An Artificial Intelligence (AI) system builder and automation specialist, Ms Mary Mmoh, says digital infrastructure remains the most critical gap holding back Nigeria’s technology ecosystem. Mmoh made this statement in an interview with reporters in Abuja on Wednesday while responding to a question on what Nigeria needs to build a stronger technology sector. She said reliable electricity, internet connectivity, data centres and access to cloud infrastructure are the foundations that allow technology companies to build and scale. She noted that Nigerian technology companies often build locally but deploy their solutions on foreign infrastructure, a practice she described as expensive because…
Author: Newsdesk
A fintech researcher, Vincent Edra, has identified privacy concerns, online scams and poor dispute resolution as major reasons many Nigerians remain reluctant to embrace financial technology. Edra said on Wednesday in Abuja that some digital lending platforms illegally accessed borrowers’ personal data to recover loans, undermining public trust in digital financial services. He said the data breaches had made some Nigerians wary of fintech platforms and reluctant to take advantage of the convenience offered by digital financial services. According to him, the early 2020s witnessed an explosion of digital loan applications offering instant loans of between N5,000 and N10,000 to…
The Managing Director of Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, says the agency has concluded plans to replace its satellite to ensure reliable service delivery to customers. Egerton-Idehen disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja on the sidelines of the agency’s Customer Service Week. She said NIGCOMSAT had moved beyond operating a single satellite to building robust redundancies across its operations to guarantee service continuity. “We just don’t have a satellite. We have a plan to even replace it and put up another satellite, and that’s one of the things we are going to do,” she said. According to…
A military cardiologist, Maj.-Gen. Life Ajemba, has urged military personnel and veterans to prioritise heart health through regular medical checks, physical exercise, healthy diets and adequate rest. Ajemba, who gave the advice in an interview with reporters on Wednesday in Abuja, said hypertension remained one of the most common cardiovascular conditions among serving personnel and military retirees. He cited studies which showed that hypertension accounted for 15.31 per cent of cases treated mainly among military retirees between 2015 and 2020. He also referenced another study which found a hypertension prevalence of 34.3 per cent among military personnel. He noted that…
Dr Emem Jay, a gynaecologist, has warned that women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) may face increased risks of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Jay of M and M Fertility Centre, Abuja, gave the warning in an interview with reporters on Wednesday in Abuja. He described PCOS as a common hormonal and metabolic disorder affecting how the ovaries function, adding that it was also closely linked to metabolic health. According to him, many women with PCOS experience insulin resistance, abnormal cholesterol levels, increased abdominal fat or high blood pressure. He explained that when several of these conditions occurred together,…
The Federal Government has tasked the Africa Group on Earth Observation (AfriGEO) to promote continental space policies and strengthen Africa’s capacity to produce and use Earth observation data for development. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, gave the charge on Tuesday in Abuja at the 10th AfriGEO Symposium. The event is being hosted by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and the GEO Secretariat of Nigeria from October 5 to 8. The symposium, themed “Earth Observation for a Resilient Africa,” is attracting more than 400 participants from across Africa and beyond. Udeh said Africa’s…
The Abia Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday began a four-day training for Ward Agricultural Coordinators and extension personnel to strengthen grassroots agricultural development. The training is being organised in collaboration with the Agribusiness Incubation Centre, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU). The programme, themed “Strengthening Grassroots Agricultural Coordination for Sustainable Agricultural Development,” focuses on modern agricultural techniques and agribusiness. It also covers pest management and the responsibilities of ward coordinators in supporting farmers and monitoring agricultural interventions. Declaring the training open, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbaeze, described it as both a privilege and a responsibility. Agbaeze, represented…
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum. The forum runs from October 7 to 9. His media aide, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, said in a statement on Tuesday that Shettima was received on arrival by Ambassador Nasir Aminu, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union. Also present to receive him were the Minister in the Mission, Mr Nura Aliyu; Senior Counsellor Mr Onovo Isaac; Defence Attaché Wing Commander Gabriel Batubo; and other senior Ethiopian government officials. Nkwocha said Shettima was invited to the Pearl Exchange Forum…
Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have arrested a truck driver following a multiple-vehicle crash that critically injured four people. LASTMA General Manager Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos. Bakare-Oki said the crash occurred at First Gate, inward Mile 2, and involved a Mack truck carrying a fully laden 40-foot container. It also involved another truck with a 20-foot container, a T4 commercial bus with registration number AAA 723 YF, and nine commercial motorcyclists. “Preliminary security findings indicate that the collision was caused by an apparent brake failure on the Mack…
The European Union has challenged the Sokoto State House of Assembly to strengthen its scrutiny of public spending and ensure that government budgets deliver measurable improvements in the lives of citizens, particularly children, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. The EU made the call on Tuesday, during a policy dialogue between the EU, UNICEF and other development partners and the Sokoto State parliamentarians on budget implementation, oversight effectiveness, and opportunities to improve results and performance, especially of social protection. The Head of Cooperation and Partnerships at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca stressed…