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Pantami Seeks Shift to Skill, not Certificate  to Boost Digital Economy

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Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami
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Dr Isa Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has advocated for shifting of focus from certificate to skills education for the actualisation of Nigeria’s digital economic drive.

Pantami Seeks Shift to Skill, not Certificate  to Boost Digital Economy

Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami

Pantami made the call at the Graduation Lecture of the National Defence Collage Course 28, titled; “Digital Economy and National Development in Nigeria”, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that digital literacy and skills was one of the pillars outlined for the development of the digital economy of Nigeria in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).

The minister added that emphasis on certificate must be reduced in engaging labour force, urging that focus should be shifted to skills if the nation must catch up with development.

He said that many developed and developing countries such as China, United States and Morocco had shifted attention to skills rather than certificate, adding that many of them had established skills centres.

According to him, certificate is important but secondary to skill and that is why we must pay attention to skills in our journey to digital economy.

“The digital literacy and skills pillar recognises the fact that citizens are the greatest assets in any economy, including the digital economy. It will support the development of a large pool of digitally literate and digitally skilled citizens.

“We recently provided a platform, the DigitalNigeria.gov.ng platform, to enable Nigerians receive training in diverse digital skills. Over 36,000 Nigerians have enrolled on the platform since the 2nd of April, 2020.

“We are championing a paradigm change that lays emphasis on skills, in preference to merely having degrees without skills.

“The National Defence College is an institution that supports the development of skills and there are many digital techniques that can support the great work that you are doing here,’’ he said.

Pantami stated that the digital economy was a prime catalyst for development, adding that in less than one year, government’s modest efforts had already yielded remarkable results.

According to him, the recent first quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that ICT contributed an unprecedented 14.07 per cent to Nigeria’s total real GDP.

The minister further disclosed that the national security architecture must key into the digital revolution in tackling the prevailing security challenge using digital technology.

He explained that emerging technologies came with different solutions to security challenges of every nation such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, robotic technology, drone and many more.

“These are some of the emerging technologies that will go a long way in promoting security of nations. The security officials are in better position to look into and see how to customize them and make use of them.”

Also, , Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, minister of Defence, said the Federal Government had taken steps to adopt, adapt and internalise the digital economy in a functional manner.

Magashi, who was represented by Alhaji Sabiu Zakari, permanent secretary, said it was important that security and defence establishments show more than a cursory interest in the digital economy.

He added that the adaptation of digital economy could result in increased cybercrimes thus undermining national security.

“I wish to commend the Commandant, staff and the entire College community for their collective efforts in pursuing the ideals of the College.

“In particular, I commend you for organising the graduation lecture, which was exciting, educative and would be helpful to the economic and security needs of the Nigerian nation,’’ he said.

Earlier, Rear Adm. Markson Kadiri, commandant of the collage, , said the lecture had become a key component of the training programme of the College and a major highlight of its annual graduation ceremonies.

Kadiri said that a total of 107 participants had successfully completed the course comprising 67 officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, seven Senior Police Officers and 15 participants from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Others according to him, include 18 senior military officers from the Armed Forces of friendly nations.

“A large part of the Course was conducted online, after the general lockdown associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Course was conducted under the theme “Economic Diversification and National Development in Nigeria”. Economic diversification is a broad based strategy designed to cause positive and multi-sectoral economic growth and development,’’ he said.

 


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Trump Ends Funding for Malaria, Other Global Health Programs

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The Trump administration has ceased funding for roughly 5,800 global health programs, including those that support providing vaccines, life-saving medications, and emergency health care to millions of people around the world.

Trump Ends Funding for Malaria, Other Global Health Programs

Donald Trump

On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department began sending out a wave of emails informing thousands of health groups, refugee camps, tuberculosis clinics, and polio vaccination projects that they would no longer receive funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), per the New York Times.

The funding was distributed to a wide range of programs, including those for HIV treatment, malaria prevention in Africa, and maternal health care in Nepal.

More major projects now canceled due to the funding cut include: a $90 million malaria prevention contract, a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo that provided water for 250,000 displaced people living in conflict zones, HIV care and treatment in Lesotho, Tanzania, and Eswatini run by Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a $34 million medical supply management contract in Kenya, 87 shelters in South Africa that support thousands of women who have survived rape and domestic violence, a Yemen community health program in Yemen that identified malnourished children, and a severe acute malnutrition treatment project in Nigeria that serves millions of children and women.

“People will die, but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut,” Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, said in a statement.

 

 

 


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NAFDAC Withdraws Registration of Artemether/Lumefantrine Oral Suspension over Stability Concerns

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Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general, NAFDAC,
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National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the discontinuation of the registration of Multi-Dose Anti-Malarial (Artemether/Lumefantrine) dry powder for oral suspension.

NAFDAC Withdraws Registration of Artemether/Lumefantrine Oral Suspension over Stability Concerns

Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general, NAFDAC,

The decision follows stability concerns, as studies have shown that the reconstituted formulations lose efficacy over time.

The announcement was made in a public alert No. 01/2025, released on the agency’s website.

NAFDAC confirmed that the suspension applies to all locally manufactured and imported Multi-Dose Artemether/Lumefantrine dry powder for oral use.

Consequently, the agency will no longer accept new applications, renewals, or variations for any local or imported Multi-Dose Artemether/Lumefantrine dry powder for oral suspension.

According to NAFDAC, stability studies revealed that reconstituted Artemether/Lumefantrine oral suspension becomes unstable after mixing, leading to a loss of efficacy.

“This loss can have severe health consequences, including treatment failure, increased risk of complications, and, in extreme cases, death,” the agency stated.

All NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been instructed to conduct surveillance and remove all affected products from circulation.

The agency has also directed importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to immediately halt the importation, distribution, sale, and use of these medications.

NAFDAC has urged healthcare professionals and consumers to report any suspected sale of these products or related substandard medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office or via the agency’s toll-free number: 0800-162-3322. Reports can also be submitted via email at [email protected].

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report adverse reactions through the Med-Safety mobile app, available on Android and iOS, or via email at [email protected].

NAFDAC confirmed that this notification would be uploaded to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) as part of its regulatory measures.

 

 

 


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NITDA Empowers Civil Servants with IT Project Clearance Training

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In line with the presidential priority areas of reforming the economy for sustained inclusive growth and improving governance for effective service delivery, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced a training programme for 1000 civil servants from various MDAs on Information Technology (IT) Project Clearance processes in creating a digitally viable workforce in the public sector towards achieving the desired digital transformation mandate of the present administration.

The opening of the capacity building programme for ICT, Budget, Finance and Planning Officers of Federal Public Institutions, held at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) in Kubwa, Abuja, will be conducted in batches to equip participants with essential knowledge, skills, and best practices.

It aims to enhance collaborative planning, budgeting, and management of ICT system acquisition, deployment, operation, and sustainability in the public sector, ensuring a whole-of-government approach to digital projects.

In his opening remark with the theme, “Empowering Public Sector ICT Excellence Through Strategic Planning and Effective Funding”, the DG NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, emphasised the critical role of strategic planning and funding in enhancing public sector service delivery.

While reiterating the agency’s commitment to digital transformation through the implementation of its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2.0, the DG who was ably represented by the agency’s Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions department, Mr Oladejo Olawunmi, underscored the importance of equipping public sector employees with the necessary tools and knowledge to drive digital initiatives effectively.

Disclosing that NITDA is spearheading digital transformation efforts through its SRAP 2.0, he stated, “This plan aligns with national priorities and aligns with our strategic pillars such as talent development, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation, and policy-enablement to foster a sustainable digital economy”.

However, Inuwa acknowledged the challenges hindering digital transformation in the public sector, including inadequate collaboration among stakeholders, short-term project planning, poor ICT infrastructure maintenance, software licensing issues, and insufficient capacity-building. These barriers, he noted, have contributed to suboptimal outcomes in government-led digital initiatives.

Noting that most project stagnations or failures are attributed to inadequate integration of modern trends such as cloud computing, remote support, and enterprise network services into project planning, Inuwa averred that the agency has strengthened its IT projects clearance process to ensure that digital initiatives are well-conceptualized, planned, and executed in alignment with intended objectives.

“While there have been notable achievements, only 12 percent of Federal Public Institutions, FPIs comply with the process, necessitating a whole-of-government approach for full alignment with national digital transformation goals,” he revealed.

Emphasising that effective resource allocation ensures initiatives are adequately funded and properly executed to deliver real value to the public, he urged participants to manage public funds prudently and prioritise projects that yield measurable outcomes.

“We will explore how to optimize budgeting processes, improve financial oversight, and build systems that ensure transparency and accountability.

“This event has been structured with your professional development in mind, with sessions led by experts in the field, interactive discussions, and practical case studies that will provide you with actionable knowledge you can apply in your respective roles,” he concluded.

Highlighting the critical role of ICT, project, finance, and planning officers, Inuwa admonished participants to take full advantage of the program’s sessions, designed to strengthen their expertise in strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation, and financial management.

“Each of you plays a crucial role in the management and distribution of resources, the planning and implementation of programmes, and ultimately the delivery of services to our communities. Together, you form the backbone of efficient and transparent governance,” he concluded


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