News
Citad Begins Business Incubator programme
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (Citad) has flagged off its ICT Business Incubators Programme with a pioneer set of 16 youths. The sixteen youths were selected from the best of the 300 people who participated last year in the Microsoft/USA Government supported Employability Programme that Citad and LEAP Africa are implementing in Kano.
The ICT Business Incubator Programme as conceived by Citad is aimed at nurturing the young people to become ICT businesses entrepreneurs. The Incubator programme consists of three components. The first is a training programme on ICT entrepreneurship, which lasts for three month. During the period the participations are in addition to deepening their ICT skills, given training in such ICT skills as website design, video/film editing, and ICT equipment maintenance among others. They are also to be couched in Small Scale Business Management and Marketing as well as in communication and negotiation skills. During this time participants are also encouraged to sit for relevant professional examinations such as those organized by the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN).
At the end of the three months, they will undergo a 3-month business internship during which they are expected to produce business plans. These business plans would be discussed with a team of Citad business advisers and once agreed upon, Citad would then provide the needed business support on grantorship. The beneficiaries will then at the end of the business internship set up his or her business.
At this stage Citad would provide business mentoring support, networking, professional upgrading and virtual office space for the participants. Six months following the establishment of own businesses would be used to incubate and it is expected that at the end of the year the participants would graduate to full business Entrepreneurs.
At the core of the programme is the team work and participants are encouraged to work towards setting up partnerships or cooperatives rather individual businesses. The pioneer group of 16 consists of nine (9) male and seven (7) females.
Citad is an ICT-focused non-governmental organization which has offices in Kano and Dutse, and an outreach unit in Bauchi State.
Itan admittance into WITSA to increase FDI
The admission of Information Technology Association of Nigeria, (Itan) into World Information Technology and Services Alliance (Witsa) is expected to open up new opportunities for the Nigerian IT and Services industry in the area of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), partnerships, networking, granting of wide range research and development possibilities across Witsa domain
Dr Jimson Olufuye, president, Itan, disclosed this in Lagos while unfolding the details of the planned visit of Dato Dan Khoo, Witsa chairman and Dr James Poisant the Secretary-General schedule between April 21 and 24, 2009. He noted that the admission also demands the emulation of best practices and effective show-casing of local success stories in the global arena.
“My expectation is that the Chairman’s visit will boost more investments in ICT at the grassroots, the states and the Federal level. My hope is that the visit would provide more capacity to engender the expected boost. And as a visit with long term implication, I’m optimistic that it would be far reaching to making a reality the seven point agenda of the Federal government and the realization of the vision 20 2020. Witsa commands a global mass of expertise on IT matters and Nigeria cannot afford not to tap into this formidable resource base” he said.
The visit of Khoo by April this year, according to Dr Olufuye who has been preaching e-learning through the Old Students Personal Computer (OSPC) Project in the Nigerian foundational education system, will afford stakeholders in the Nigerian IT sector the opportunity to trade ideas on the latest developments in the global community, adding that Itan was admitted into Witsa to represent the Nigerian Information Technology and Services Industry.
The WITSA delegation, he said will also visit some state Governors including Kano, Bauchi as tremendous opportunities exist to share ideas on their ICT projects. Ministers in charge of ICTs and possibly the President may also be visited.
The admission of Itan into the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (Witsa), Olufuye said , has thrown open unlimited business opportunities for its members in the areas of global partnerships, networking, foreign direct investment, product/service deliveries in global market through reliable channels, among others. Dr Olufuye also unfolded a new shift in Itan operation paradigm to take advantage of its new role in Witsa for the benefit of its members.
Itan’s robust engagement with Witsa, according to him has opened a new vista for the IT and services industry in Nigeria. “It opens with it opportunity for the Industry to metamorphose into the leading Industry in Africa actively engaging the rest of the world. A major thrust for the achievement of this objective is the evolvement and the empowerment of the Itan Founding Partners, the Corporate Advisory Group (CAG) and the Government Advisory Group (GAG) to consist of IT Advisers to State Governors” he explained.
Leveraging on the opportunities available with the engagement of Itan therefore requires boosting of members capacities in all ramifications.
The World Information Technology and Services Alliance is a consortium of about 70 information technology (IT) industry associations from economies around the world. WITSA members represent over 90 percent of the world IT market.
Bismarck Rewane, renowned economist and chief executive officer of the Financial Derivatives Company, has warned that the recent outbreak of the tomato leaf miner, commonly referred to as “Tomato Ebola,” is a disruption to Nigeria’s agriculture value chain.
Bismarck Rewane, CEO, Financial Derivatives Company
Speaking on Channels Television’s Business Morning programme on Thursday, Rewane emphasised that the impact of the outbreak extends far beyond tomatoes, triggering a cost ripple effect across the broader food basket.
“The effect of an increase in the price of tomatoes leads to cost elasticity which means that the price of other substitutes will begin to increase, including the price of carrots, the price of tomato paste, price of tomato puree and other things.
“One for the reddening, two for the effect and the thickening on the sauce you’re making.
“However, because tomato is a perishable commodity, it also means that if there is tomato ebola, then the price has increased, and also the supply has reduced, it has a knock-on effect on so many other things,” Rewane explained.
He added that Nigeria’s lack of food storage and preventive mechanisms has worsened the crisis, causing severe supply chain disruptions.
Rewane’s comments come amid a sharp increase in the price of tomatoes, with a 50-kilogramme basket of the commodity which used to sell for N5,000, now selling for N10,000 to N30,000, thereby compounding food inflation and straining household budget.
The Federal Government said Nigeria has so far lost over N1.3 billion to the outbreak of the invasive pest in key tomato-producing states like Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna.
Abubakar Kyari, minister of Agriculture and Food Security, explained that the outbreak has significantly disrupted tomato supply chains, causing a surge in prices.
He noted that the outbreak of tomato Ebola highlights the fragile nature of Nigeria’s horticultural systems, and that the invasive pest can destroy tomato crops within 48 hours, resulting in catastrophic yield losses.
He added that this crisis highlights the urgent need for integrated pest management strategies, investment in resilient crop varieties, and enhanced support for farmers to safeguard the country’s food supply chains.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned the N12.3 billion loan controversy case involving the Chairman of Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko, and three others, to June 11, 2025.
Oba Otudeko,
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke postponed the case to allow time for either a peaceful settlement or the formal arraignment of the suspects.
The decision followed reports that negotiation are still ongoing between the parties involved for out-of-court settlement as advised by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who is trying to mediate.
During Thursday’s hearing, Otudeko’s lawyer, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), told the court that negotiations for an out-of-court resolution were still in progress.
Similarly, the lawyer for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bilikisu Buhari, acknowledged the discussions but asked the court to set a new date for arraignment in case the negotiations fail.
It will be recalled that at the last sitting of the court on March 17, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) had informed the judge that a meeting involving all counsel had been convened at the instance of the Attorney General of the Federation.
He said that this was aimed at reaching a peaceful settlement of the case.
Olanipekun had also stated that substantial progress was made, and the AGF directed all parties to refrain from actions that could jeopardize the resolution process, including filing further applications.
The court will reconvene on June 11 to hear the outcome of the settlement talks or proceed with the arraignment if no agreement is reached.
The Zamfara State government has signed an agreement with Oracle to invest in youth development, workforce capacity building and the digital economy under Oracle University’s Skills Development Initiative (SDI).
The agreement was signed at Oracle’s Offices in London, United Kingdom, with Governor Dauda Lawal representing the Zamfara State government.
A statement on Wednesday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, explained that the development will foster collaboration between the Zamfara Information and Technology Development Agency (ZITDA) and Oracle.
Secretary to the State Government, two Special Advisers and the Executive Secretary of ZITDA were also present at the event, along with Siobhan Wilson, Oracle UK Country Leader and Senior Vice President, EMEA.
The statement said, “Zamfara State government has signed a strategic agreement with Oracle to drive digital skills development across the state.
“Facilitated through the Zamfara Information Technology Development Agency, the collaboration will use the expertise and learning services of both Oracle Academy and Oracle University in their digital transformation efforts.
“The collaboration signifies a commitment to education and a strategic investment in the future of Zamfara’s youth, workforce and digital economy.
“Oracle Academy, Oracle’s global philanthropic educational programme offers a robust portfolio of technology education teaching and learning resources, including curriculum and software access, to educators and students worldwide.
“With the support of the Zamfara Information Technology Development Agency, these resources will be made available to validate higher education institutions across Zamfara.
“ZITDA will help lead efforts to integrate Oracle Academy offerings into Zamfara’s higher education curriculum, equipping educators with the tools and resources they need to guide students in learning hands-on tech skills and toward Oracle’s professional certifications and foster a new generation of tech-savvy leaders.
“In addition, Oracle University’s Skills Development Initiative, a global programme that provides access to world-class learning and certification programmes at no cost to eligible learners, will further expand opportunities for learners in Zamfara.
“Through a co-branded Learning Portal in collaboration with ZITDA, Oracle University plans to provide free access to digital learning paths and foundational certifications for eligible participants across Zamfara. This includes curated learning journeys offering over 200 hours of professional-level training in high-demand areas such as Cloud, AI, Data Science and APEX development.”
In his remarks at the ceremony, Governor Dauda Lawal restated that the collaboration with Oracle is part of his administration’s commitment to transforming Zamfara into a hub of innovation, education, and digital excellence.
He said, “on behalf of the government and the good people of Zamfara State, I extend my deepest appreciation to Oracle for believing in our vision and for partnering with us on this transformative journey.
“What we are doing today goes beyond technology, it is about giving hope, creating opportunities and unlocking the future. By investing in digital education and innovation, we are offering real alternatives to poverty, to joblessness and to despair. I sincerely thank Oracle for standing with us, believing in the power of partnership, purpose, and shared dreams.
“Today, we are not just signing a document, we are making a promise, promise that every child in Zamfara will have a fair chance to dream, to learn, and to succeed. A promise that technology will be our bridge to a stronger, more inclusive economy. And, a promise that Zamfara will not merely participate in the digital revolution, we will lead it.”
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