General News
TETFund, FARA Partner to Establish Agric Research, Others
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has partnered with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa( FARA ) to establish and launch Agricultural Research and Innovation Fellowship For Africa (ARIFA) innovation platform in Nigeria.
ARIFA is aimed towards producing a new generation of fit-for purpose workforce to re-engineer the African agri-food sector to provide the change factor for rapid agricultural transformation in the next 10years.
In the first phase of ARIFA, TETFund identified six institutions for the establishment of IPs, namely Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi , University of Benin, University of Lagos, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, University of Maiduguri and University of Jos.
Arc. Sunny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, during his opening remark at the event in Abuja, explained that the Fund’s intervention in ARIFA will impact on faculties and departments across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions resulting in the delivery of science -led solutions for improved livelihoods while sustaining and advancing academic excellence.
He explained that TETFund has supported over 120 scholars nominated by beneficiary institutions, with most of the Phase I nominees rounding off their programs this year.
He added that the pre- admission process of the second phase of the Program has since commenced, and TETFund remains committed to supporting another 500 sets of fellows.
According to him, TETFund recognised the ARIFA model as an innovative strategy for revitalizing pedagogy that will strengthen the institutional capacities of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and contribute to building the knowledge- based economy through its Centers of Excellence (CoE) across the country.
“As we celebrate the return of the first contingent of ARIFA Fellows, I would like to reiterate the commitment of the Fund towards sustaining the momentum of the Program, especially as we begin to see the impact of injecting the new fellows into our educational sector, who will power the engines of TETFund ARIFA Innovation Platforms (TAIPS) across the country.
“As you all know, agriculture is a critical sector in Nigeria, and we must continue to invest in research and innovation to ensure sustainable growth and development. The ARIFA fellowship represents a strategic stride in this respect, and we are excited to have these highly trained fellows join us in this endeavour.
“The fellows will be applying their different expertise and knowledge in TAIPS, which will be invaluable as we work to improve the productivity and competitiveness of our agricultural industry.
“So, I urge you to make the best of this three-day training and ensure that you continue to be part of the innovation ecosystem that we all envision towards strengthening Nigeria’s educational and agrifood systems,” he stated.
Also speaking, Executive Director for FARA, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, said the launch of the programme is the beginning of realization of ARIFA training in Brazil.
He added that the ARIFA fellow returnee for Brazil will be planted back to their institutions where they took off to Brazil.
According to him, Agriculture is so crucial to the development of Africa, noting that more than 80percent of the working population, in the continent derive their livelihood from agriculture.
“So as the concept of AR4D is that you don’t do agriculture because you have nothing to do it is AR4D, “ he said.
One of the beneficiaries of the training, Jennifer Nwaiwu, said that “I benefited a lot because the training was better than what I would have gotten in Nigeria. I want to use this opportunity to appreciate FARA and TETFund for sending me to Brazil.
“There I got a lot of experience and knowledge on better ways to do things and better ways to do research. I got to handle and use many improved technology to do agriculture and is a very big opportunity and I’m very grateful.
“This kind of his training in career path is going to be very impactful because coming back from Brazil, we expect that the knowledge we’ve acquired we are going to be implementing them here in Nigeria, considering the fact that Brazil and Nigeria is similar in climate wise.”
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced an ongoing upgrade and maintenance of its passport portal for applicants within Nigeria.
In a public notice shared on Sunday via its official ‘X’ page, the NIS reassured Nigerians that other services, including passport applications for citizens abroad, remain fully operational during the maintenance period.
The service stated that its team is “working tirelessly” to complete the upgrade and restore full functionality within 72 hours.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and deeply appreciate your patience and understanding,” the notice read. It emphasized that the upgrade is part of efforts to enhance service delivery.
Reaffirming its commitment to excellence, the NIS pledged to provide efficient services to Nigerians at home and abroad.
FBNQuest Asset Management, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc., has been awarded an A+ rating by Agusto & Co. Limited. This rating reflects the firm’s stable outlook, robust risk management, and strong investment capabilities, highlighting its impressive operational performance and outstanding business profile.
It emphasizes FBNQuest Asset Management’s ongoing commitment to providing exceptional investment services to its clients.
The rating was issued in a recent report by Agusto & Co., a leading rating agency in Nigeria. This recognition underscores the company’s strong operational record, excellent corporate governance, and professional management of fund assets.
The organisation’s impressive performance demonstrates its unwavering dedication to delivering exceptional value to clients through a variety of products and services tailored to meet their investment needs.
Ike Onyia, the Managing Director of FBNQuest Asset Management, expressed his satisfaction with the rating, stating, “We are truly delighted to receive the A+ rating from Agusto & Co. This recognition is a testament to our strong expertise in investment portfolio management and the achievements we have realised over the years.
“We take pride in this positive acknowledgement, which stems from our well-thought-out business strategies and the exceptional performance of our skilled workforce, cementing our position in the hearts of our stakeholders.”
FBNQuest Asset Management was also recognised as the Best Asset Manager at the 2024 EMEA African Banker Awards. The organisation continues to maintain a consistently strong position in the investment services subsector in Nigeria, leveraging its rich pedigree in intellectual capital, strong research capabilities, and cutting-edge technology to provide clients with value-adding insights, advice, and service.
“Our mutual funds offer diverse investment options that enable the creation of unique and value-enhancing investment strategies for different client segments.
Additionally, our range of mutual funds encompasses various asset classes, including equities, bonds, and money market instruments,” he added.
Agusto & Co. is a Pan-African leader in credit ratings and credit reports, having assigned over 1,500 ratings across various sectors. Their ratings are globally recognised, with a broad client base relying on them as benchmarks to gauge business success.
TikTok has resumed services to its 170 million users in the US after President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order to give the app a reprieve when he takes office today, January 20.
On Saturday evening, January 18, the Chinese-owned app stopped working for American users, after a law banning it on national security grounds came into effect.
Trump, who had previously backed a ban on the platform, promised on Sunday to delay the implementation of the law and allow more time for a deal to be made. TikTok then said that it was in the process of “restoring service”.
Soon after, the app started working again and a popup message to its millions of users thanked Trump by name.
In a statement, the company thanked the incoming president for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance” and said it would work with Trump “on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States”.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration today.
Posting on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns, Trump said on Sunday: “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, previously ignored a law requiring it to sell its US operations to avoid a ban. The law was upheld by Supreme Court on Friday and went into effect on Sunday.
It is unclear what legal authority Trump will have to delay the implementation of a law that is already in effect. But it expected that his government will not enforce the ban if he issues an executive order.
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