defence to bring security satellite communication technology to Nigeria,” he said.

He disclosed that the venture was designed not only to meet Nigeria’s internal needs but also to open up export opportunities to other markets, stressing: “We are going to have a huge joint venture and also for export outside Nigeria with regard to technology communication.”

The Homeland CEO thanked the DICON Director General for what he called “the support of the huge success in signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).”

He assured that this would not be the last of such engagements, promising more frequent visits and deeper collaborations in the near future.

With this move, Nigeria joins a select group of countries on the continent working to domesticate critical security manufacturing — a step expected to save foreign exchange, create jobs, and bolster national security.

 


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FG Says No Going Back to Nuclear Testing

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has affirmed Nigeria’s unwavering stance against nuclear weapons testing.

FG Says No Going Back to Nuclear Testing

He made this known during a meeting at the Presidential Villa with a delegation from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), led by Dr Robert Floyd, executive secretary.

According to Shettima, Nigeria, like many other African nations, is grappling with numerous socio-economic challenges, including widespread poverty and the adverse impacts of climate change.

He stressed that Africa’s immediate priority is to confront these existential threats, not to engage in the pursuit of nuclear weapons capability.

“The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation; it is always the opposite. We are fighting poverty; we are fighting a war against the relationship between the economy and ecology in sub-Saharan Africa. We have no business dabbling in anything that has to do with nuclear weapons,” he said.

The Vice President also commended CTBTO for its broader civilian contributions, such as detecting tsunamis and seismic volcanic activity, and for supporting global ecological stability.


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