General News
Ochefu, Bala-Usman, Chukwu line up for GOCOP 2023 conference
A line up of seasoned professionals are now ready to speak as panelists at the 2023 annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) holding on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at Abuja Continental Hotel (Old Sheraton Hotel) Abuja.
This line-up according to the chairman of the GOCOP 7th Conference Planning Committee and deputy president, Mr Danlami Nmodu, mni, include the Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Prof. Yakubu A. Ochefu; Special Adviser to the President (Policy Coordination) Hajia Hadiza Bala-Usman, and Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Assets Management Ltd, Mr. Johnson Chukwu.
The GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Remmy Nweke, in a press statement, also noted that the conference would be presided over by the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Join Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while the first Nigerian professor of Capital Market, Prof. Uchenna Joseph Uwaleke, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker.
Danlami was also quoted that the conference would focus on the theme: “Nigeria: Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability” pointing out that the choice of the topic is informed by the current socio-political and economic realities facing Nigeria, post-2023 general elections.
Further, Nweke recalled that Professor Yakubu Aboki Ochef is an academic, university administrator and entrepreneur. He holds a B.A and PhD degrees in History and Economic History from the University of Calabar, and an M.A in Political Economy from the University of Birmingham.
Ochefu began his academic career in 1985 at the University of Calabar and later transferred to the Benue State University Makurdi in 1993. In 2003, he was promoted to the rank of Professor of Economic History and Development Studies. At the Benue State University, he held various positions such as Head, Department of History, Dean Students Affairs, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and Director of Consultancy Services. From 2012 to 2017, he was Vice-Chancellor of Kwararafa University, Wukari in Taraba State. He was in 2019 appointed Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, and Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities.
Hadiza Bala Usman is a Nigerian politician who served as managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority from 2016 to 2021. Previously, she served as the chief of staff to the governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2016 and was appointed special adviser on policy coordination to President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
Since 2014, she is one of the co-founders of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign and in year 2000, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and later received a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Leeds in 2009.
Whereas, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, the chairman and founder, Cowry Assets Management Ltd, and prior to the establishment of Cowry Asset Management Limited, has been actively involved in the Nigerian capital market and was instrumental to the establishment of one of the most vibrant capital market operator, as the pioneer General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Guardian Express Trust Limited (now Spring Capital) – a subsidiary of Guardian Express Bank Plc (now Spring Bank Plc).
Before joining Cowry Asset Management Limited on a full-time basis in October 2007, Mr. Chukwu was between February 2006 and September 2007 a Deputy General Manager and Group Executive, Operations of Spring Bank Plc.
Mr. Chukwu is a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) second class upper degree holder in Accounting and a University of Lagos Scholar. He also holds an MBA from Lagos Business School (Pan African University).
Preceding speakers at GOCOP annual conference, he said, include the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yakubu Mahmood, who in 2022, spoke on ‘2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome’; Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, who delivered the 2019 lecture on: “Economy, Security and National Development: The Way Forward.”
While in 2021, he said, Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, keynoted the conference in his capacity as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, on “Post COVID-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria.”
The Nigerian government has launched the Virtual Privacy Academy, a new digital training platform designed to deepen data protection and privacy policies in the private and public sectors.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, unveiled the initiative during the 8th annual conference of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities, which began yesterday in Abuja.
The three-day conference, titled “Balancing Innovation in Africa: Data Protection and Privacy in Emerging Technologies,” drew attendees from over 30 African countries, as well as Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
Dr. Tijani emphasised that the academy is part of Nigeria’s strategy to capitalise on the benefits of the digital economy by providing actors with the tools they need to navigate hazardous data governance landscape.
According to Tijani, this project would provide Nigerians with the opportunity to gain practical skills in data protection.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, highlighted Nigeria’s recent data governance milestones during his address.
He stated that the Commission had completed over 5,000 compliance assessments, opened 223 investigations, and assisted 12 organisations with rehabilitation.
Dr. Olatunji urged African countries who have yet to pass data protection laws to do so, emphasizing that “strong data protection frameworks are not barriers to innovation, but enablers of a resilient and inclusive digital economy.”
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said that the Afreximbank would invest $19 billion to fund the African Energy Bank.
He said the $19 billion would go a long way toward tackling and overcoming energy poverty, driving economic growth, and improving the lives of millions of people.
The minister disclosed this while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Pavilion, hosted by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, U.S with the theme “Africa’s Energy Renaissance: Leveraging Innovation and Natural Gas for Sustainable Development.”
He said that by pooling resources, African countries can invest in large-scale energy projects.
Also, the minister stressed the need for Africa to develop cohesive policies tailored to its unique circumstances, warning that fragmented approaches would be ineffective in addressing the escalating energy deficit.
“This conference is not a jamboree. It is a platform for Nigeria, and by extension, Africa — to showcase its vast potential,” Lokpobiri said.
He underscored the importance of regional collaboration, highlighting the Africa Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) as a strategic entity established to devise shared solutions for the continent’s energy challenges.
According to him, the prevailing global discourse on energy transition is largely influenced by geopolitical considerations.
In response to this challenge, he announced that APPO is in the process of establishing the African Energy Bank to bridge funding gaps and ultimately free the continent from energy poverty.
During a meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart, Lokpobiri advised Ghana to draw lessons from Nigeria’s past experiences in the energy sector, particularly in avoiding early missteps.
In his address, Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Mr John Abdullahi, acknowledged Nigeria’s leading role in the region.
He stated that while Ghana is a relatively new player in the oil and gas sector, it is eager to learn from Nigeria’s experiences and reforms, especially in the areas of local content development and climate policy.
“We will continue to consult Nigeria as we build a successful oil and gas industry. The collaboration between both countries remains strong. For his part, PETAN Chairman Wole Ogunsanya emphasised the significance of Nigeria’s presence at OTC.
He said: “This year’s event, under the Nigerian Pavilion, is set to highlight Africa’s growing role in the global energy sector.
“OTC 2025 promises to bring together top-tier industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders at the world’s largest energy event.”
Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has declared July 1, 2025, as the deadline for phasing out cash transactions across all its offices nationwide.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by Frank Alao, director of Corporate Communications,NIPOST.
The move is part of a broader reform initiative aimed at transforming NIPOST into a more innovative, efficient, and digitally driven organisation.
The management explained that the reforms are aligned with global best practices and tailored to meet the demands of Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy, as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Alao stated, “We are assuring Nigerians of a revitalised NIPOST that delivers superior service and embraces the future.
“A major highlight of the reform package is the transition to a fully cashless system. Beginning July 1, 2025, all post office counters nationwide will no longer accept cash payments for their services. Customers will be required to use approved electronic channels for all transactions.
“This is a crucial step in our modernization journey, one that ensures safer, faster, and more transparent service delivery.”
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