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Tag: Adebayo Shittu

  • Cabinet reshuffle: Don’t trust your ‘kitchen cabinet’ – Ex-Minister tells Tinubu

    Cabinet reshuffle: Don’t trust your ‘kitchen cabinet’ – Ex-Minister tells Tinubu

    A former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, says President Bola Tinubu should not trust some of his righthand men in recommending persons for ministerial offices, especially ahead of his planned cabinet reshuffle.

    Shittu made this statement during an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.

    According to him, some members of the President’s kitchen cabinet who should be on the lookout for technocrats to be appointed ministers have vested interests and would only recommend their persons.

    “You cannot trust anybody, even if you are talking of kitchen cabinet,” Shittu said, adding that some of the current members of the President’s cabinet have underperformed.

    The ex-minister said, “This will be the first time he (Tinubu) would be recruiting people from all parts of the country most of whom he may never have met in life. But he may just be riding on the recommendation, perhaps, of interested power blocs within the party who would give information and sell their candidate for one reason or the other.

    “Mr President has an opportunity to decide what he wants. If you are not there and if he does not tell you exactly what he wants, it would be very difficult but I think one failing in our system in this country is that when people are appointed, or about to be appointed, we don’t have a kind of orientation exercise which perhaps will take a week or two weeks to school those to be given jobs to understand the priorities of their employer.”

    Tinubu, ex-Lagos governor, appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after his inauguration. The Senate immediately screened and confirmed the ministers. One of the ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended in January while another, Simon Lalong, moved to the Senate.

    There have been growing calls for the President to reshuffle his cabinet as many Nigerians are not impressed by the performance of many of the ministers, especially in the face of unprecedented inflation, excruciating economic situation and rising insecurity.

    This week, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the President would reshuffle his cabinet but didn’t give a time to the reorganisation.

  • Buhari did not supervised, questioned his Ministers – Adebayo Shittu

    Buhari did not supervised, questioned his Ministers – Adebayo Shittu

    Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu has said that former President Muhammadu Buhari did not ask his ministers how they go about their job.

    Shittu stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

    He said: “Buhari did not give anybody any threat. As I said, Buhari is not Tinubu and Tinubu is not Buhari. What I know of Buhari with all due respect to him, he is a more reserved person. When he gives a job to somebody, he will never ask how they go about it.

    “I have to say this for national interest so that the government who comes after him should do something about it. In the Buhari government, if you don’t go and meet him, probably in the next four years, he will not ask about you.

    “People bring their memos, but in terms of supervision we really did have such things. Tnubu is trying to do things differently.

    “In his statement today, Tinubu shows commitment that he is trying to do things differently. What I think he needs to add to it is to lead a transparent and quantifiable supervision of each ministry.”

  • As Adamu emerges APC’s National Chairman, Shittu steps down from race of National Secretary

    As Adamu emerges APC’s National Chairman, Shittu steps down from race of National Secretary

    Just as Sen. Abdullahi Adamu emerged as All Progressives Congress, APC, consensus National Chairman on Saturday, the former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, has stepped down from the race of the party’s National Secreatary.

     

    Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State formally presented Adamu to the convention last night.

    Delegates were scheduled to vote for the next national women leader.

     

    FIVE FACTORS ON UNITY LIST:

    It was gathered that the governors’ list was a product of intense lobbying, meetings and consultations over three days.

    The governors were said to have been guided by the following five factors in compiling the Unity List:

    • Protecting the interest of the legacy parties that formed APC.
    • The need to respect the desire of members and leaders for unity.
    • A sense of belonging and party cohesion.
    • To have a solid and vibrant National Working Committee (NWC) which can help Senator Abdullahi Adamu whose age may slow down.
    • Building a bridge between current governors/leaders and latter ones at the party level from 2023.
    • Winning the 2023 polls begins with getting it right with the right party structure.

    On the Unity List are: Senator Abdullahi Adamu, (National Chairman); Senator Abubakar Kyari, (Deputy National Chairman, North); Emma Eneukwu, (Deputy National Chairman, South) ; Senator Iyiola Omisore (National Secretary); Festus Fuanter (Deputy National Secretary); Mustapha Salihu (National Vice Chairman North-East); Muhazu Bawa Rijau (National Vice Chairman North-Central) and Suleiman Mohammed Argungu National Organising Secretary).

    It also contains Salihu Lukman (National Vice Chairman, North-West); Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, (National Vice Chairman South-East); Dr. Victor Giadom, National Vice Chairman South-South); Isaac Kekemeke (National Vice Chairman South-West); Barr. Ahmed El-Marzuk (National Legal Adviser); Bashir Usman Gumel (National Financial Secretary) and Uguru Mathew Ofoke (National Treasurer).

    Chief Eneukwu was National Vice Chairman (South East) of the party under the Chief John Oyegun and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole leadership.

     

    SIGNATORIES OF UNITY LIST:

    The National Unity List was signed by APC governors and leaders including Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State; Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State; Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State; Ben Ayade of Cross River State; Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State; Professor Abubakar Zulum of Borno State; A. A. Abdulrazaq of Kwara State and Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.

    Other signatories were Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; Nweze David; Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State; M. B. Abubakar; Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State; and Abu Bello of Niger State.

     

    STEP DOWN CANDIDATES:

    Some of the candidates had announced that they were stepping down from the race at the convention venue before the arrival of House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Vice President Yemi Oainbajo and President Muhamadu Buhari.

    Mr. Adebayo Shittu, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele and Prof. Abideen Olaiya withdrew from the race for national secretary to pave the way for Senator Iyiola Omisore.

  • FG urges stakeholders to support 2019-2023 national broadband plan

    FG urges stakeholders to support 2019-2023 national broadband plan

    The Minister of Communications, Dr Adebayo Shittu, has urged stakeholders in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector to support the Nigerian National Broadband Council with credible suggestions toward the development of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2019–2023.

    The minister’s request is in a statement issued by his Special Assistant (Media), Mr Bolaji Kazeem in Abuja on Friday.

    Kazeem said that the minister stressed the need for sustainable broadband capacity that could drive the country’s socio-economic activities.

    He quoted the minister as saying “there is enormous need for sustainable broadband capacity to improve quality of services.

    “The Nigerian National Broadband Council has been reviewing the progress made so far, and has identified areas of programme adjustment to permit the realisation of new and emerging opportunities.

    “Such areas of review are: development of an Integrated National Broadband Backbone, development of National Policy on Open Access and the constitution of Inter-Ministerial Committee on ICT Convergence and related issues.

    “Others are engagement of strategic partners on specific issues such as funding, tax waivers and participation of stakeholders in the review process through suggestions to improve on the new strategy document.’’

    According to the minister, Nigeria has been improving its use of ICT enabled services to drive socio-economic activities.

    He added that the Nigerian National Broadband Council was established to provide periodic evaluation of progress, facilitate coordination and collaboration, as well as highlight areas of programme adjustment to permit the realisation of emerging opportunities.

    Shittu said that the Ministry of Communications had developed critical policy documents to guide interested investors and industry players to engender trust.

    “Some of the policy documents include the e-Government Masterplan, the Local Content Guideline, and ICT Roadmap,’’ he added.

     

  • Nigeria aims to achieve new broadband penetration milestone

    Nigeria aims to achieve new broadband penetration milestone

    The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu on Thursday in Abuja expressed the ministry’s commitment to attain 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2021.

    The minister said this at a post “Nigeria National Broadband Plan 2013 to 2018’’, organised by the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

    The event had as its theme “Success, Prospects and Challenges’’.

    While applauding Federal Government’s efforts in moving from 18 to 31 per cent broadband connectivity between 2015 and 2019, Shittu said that more still needed to be done to attain greater feats.

    According to him, within the last three years, we have attained 31 per cent from 18 per cent.

    “It might seem laudable and I think it calls for celebration but I think that as a dynamic country such as Nigeria with the huge population and potential, we should really be thinking much higher.

    “My belief is that if we put all the current efforts together, in another two years we should be able to attain 70 per cent.

    “My ambition is two years rather than the five years that is being postulated,’’ the minister said.

    He explained that Nigeria would be redirecting efforts at using solar based masts to increase rural broadband connectivity.

    The minister pointed out that the move would be facilitated by the 100 million dollars loan the country intends to access from India.

    “The current mast that all the telecom operators use is very expensive to maintain.

    “They rely on electricity and we do not have electricity all around the country, so we have a situation where somebody who wants to build a mast of N40 million will also have to acquire 200 KVA generator and fuel it.

    “For this reason, we now redirected our efforts at getting solar based mast which would also have 50 kilometres radius so that if you have a land area of 100 kilometres, you will have two masts

    “It is cheap to maintain and all operators can depend on it, rather than having the rural operators to construct their own mast or lay their own cables.

    “We are doing all of these and I believe that within the next two months we should have an approval from Indian government for work to commence on deploying this to all rural areas in Nigeria,’’ Shittu said.

    The minister added that broadband connectivity must be seen as a fundamental right of every Nigerian.

    Earlier, the President of ATCON, Mr Olusola Teniola called for increased collaboration among telecommunication companies to create an industry that could attract more investors in the country.

     

  • FDI in ICT sector increases from $3.2bn in 2015 to $4bn in 2018

    FDI in ICT sector increases from $3.2bn in 2015 to $4bn in 2018

    Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector of the Nigerian economy recorded an increase from 3.2 billion dollars in 2015 to 4 billion dollars in 2018.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Minister for Communications, Dr Adebayo Shittu made this known at the opening of the three-day 11th edition of eNigeria Conference and Exhibition in Abuja.

    The conference has “Promoting Digital Economy in an Era of Disruptive Technologies through Effective Regulation” as its theme.

    Shittu said that the Federal Government was committed to growing the country’s economy, noting that the IT sector was also on the path to steady development.

    The minister said “the impact of ICT can be felt in virtually every area of human endeavour and countries are taking advantage of disruptive technologies to transform their economies.

    “We have the National ICT Policy, National Broadband, ICT Roadmap, eGovernment Master Plan, Addressing System and Local Content Policy initiatives to deepen the role of ICT in the development of the economy”.

    Shittu explained that government was working toward developing broadband penetration to 30 per cent by the end of the year, adding that it was presently at 23 per cent.

    According to Shittu, with about 160 million active mobile lines and 90 mobile internet subscribers, mobile technologies are fast proving to be game changers to deepening ICT experience as a nation.

    “Nigerian ICT sector is open for investment and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the sector has increased from 3.2 billion dollars in 2015 to 4 billion dollars in 2018.

    “Emerging disruptive technologies are also creating new industries and we can take advantage of this to further attract FDIs to the sector,” Shittu said.

    Mr Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in his keynote address, said effective regulation was required for effective development of any economy.

    Ribadu said that government needed to explore every available means to fight corruption, adding that modern technologies could mitigate the incidences of corruption.

    “Government can deploy Block Chain, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Technology and Deep Data Analytics in detecting corruption especially in resources within the public service,” he added.

    The former EFCC chairman said that fighting corruption required incorruptible leadership at the highest level.

    According to him, the EFCC, through the use of modern technology, has 191 convictions within eight months, over N20 billion funds recovered and over 800 ongoing cases on financial crimes, as well as corruption.

    Ribadu, however, called on Federal Government to ensure that men of integrity and character were placed in positions of leadership to mitigate against incidences of corruption for national development.

    President Muhammadu Buhari declared the event open and commended NITDA on its regulation, clearance mandate of indigenous product, and urged the agency to be firm.

    Buhari, however, said Ministries, Departments and Agencies which refused to subject their IT projects to regulations and clearance must face the law.

    He added that the Federal Government was serious about fighting corruption.

     

  • Breaking: Court grants Shittu’s prayer to serve NYSC processes

    Breaking: Court grants Shittu’s prayer to serve NYSC processes

    The Federal High Court in Ibadan, on Thursday, granted the application of the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, to serve originating summons on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja.
    Recall that Shittu had in the last few weeks been confronted with criticisms for not observing the mandatory one-year national youth service.
    Justice P.I. Ajoku ruled that the service of the originating summons be served on the respondents through the bailiffs of the court.
    “The service of the plaintiff’s processes on the first, third and fourth defendants who are in Abuja shall be effected by the bailiffs of this honourable court,” the judge ruled.
    The judge, however, adjourned the case till Nov. 19 for report of service.
    The suit has the Director-General, NYSC; the State Coordinator, NYSC; the NYSC and the Attorney-General of the Federation as the first, second, third and fourth defendants respectively.
    Earlier, Mr Muktar Aderogba, counsel to the plaintiff, prayed the court to issue and serve the originating summons and the accompanying processes in the suit on the address of NYSC office in Abuja.
    Aderogba added that he relied on the 12-paragraph affidavit and the written address supplied in support of his application.
    The minister is seeking the order of the court to direct the first three defendants to issue him with a certificate of national service.
    This, according to his originating summons, is based on having served the nation as a member of the House of Assembly of Oyo State between 1979 and 1983.
    Alternatively, he is praying the court to grant an order to direct the first three defendants to issue him with a certificate of exemption from the NYSC.
    This, he said, was again based on having served in an alternative capacity as a member of the Oyo state house of assembly.
     

  • Breaking: NIPOST unveils products to revolutionize courier, e-commerce in Nigeria

    The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has unveiled products and programmes to revolutionize the way the business of courier and e-commerce are conducted in the country.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports NIPOST unveiled the products at a stakeholders conference to address critical challenges facing e-commerce; identity and security management; courier and last mile delivery, that held in Lagos on Friday.

    According to Barrister Adebisi Adegbuyi, Postmaster General of the Federation, the stakeholders conference, the first of its kind, came under the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari of an urgent need to reposition the NIPOST to meet international standards.

    He said the journey to transform the NIPOST started August 2nd 2016 and it is to merge the service to recent technological developments.

    Adegbuyi further stated that the new NIPOST will rely on, and reposition the massive infrastructure of the Service and that in 2 years, there will be no government parastatal richer than the NIPOST.

    Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, present at the conference, said the new revolution will take NIPOST from the stone age, breaking NIPOST away from the past and moving it into the digital future.

    TNG reports the products unveiled at the stakeholders conference are NIPOST Digital Addressing System, NIPOST Address Verification System and NIPOST e-commerce API for existing and intending stakeholders.

     

  • Minister inaugurates National Addressing System committee

    The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, says the establishment of a well articulated National Addressing System (NAS) is strategic for national planning and development.

    National Addressing System (NAS) is the Key to e-Commerce, e-Finance, e-Navigation and modern postal services and essential tool for national infrastructure as well as the socio-economic development of a country.

    Shittu said in Abuja on Thursday while inaugurating the NAS Committee that the establishment of a well-articulated NAS, long overdue, was predicated on the importance and role it played in National development.

    The role of NAS, he said, was beyond the primary aim of mail delivery.

    “Therefore, a standardised addressing infrastructure and database is indispensable in locating residents of this country.

    “A homogenous and unambiguous addressing resource is an essential tool for effective and efficient service delivery,’’ he said.

    The minister, however, said that stakeholders, especially states and local government areas were responsible for the implementation of their constitutional roles.

    He said they were to be guided on the globally accepted ways of performing those roles to facilitate development of addressing infrastructure that supported Geographical Positioning System (GPS) and applications.

    Shittu recalled that Vice-President Yemi Osinbanjo inaugurated the NAS Council on Sept. 21, 2017.

    According to him, the inauguration came while the Nigerian National Addressing Standard and Guideline document was endorsed for implementation by the NAS Council on Oct. 19, 2017.

    The minister urged the committee members to understand their assigned roles and contribute their quota toward the implementation of a dependable system for Nigeria.

    He said this would provide the required ease of access to various locations and people, adding that their contributions would no doubt contribute immensely to national growth and development.

    “Stakeholders and all Nigerians are therefore invited to support NAS committee members in the discharge of their duties and adopt standards and guidelines for the implementation of the system.’’

    Mr Bisi Adegbuyi, Post-Master-General of the Federation, said the importance of NAS could not be overemphasised, describing it as the bedrock and access to government services.

    Adegbuyi said the primary responsibility of any government was to provide services to its people“and more meaningful, if you don’t have address, you won’t have access to government services.

    Mrs Nkechi Ejele, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, said the committee, made up of various stakeholders, had the Minister of Communications as Chairman.

    According to her, the committee is charged with the responsibility of coordinating all activities of NAS programme.

    Ejele said NAS policy recognised the critical role of stakeholders in developing a reliable addressing infrastructure and identified them in the governance structure of the national addressing system with NAS council as the apex.

     

  • Communications ministry, CBN move to include ICT, Telecom on Forex list

    The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, says the ministry is collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to include the ICT and Telecom industry on Forex priority list.

    Shittu, represented by Mr John Emeawa, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS), Ministry of Communications, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while inaugurating the ICT, Computers/Devices Service Centre.

    The centre was established by the Ministry of Communications and Certified Computers Manufacturing of Nigeria (CCMON).

    According to the minister, there is an ongoing discussion between the ministry and the CBN to include the ICT and Telecom industry in the list of sectors to be accorded Forex priority.

    “In this regard, I will proudly say that Nigeria has an array of young people with great energies and creative abilities to launch Nigeria into the league of world leading economies by leveraging on ICTs.

    Shittu stressed the need for the nation to adopt a deliberate, planned and sustainable national programme for developing a competent, knowledge-driven workforce and society.

    He said sustained access to ICT tools was a critical component of competent and knowledge-driven workforce.

    The minister said in ensuring a competent workforce that the Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON) seeks to collaborate with the ministry and its agencies to establish the centre.

    According to him, the ministry fully identifies with CCMON since its activities align with the mandate of the ministry because we know that their value propositions will be beneficial to the sector.

    “Our collaboration with CCMON is intended to transform and build the capacity of the workforce in digital literacy and in preparation for a full implementation of the National e-Government Master plan.

    “ICT Roadmap and also equip benefitting tech savvy youths with entrepreneurial and job creation skills.

    “I am happy to inform you that the Computer Service Center aligns with the implementation of the Federal Government Local Content Initiative,“ he said.

    Shittu said the centre will support all systems bought in the public service, saying it was a pilot project of the ministry with plans to be replicated in every MDAs to provide after sales and services support.

    “Such after sales support will ensure that computers bought by government are duly maintained.

    “This will stop all incidents of breakdowns and malfunctioning of computers used for government business.

    Consequently, the centre is for skills acquisition of staff that will provide services to various MDAs.

    “The programme, therefore, will save costs for government and eliminate huge maintenance costs in government IT infrastructure.

    “ I wish to state that our ministry will continue to support CCMON as well as other equipment manufacturers to provide policy direction, who may wish to set up an assembly plant in Nigeria in the future,‘’ he said.

    In her opening remarks, Mrs Nkechi Ejele, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, said the centre would serve as a model for promoting in-house maintenance of ICT devices.

    Ejele said the centre would also carry out preventive maintenance, encourage purchase of locally manufactured ICT devices.

    “Increase the life span of systems and serve as a training centre for devices repair and maintenance thereby lowering the total cost of ownership.

    “As a ministry, we have consistently stated the ICT sector of the Nigerian economy has the capacity to serve as one of the leading sources of government revenue, if the enabling environment is created through partnership and investment.”

    On his part, Mr Bode Pedro, President, CCMON, said the centre will create trade opportunity for the unemployed youths, the MDAs and private sector.

    Pedro said the coming together of local manufacturers to set up a unified service centre will reduce cost and provide efficient services.