The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Science and technology

  • UI, FG to collaborate on global cleantech innovation programme

    UI, FG to collaborate on global cleantech innovation programme

    The University of Ibadan has concluded arrangements to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology on the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) to ameliorate climate change problems in research.

    Speaking while receiving representatives of the Ministry who visited to consolidate plans for the collaboration, the Vice-Chancellor of the UI, Professor Kayode Adebowale said the programme was a welcome initiative, noting that climate change problems require a multidisciplinary approach to be solved.

    He appreciated the representative of the ministry for coming to UI adding that the University was the right choice for collaboration in academic research and innovation in Nigeria, given its antecedents.

    He noted that the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme is a town-gown initiative, saying academics, research and industries, organisations, SMEs, and NGOs must collaborate for mutual benefits.

    The Vice-Chancellor said UI has the structure to adequately drive strategic partnerships, disclosing that the university runs on structures and a committee system that is needed to channel the initiative and coordinate strategic partnerships.

    Professor Adebowale emphasized that GCIP is a university-wide programme which is relevant to different stakeholders, faculties and research centres in the university, therefore, the UI management will ensure that the ministry handshakes properly with relevant units to promote more strategic qualitative research.

    The representative of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Abuja, Mr Ifeobu Ezenwa said the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) is an initiative led by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

    Read Also: June 12: Tinubu a beacon of Nigeria’s democracy – Onuigbo

    According to Mr Ezenwa, the primary goal of GCIP is to promote cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging markets and developing economies to address climate change challenges.

    He said the aim of the programme is to accelerate cleantech innovation, support early-stage startups and SMEs in developing innovative cleantech solutions, foster sustainable development, strengthen innovation ecosystems, build capacities of national institutions, policymakers, and stakeholders to create a supportive environment for cleantech innovation.

    He explained that the programme seeks to identify and support innovators, SME’s and researchers who are tremendously involved in research in the university and help them to overcome challenges of taking their research output to the market.

    According to him, these challenges are occasioned by insufficient funds and unfavorable policies and regulations, amongst other factors.

    He disclosed that the benefits of the programme include funding opportunities, business acceleration services, training, mentorship, networking opportunities, investor connections, and capacity building.

  • FEC sets up panel to investigate tremor in Abuja 

    The Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday set up a ministerial committee to investigate the tremor witnessed in some parts of Abuja last week.

    The Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

    Read Also:Residents panic as fresh tremor rocks Abuja

    According to him, the committee has four ministries including Science and Technology, Power, Works and Housing, Mines and Steel, and FCT.

    Stressing that there is no cause for alarm in the FCT, he said the Council is awaiting comprehensive report from the committee on the issue.

    He said that the order stopping blasting and other related works in the city stands until a decision is taken after the committee’s report.

    Details Later…

  • World Bank supports primary school in Kaduna with facilities

    World Bank supports primary school in Kaduna with facilities

    The World Bank has supported the most populated primary school in Kaduna, LEA Rigasa,  with educational facilities worth more than N30 million.

    The school, which has a population of 22,240 pupils, would benefit from  facilities which  include  500 chairs and  50 mats.

    Malam Dahuru Anchau, the Director of Schools, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, disclosed this in an interview with  News men on Tuesday in Kaduna.

    He said that the items would assist in improving the teaching and learning of the students.

    Anchau, who is also the Project Coordinator, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in the state, said that the remaining chunk would be used to purchase books and other writing materials for the school.

    He recalled that the bank had in October  2017 ordered the immediate release of the amount during the bank’s midterm review of the N6 billion granted to the state under the bank’s GPE project.

    According to him, the bank’s representative, Dr Olatunde Adekola,  was moved to take action after he saw the pressure the over populated pupils had put on teaching and learning facilities in the school.

    “Adekola immediately announced the intervention for immediate upgrade of facilities at the school.

    Read Also: World Bank: Fed Govt showing more interest in social investment

    “Yesterday,  we supplied the school with over 500 chairs, 50 mats, bookshelves and other items for children’s playground with the first chunk of the money.

    “The remaining amount would be used to supply the school with books and other reading and writing materials as directed by the bank,’’ he said.

    Reports also have it that the bank is spending N20 billion under GPE to support girl-child education in the five states of   Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Sokoto where all indexes on education appeared to be very low.

    The partnership is being  supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and UK Department for International Development (DFID).

    The target is to increase reading and writing skills for pupils in nursery and those in primary one to three, and strengthen community activism and local governance.

    It is also aimed at expanding access to education through community initiatives and to increase the number of qualified female teachers in areas with high gender disparities.

    The state coordinator said that  over 3,400 primary schools have so far benefited from the programme.

    According to him, a total of 8,050 primary school girls from poor homes had received N45,000 scholarship grants to continue with their education, with 1,170 female teachers also getting similar amount to further their studies.

    NAN

  • Fayose suspends Commissioner, Perm Sec over “Unauthorised foreign Trip”

    Fayose suspends Commissioner, Perm Sec over “Unauthorised foreign Trip”

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Friday suspended the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Jide Egunjobi and the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Adekunbi Obaisi from office.

    Fayose through a public service announcement on the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) said the suspension of the duo would last for a period of three months.

    The statement said in part: “They are to remain suspended for three months for leaving their duty posts without notice.”

    The governor said the hammer fell on the two officials for absenting themselves from their duty post.

    But a ministry source told our reporter that Egunjobi and Obaisi entered into trouble for embarking on “unauthorised trip to the United States for a function at the latter’s alma mater.”

    The source said: “The Commissioner and the Permanent Secretary landed in trouble for travelling to the United States of America to attend the Inaugural Lecture at a university, where Mrs. Obaisi graduated from.

    “Their absence affected the running of the ministry and the governor was embarrassed by the fact that both the political head and the chief accounting officer of the ministry were not on their desks to attend to files and official duties.

    “In fact, the governor was shocked when he did not see the commissioner and permanent secretary at the activities to mark his 57th birthday and their absence was very conspicuous.

    “I know that the consequences will be dire so I am not surprised to learn on the state radio that they had been suspended.”

  • LAUTECH: KPMG audit report to be ready Friday – Olowofela

    LAUTECH: KPMG audit report to be ready Friday – Olowofela

    Indications emerge on Wednesday in Ibadan that report of the ongoing audit of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (Lautech) Ogbomosho will be presented to the owners states, latest by Friday August 25.
    Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela made the disclosure while featuring on a radio programme monitored in the state yesterday.

    He said the management of the institution has finally agreed to the call by the two owner states to give room for the auditing the institution as a way of resolving the perennial and protracted crises rocking it.

    While assuring that the report by the auditing firm will fast track the process to surmount the impending crises rocking the institution, the commissioner noted that activities are in top gear to ensure the school’s crises are resolved soon.

    He also clarified that the state government’s establishment of Ibadan Technical University is not to make it as preference over the LAUTECH noting that TechU total school payment package stands at about N900, 000 to make it self-sufficient and self-dependence.

    He explained that the technical university is built for people that have capacity to afford it, maintaining that there are modalities to resolve Lautech’s crisis as soon as possible in the interest of the masses.

    Speaking on some reasons for the protracted crisis, the Commissioner said there are some intricacies involved in the matter of Lautech.

    According to him, Osun State, which is a co-owner state to Oyo State, has a university which is self-financing despite the fact it was established many years after Lautech and as such does not see any reason why the case of Lautech should be different.

    He said: “The position of Osun State government was that if Osun State university that was established 12 years ago can be self-financing, LAUTECH that has been established for twenty years plus must be self-financing as well especially now there’s dwindling allocation to state from Federal government”, he said.

    Olowofela added that, to show the seriousness of both state governments towards the institution, the two state governments in January, 2017 committed N292million each to solve the immediate problem of the school while the state governments later jointly approved the audit of the school by KPMG.

    He also added that, between 2011 and 2017, the Oyo State government has single handedly spent 10.2 billion on LAUTECH University, N8.3 billion on LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso and N3.7 billion on LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Oshogbo in Osun State.

    Olowofela noted that if the state government is not serious about issue of LAUTECH, it would not have spent a whopping N22 billion on the institution.

  • Nasarawa sacks five principals for charging fees in schools

    The Nasarawa State Government says it has removed five principals from different schools for charging fees from students.

    Ramatu Ajuji-Abubakar, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, made this known during interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lafia on Tuesday.

    “From our investigation so far, we discovered and have removed five principals of different schools for charging students fees”, she said.

    She further threatened to sanction any principal in public schools caught collecting fees from students.

    According to her, the free education policy of the State Government is still in force from primary to secondary levels.

    “Students are not supposed to pay any money and any principal caught extorting money from the unsuspecting students in the name of school fees would be sanctioned.

    “Students in all the public boarding schools across the state are not to pay money or give any food item as the government has taken full charge of their feeding”, the commissioner said.

    She explained that the state government, through the ministry, had set machinery in motion to check illegal practices by principals.

    Ajuji-Abubakar added that, the government has provided massive infrastructure at both primary and secondary schools in the state in order to provide environment conducive for teachers and students.

    She said in spite of the huge investments of government in providing infrastructure and feeding for boarding students, government was still battling with the high influx of students from private schools.

    She cautioned the leadership of Parent-Teacher Association in the state not to charge the students any money without permission from the ministry as doing so would not be tolerated.

     

  • Oyo declares public holiday on World Teachers Day

    Oyo declares public holiday on World Teachers Day

    The Oyo State Government has congratulated teachers in the state on the 2016 World Teachers Day Celebration, saying it has declared Wednesday, October 5, 2016, as a work free day for all teachers to commemorate the special day.

    This is contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, in which the government congratulated teachers in the state and consequently affirmed that their role in nation building cannot be overemphasized.

    The statement reads: “Teachers are integral parts of national development as they passionately mold the lives of future leaders. We urge them not to relent in their calling to reposition the education sector and collaborate with the State Government towards ensuring the success of the Education Reform Initiative in view of the current national economic challenges.

    “The World Teachers Day, October 5, is a day set aside annually to commemorate the signing of an all-important document of ‘ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the pivotal status of Teachers’ adopted by the Ministers of Education of Nations under the United Nations Organisation (UNO) on 5th October 1966. The day is particularly set aside to bring global attention to the world most important profession and the welfare of its practitioners,” Olowofela explained.

  • Oracle promotes digital transformation to support Africa’s industry 4.0 readiness

    Oracle promotes digital transformation to support Africa’s industry 4.0 readiness

    •  Technology leader showcased innovative ‘cloud’ solutions and reiterated commitment towards enhancing IT skills amongst African Youth at Innovation Africa 2016

    With the fourth industrial revolution set to be powered by a combination of computer services (IaaS) and cloud platform technologies (PaaS), Oracle reiterated its commitment to help create a skilled workforce for driving rapid digital transformation in Africa at the recently concluded Innovation Africa 2016 event in Kenya.

    “As per the World Economic Forum, 60 per cent of the workforce in Africa is under 30 years, and at Oracle we believe that it is imperative to equip this large pool of young Africans with the essential IT skills of the future that will enable them to contribute to Africa’s socio-economic growth,” said Cherian Varghese, Cluster Lead for Oracle Sub-Sahara Africa.

    “Innovation is the heart of everything we do at Oracle and our cloud solutions are already at the forefront of driving digital transformation across Africa’s public and private sector organizations. Our objective to participate at Innovation Africa 2016 was to raise awareness about our diverse and innovative cloud solutions portfolio and how we are uniquely poised to help African organizations be Industry 4.0 ready,” added Varghese.

    Held under the official patronage of the Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the event witnessed Oracle’s participation as a Gold partner from 20th – 22nd September 2016 at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi. Senior Oracle executives interacted with key government and private sector officials at the two-day event.

  • Free compulsory education begins in Kaduna

    Free compulsory education begins in Kaduna

    Kaduna State government has concluded plans to commence the enforcement of free compulsory primary education across the 23 local government areas next month.

    The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Andrew Nok who briefed Journalists on the activities of the ministry, said the bill to enforce compulsory primary education in the state has been passed into law and would be become effective in September.

    He said, government came up with law in order to ensure that no one is deprive of basic education in the State, “the law provides penalty to parent who refuse to send their children or ward to school.”

    “Anybody who is caught giving or receiving alms to beggars, and parent who sends their children to school would be dealt with by the law,” he said.

    He said, the State government is going to get the Almajiri children integrated into the modern school system.

    The commissioner also disclosed that a total of N2.2 billion has been spent on the payment of 1,200 newly recruited teachers in the State.

    The commissioner said the delay in payment was to ensure that all the newly recruited staff passed through proper documentation to check the “ghost worker syndrome.”

    Nok also pledged that 15 secondary schools would be reactivated as boarding schools and equipped with standard facilities across the 23 local government areas.

    He said hostels, library, clinic, kitchen facilities, perimeter fence and potable water would be provided to give the schools a conducive environment for teaching and learning.

    15 schools to be reactivated as boarding institutions included Queen Amina College, Kaduna, Government Girls secondary School, Kawo; Government Technical College, Malali and Barewa Collage, Zaria.

    Others included Government College, Kagoro; Girls Science Secondary School, Giwa; Rimi College, Zaria; Girls Science School, Kwoi; Government Girls Secondary School , Soba, Government college, Saminaka and Government College, Kagoro.

  • Nasarawa Govt. to employ more physically-challenged into civil service

    Nasarawa Govt. to employ more physically-challenged into civil service

     

    The Nasarawa State Government has planned to employ more persons living with disability into the state civil service in order ameliorate their condition.

     

    The Commissioner for Special Education, Science and Technology, Mr Idris Mohammed, made the disclosure on Thursday in Lafia, while receiving state officials of the Joint Association of Persons with Disability (JAPED).

     

    Mohammed said that the ministry had commenced the compilation of applications received from members of JAPED to engage them into the civil service.

     

    “The state governor had also approved the registration of members of this association into technical colleges across the state to enable them have Western education and be trained in one skills or the other.

     

    “During the celebration of the last International Day for People Living With Disability, the governor promised to improve the living conditions of the disabled,’’ he said.

     

    The commissioner assured the physically-challenged that the state government would soon provide the association with a befitting office accommodation and a vehicle to ease their operation.

     

    Earlier, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the association, Mr Innocent Ladan, said the visit was meant to introduce new officials of the association to the commissioner and to pledge their support for the state government.

     

    Ladan said that the state government should urgently do something to take members begging, off the street by considering those with Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), Diploma, NCE, Degree and Masters degree for employment.

     

    He commended the state governor for always coming to the aid of the association.