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Interswitch Gives N12.5m Prize to Winners of SPAK TV Show
Interswitch is giving away the sum of N12.5 million away to SuperSPAKs (winners) as grand prize – in scholarships, in its ongoing InterswitchSPAK series TV show.
The firm in a statement sent explained that out of the sum, the first winner will receive N7.5 million worth of scholarships, monthly stipend, a laptop and the bragging rights as the Best Science Student in Nigeria.
While the second-place winner gets N4 million worth of scholarships, a laptop and monthly stipend, it announced that the third-place winner will go home with N1 million worth of scholarships.
The digital telecommunication firm pointed out that up till present, there have been nine episodes televised, with each episode comprising a Foundation Round and an Advanced Round, adding that during the foundation stage at the start of each episode, the initial 9 candidates are shortlisted to 5 candidates based on their speed and accuracy in responding to a set of 16 questions.
It said after, the top 5 candidates were shortlisted for the advanced stage.
“At this stage, there is the ‘Take a Turn’ round that ranks the candidates in the order in which they will give fast-paced answers to multiple questions within a given time frame. The best three candidates from the advanced stage automatically qualify for the semifinals.
“In this season of InterswitchSPAK, one key observation is the absence of the studio audience, a deviation from the previous editions. This glaring difference is understandable, due to the protocols and precaution necessitated with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic” Interswitch said.
It added that the first episode kicked off with the usual adrenaline rush, with candidates obviously nervous and anxious to outperform the others, recalling that the unique feature of the first episode was the absence of a female participant, noting that this changed in subsequent episodes.
The participants it was noted were all clearly brilliant students, although, only the top three candidates made it to the semifinals.
“In the second episode, things looked up in terms of gender balance, as three female candidates were featured. It was admirable that the candidates were visibly more relaxed, and there were more right answers supplied by the superspaks in this episode than were given in the previous episode.
“Spaksters in the second episode gave impressive and timely answers to the questions thrown at them in the Advanced Round of the competition. The brilliance in their responses almost led to a tie between two of the participants, and the one female standing – of the three that appeared – held her ground and made it through to the semifinals.
“Participants in the third episode raised the bar even higher, with the superspaks coming prepared to tackle the questions given to them.
“Most impressive was Faleye Oluwatoba who, in the Advanced Round, came atop the list of the top three participants to make it to the semifinals with 200 points. His fellow competitors held their own, but his aptitude in his delivery gave him an edge over them.
“The fourth episode was capped with an intensity that was only demonstrated by Timi who, despite his impressive run in the Foundation Round and Take a Turn, couldn’t make it to the semifinals” the statement recounted.
The goal of the show according to the statement is to echo in the responses of the participants to questions asked by the moderator Hero Daniels – simply referred to as Hero by the competitors – regarding their ambition and their drive.
In addition, it admitted that the use of science to tackle issues facing the African continent and the use of Africans, especially young Africans, cannot be overstated.
While noting that a lot has changed with the show when compared with the previous edition, the firm said it is instructive to note that the restrictions occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic has not constrained it and JustMedia, the producers of the show- in any way.
“This reaffirms Interswitch’s commitment to ensuring the development of Africa’s future problem solvers” the statement said.
The organization asserted: “Success at the InterswitchSPAK competition is based on the SPAK acronym, Speed, Precision, Accuracy and Knowledge. The battle continues, as we look forward to seeing more Superspaks”.
Members of the public have been urged to watch the program, on DSTV Africa Magic Family Channel 154 every Saturday by 6:30 pm, and 5.00pm on Sundays on the AIT Network.
Recall that the third edition of the InterswitchSPAK competition kicked off in May 2021, with 18,000 students from 1,800 schools participating in the National Qualifying Examination. Following the exercise, 81 students were selected to continue to the next phase.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that a deal for the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations is expected to be finalized before the April 5 deadline.
U.S. President Donald Trump
The deadline, set by legislation passed in January, mandates TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. assets or face a nationwide ban due to national security concerns.
Multiple non-Chinese firms have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Private equity firm Blackstone is considering a minority investment, potentially joining existing non-Chinese shareholders such as Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic.
In a strategic move to facilitate the sale, Trump suggested that he might consider a reduction in tariffs on China, acknowledging that Chinese regulatory approval may be required for the deal to proceed.
The White House has been actively involved in negotiations to ensure that TikTok remains operational in the U.S. while addressing national security risks.
With TikTok’s 170 million American users watching closely, the outcome of the sale is expected to have a major impact on the social media landscape and the broader tech industry.
Questions have been mounting over the House of Representatives threat to order the arrest of Mrs. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), for failure to appear before it to answer charges on refusal to pay for a state-of-the-art software development project executed by a private company, Truid Limited, for NIMC.
Mrs. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC),
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions had invited the NIMC DG, Mrs. Coker-Odusote, to appear before it to explain the commission’s failure to pay for the state-of-the art software development project executed by the private company, Truid Limited for NIMC. However, the NIMC DG has repeatedly failed to honour the committee’s invitation in person.
Honourable Mike Etaba, Committee’s Chairman, who was angered by the NIMC DG, Mrs. Coker-Odusote’s failure to appear before the committee to personally answer charges on the matter after repeated invitations, last month, issued a stern warning to order the Inspector-General of Police, to arrest the NIMC DG, Mrs. Coker-Odusote if she refused to appear before the committee at its next hearing, which was fixed for March 13, 2025.
However, it has been over two weeks after the Committee’s sitting of March 13, 2025; yet, there are no indications that the NIMC DG, Mrs. Coker-Odusote, honoured the committee’s invitation by personally appearing before it. The committee also appears to have failed to order the IGP to arrest her, leading to many raising questions over the seriousness of the committee to execute its threats. Others wonder why the chief executive of a government agency would refuse to personally appear before the House of Representatives to answer charges on a petition regarding the agency’s activities.
During its sitting of February 11, 2025 the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions threatened to order the arrest of the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Bisoye Coker-Odusote.
The committee said it would actualise the threat if Mrs. Coker-Odusote failed to come in person to answer charges on her refusal to pay for the state-of-the-art software development project.
Chairman of the committee, Mike Etaba, frowned at the continuous absence of the NIMC director-general despite several invitations.
In a statement by the Media Head, Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives, Chooks Oko, the Chairman of the Committee stated: “If she fails to show up at the next hearing of this case, we’ll have no option than to ask the Inspector-General of Police to bring her.
“How can an official of government treat constituted authority with such levity? We can no longer condone such attitude,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project was installed and deployed to the commission by a private firm, Truid Limited, which was alleging a breach of licence agreement by NIMC.
The statement added that the private company, Truid Limited, which executed the state-of-the-art software development project, is alleging a breach of licence agreement by NIMC, noting that E. R. Opara, counsel to Truid Limited, stated that the contract is premised on an arrangement whereby the Truid Limited funded, developed and deployed the “tokenization system project” without any financial obligation from NIMC.
According to E. R. Opara, counsel to Truid Limited, the agreement is premised on an arrangement that the project would be funded by the firm.
“Truid Ltd was to get returns on her investment through patronage of service providers and the proceeds shared on an agreed ratio. This was to run for an initial period of 10 years, from 2021 when the software was deployed,” Opara said.
According to the petition, things were going smoothly until the appointment of the new DG of NIMC, Mrs. Coker-Odusote, who has been trying to truncate the agreement.
When contacted to comment on whether or not the DG NIMC has personally appeared before the committee, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, Honourable Mike Etaba said: “For now, that matter has been stepped down!”
Honourable Etaba explained further why the matter was stepped down: “We are now taking that case on an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) route. That’s where the matter is now,” he said, adding, “the Committee is silent on it (the matter) until they give us the report of the ADR. That is when we will know what next to do.”
Asked when the ADR resolution he mentioned is meant to be concluded, Honourable Etaba stated: “I can’t say for now how and when the ADR will come up. That’s the situation of the case for now.”
The Lagos State Governor, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commended Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, Jumia Nigeria, for its giant strides and in the growth of the country’s e-commerce sector, as well as its unique contributions to its economic development.
He said that Jumia has earned its place as a major brand, with its growth and trajectory in the country’s e-commerce ecosystem over the years which, he said, has made it a household name. He urged the company to not only strive to maintain its excellent service standards, but to also work towards improving them.
The Governor who was speaking during a courtesy visit by the management of Jumia Nigeria to the State House in Marina on Thursday March 27, reaffirmed the strategic importance of the company in the economic development of Lagos State and Nigeria, especially in job creation.
He restated his administration’s commitment in ensuring that Lagos State remains environmentally friendly for businesses to grow.
“Our administration has always prioritized creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Through various initiatives, we have strengthened the ease of doing business, and fostered innovation to drive economic growth, and we will continue to support businesses and create opportunities that will aid in their growth”, Sanwo-Olu said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said that the Lagos State Government remains open to collaborations with the private sector to enhance service delivery, infrastructure development, and create opportunities for residents, with the aim of building a resilient and sustainable future.
He said the administration recognises the importance of working with the private sector to achieve its goals of improving the lives of its citizens.
Speaking also, the Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria, Sunil Natraj, thanked the governor for creating an enabling environment in the state for businesses like Jumia to grow. He stated Jumia’s commitment to contributing towards the growth and development of the state, and the country.
Natraj said the company has made tremendous strides from its early days as a tech start-up in Lagos and has grown to become the number one e-commerce platform in Nigeria, with a presence in nine African countries. He said the company presently employs hundreds of Nigerians directly, and thousands more indirectly as independent sales agents and partners.
He restated Jumia Nigeria’s commitment to providing excellent service, focusing on delivering exceptional value and fostering long-term relationships with its customers around the country.
Among other things, he said the company is actively working to enhance customer experience, aiming to simplify the e-commerce process, making it easier for customers to navigate and shop online.
According to him, Jumia aims to transform everyday life in Africa by making it easier for consumers to access goods and services conveniently and affordably, adding that the company is focused on expanding access to retail across the country.
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