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Pantami says Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre will Fast-track the Implementation of Start-up Bill

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Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has expressed optimism that the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre once completed would fast-track the implementation of the Nigeria Start-up Bill, as he described the ongoing construction project as satisfactorily on course.

Prof. Pantami made this known after an-on-spot inspection of the site.

While noting that the project which is being executed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy is the hallmark of remarkable partnership between the visionary administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and a wholly indigenous yet forward looking company – Cosgrove Investment Limited, the Minister averred that the Centre which sits on 1,596sqm of built-up space within the FCT City Centre and comprises of two towers connected across one floor will be the hub for incubating and executing NITDA’s mandate.

“I have visited most of the floors of the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre; there are two buildings that are interconnected, one of them will serve as the actual National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) after my presentation at the 11th of November, 2020 while the second one will serve as the Headquarters of the National Information Technology Development Agency to manage the other centre”.

“I’m very comfortable with what I have seen here and I came to the facility because it is our responsibility to ensure that any approval by FEC under our supervision is being implemented according to agreement.

“I can confirm to you that all the specifications of the project are in alignment with what the Council had approved twice, in November, 2020 and April, 202”, Pantami assured.

The Minister who was accompanied by the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE during the inspection at different times engaged the engineers on site and company officials in talks relating to the execution, as he commended the DG, Board and management of NITDA for the progress achieved with emphasis on the quality of the job done so far.

Pantami who later briefed journalists on the Pros and Cons of the facility, informed the press that Twelve Billion Naira (12BN) inclusive of VAT and other taxes is the total sum allotted to the project.

“The project was first approved in Nov, 2020 at the price of around 9.56BN and the augmentation which is an extension of the project was approved in April 2021 with additional N2.5B”.

“To be honest, I applaud the judicious way and manner NITDA has been handling the execution of the task, because if it were another institution, the total sum would have been double of it before it would have been executed”, Pantami maintained.

Although the completion date as approved by FEC is thirty-six months, spanning from November 2020 to 2023, Prof. Pantami however said haven taken into cognisance the fact that it is a legacy project of the present administration, the ministry was able to engage the project managers and contractors to speed up the completion timeline in order ensure that Mr President Inaugurates it before the expiration of his tenure.

The Communications and Digital Economy Boss took time to elucidate the benefits of the centre which he said was an idea he conceptualized when he was the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency NITDA and is pleased to see it gradually coming to a reality.

He highlighted the fact that the building will play a significant role in implementing the Nigeria Start-up Bill which was recently passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The floors of the building will be dedicated to trainings, particularly hands-on-training, which will enable our young innovators to harness their skills and hatch their ideas from conception to impact”.

“This is going to be the centre where we will coordinate the issue of tax holiday for the innovators, pioneer status, intellectual property among many other benefits.

“More so, we are looking at consolidating on the diversification drive of the Federal Government; by implication, the regulator of Information Technology (IT) has a critical role towards the consolidation of the economic diversification that we have unarguably attained”, Pantami stressed.

NITDA Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the Director-General of  who was full of appreciation to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Pantami for his leadership and support to the Agency from inception of the project, getting approvals to where it is, recalled that the project was conceptualized in 2020 to strengthen the Abuja ecosystem.

Inuwa said the edifice will draw in start-ups, investors, multinationals, and government to be in the one space where discussions to move the digital economy forward will be sustained.

“We are hoping to finish this project within two years. Though it is not am easy task but we are working day and night to ensure we meet the expected quality and early delivery of the facility by March 2023 as partial completion will not be accepted”, Inuwa noted.

The DG also expressed gratitude to the Minister for okaying the involvement of an indigenous company in executing the job.

The 4,000 sqm plot for the Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation Centre, located at plot 1409, CBD Cadastral zone sits the 2-tower edifice; an office complex and a mixed-use building going up to seven and eight suspended floors, respectively

The two towers are linked at all levels, for an overall area of 1,500 sqm and a total of 9 levels (from basement to roof terraces is to be the digital and innovation hub for the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)

The building accommodates offices and meeting rooms (front tower), parking, auditorium, server rooms, a fab-lab and studio apartments (back tower)

The offices are designed for 9 departments and can accommodate over 360 staff

It is hoped that the ICT sector which as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), played a pivotal role in lifting the Nigerian economy out of recession, recording the highest growth rate in the 4 Quarter of 2020 (14.70%),  and recorded 15.9% growth in the telecommunications sub-sector (the highest growth rate over the last decade) as well as unprecedented generation of over N1Trillion revenue in less than 2 years by the Ministry and its parastatals will be continue to grow exponentially especially as the centre upon completion is expected to offer increased digital trainings to Nigerians.


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Substandard CNG Cylinder is Recipe for Disaster- SON

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Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has warned the public against the use of substandard and uncertified Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cylinders.

 

The warning is coming in the wake of the unfortunate recent incident of CNG cylinder explosion at the NIPCO CNG Refueling Station in Benin City, Edo State.

In a statement, the organisation said it has put robust and effective regulatory measures in place to ensure that all CNG equipment and conversion kits conform to approved standards before being certified for public use.

“The conformity assessment schemes are designed to prevent the import, manufacturing, and use of substandard products,” it stated.

In addition, SON said it is collaborating with the Presidential Initiatives on CNG and other relevant government bodies to finalise the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System (NGVMS) – a platform that will provide centralized monitoring and surveillance of CNG systems to ensure that only vehicles equipped with certified conversion kits can access gas at retail outlets.

“The NGVMS will also offer a database of approved CNG equipment and suppliers which will go a long way in preventing the substandard installations and further mitigating the associated risks.”

 

 

 


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Access Bank Wins Best Digital, Best Website at 2024 Digital Jurist Awards

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Access Bank PLC has been named the 2024 Best Digital Award Winner in the Commercial Banks Category at the Digital Jurist Awards, organized by Phillips Consulting (pcl.).

In addition to this top honour, the Bank also secured the Best Website Award, achieving an impressive score of 201 points for its engaging and user-friendly digital experience. Access Bank’s cumulative score of 380 points reflects its excellence across digital touchpoints, including its website, web portal, mobile app, and social media.

Commenting on the recognition, Amaechi Okobi, Chief Communications Officer of Access Holdings PLC, said, “We are honoured to receive the Best Digital and Best Website Awards at this year’s Digital Jurist Awards. At Access, our focus on digital innovation is driven by our commitment to deliver seamless, secure, and customer-centric solutions across all touchpoints.

This recognition validates our ongoing efforts to enhance our digital platforms, making financial services more accessible and efficient for our customers. We thank Phillips Consulting for recognising our efforts and will continue to raise the bar in digital excellence.”

Phillips Consulting has long served as a development partner to Nigerian financial institutions and other organisations with an online presence. Leveraging its proprietary Digital Jurist platform, the firm has conducted assessments of digital touchpoints in various sectors, from financial services and insurance to telecommunications and government agencies, over the past 17 years.

Originally established as Web Jurist®, the platform was reimagined as Digital Jurist to assess new and diversified digital channels in the evolving digital economy. Digital Jurist’s evaluation framework examines a range of factors, including user experience, accessibility, performance, functionality, security, customer service, support, marketing, and content engagement across digital platforms.

These awards reinforce Access Bank’s leadership in digital banking, adding to recent accolades including 2024 Best Digital Bank and Best Mobile Banking App by World Finance, Best Mobile Banking App and Best Digital Bank by The Digital Banker Awards, and Best Digital Banking Initiative at the Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards 2024.

 


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FG to Deploy Drones to Curb Oil Theft in Niger Delta –  Lokpobiri

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Senator Heineken Lokpobiri , minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), at the weekend said the federal government would deploy new technologies like drones and satellite surveillance to halt massive oil theft in the Niger Delta.

FG to Deploy Drones to Curb Oil Theft in Niger Delta -  Lokpobiri

Lokpobiri also called for greater commitment from industry players to Nigeria’s ambitious plan to increase crude oil production by over one million barrels per day within the next 24 months, saying the federal government was ready to host the headquarters of the $5 billion Africa Energy Bank (AEB), following the country’s successful bid in July 2024.

Addressing a gathering of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), a group of oil firms operating in Nigeria, at the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, at the weekend, Lokpobiri also restated that oil field bid winners must explore or relinquish them.

Nneamaka Okafor, minister’s spokesperson, said in a statement that Lokpobiri’s remarks were part of a strategic plan to navigate the challenges and opportunities in Nigeria’s petroleum industry presented to the producers.

Underscoring the sector’s central role in Nigeria’s economy, which the minister said provides around 85 per cent of government revenue as well as serves as a vital source of foreign exchange, the minister said there was the need for the oil sector to remain resilient.

He acknowledged the persistent security challenges in the Niger Delta but reported ongoing efforts to protect Nigeria’s oil infrastructure through enhanced security measures.

Aside from engaging communities and encouraging partnerships to foster local ownership of critical assets, Lokpobiri stated that other efforts include increased military support, particularly from the Nigerian Navy and the Joint Task Force (JTF).

“The government has also implemented technology-driven solutions, including drone and satellite surveillance to enhance the security framework and detect potential threats to the industry,” the minister said.

The minister outlined Nigeria’s dual approach to energy transition to ensure the future of its petroleum industry by focusing on maximising crude oil production and adapting to a cleaner energy transition.

“In the short-term, our focus remains on increasing revenue from crude oil production,” Lokpobiri stated.

He stressed that the government recognised the urgency of cost reduction, highlighting the government’s measures aimed at streamlining operations, particularly upstream activities, to remain competitive in the global market.

The minister said: “The world is moving toward cleaner energy, and Nigeria must be part of that transition. The government has prioritised natural gas as a cleaner alternative while actively exploring renewable energy options to diversify Nigeria’s energy mix.”

He listed part of the bouquet of reforms and incentives to revitalise Nigeria’s oil and gas sector as the Value Added Tax (VAT) modification order 2024 and the tax incentives order for deep offshore oil and gas production.

Lokpobiri told the gathering that the Nigerian government was focused on reducing contracting costs and timelines and has therefore mandated that the procurement cycle be streamlined to six months.

In addition, he highlighted the government’s commitment to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, which promotes local content.

The minister emphasised that the government’s recent initiative to launch bid rounds for 31 oil and gas blocks will be a cornerstone of Nigeria’s strategic development.

“Each block has been meticulously selected for its potential to boost reserves and stimulate economic growth. In line with international best practices, barriers to entry have been reduced through signature bonuses to attract a wider range of investors, with strict enforcement of Nigeria’s ‘drill or drop’ policy,” he added.

Lokpobiri called for greater commitment from industry players to support Nigeria’s ambitious plan to increase oil production by over 1 million barrels per day within the next 24 months.

“We cannot afford to hold valuable fields in perpetuity. It’s either you put them to work or relinquish them. The era of renewing licenses without development is over,” he reiterated.

 

 

 

 


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