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Tag: Isa Ali Pantami

  • Minister of Communication, other Ulamas to try Rahama Sadau for blasphemy

    Minister of Communication, other Ulamas to try Rahama Sadau for blasphemy

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Issa Ali Pantami has been listed among other Ulamas that will try Rahama Sadau for blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the petitioner, Mr. Lawal Muhammad Gusau made this known in a statement on Saturday.

    After filing a petition to the Inspector General of Police on alleged case of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad caused by Sadau’s photos, the petitioner gave a list of four conditions to be met.

    Recall that Sadau’s pictures recently stirred controversy on social media, which forced the actress to withdraw them and apologise.

    Some Northern muslims felt the pictures were offensive to the conservative Northern Nigerian and to Islam, her faith. Others disagreed and rose in her defense.

    But in a press statement released by the petitioner, Mr. Lawal Muhammad Gusau, on Saturday, the Kannywood actress must meet the following conditions as attached.

    The petition warned that if care is not taken, the social media photos of the 27-year-old actress could cause a crisis in the Northern part of Nigeria. It cited an incident in Kano where a singer who allegedly blasphemed the Prophet was attacked by a mob.

    Mr Gusau said, ” in response to the report by BBC Hause transmitted on the 7th day of November 2020 that Rahama Sadau is due to arrive to Kaduna, Nigeria with her Lawyers to defend herself on the allegation of blasphemy labelled against her she should note the followings”

    The conditions include that her lawyer(s) must be Muslims, the Police should only convey her to the Sharia court, renowned Islamic scholars like Isa Pantami should be the judges of the day and that Arewa lawyers should not defend Rahama Sadau.

    See the full statement here:

    Conditions to be met in respect of Rahama Sadau’s allegation of blasphemy on the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

    In response to the report by BBC Hausa transmitted on the 7th day of November 2020 that Rahama Sadau is due to arrive to Kaduna, Nigeria, with her Lawyers to defend herself on the allegation of the blasphemy labelled against her, she should note the followings-

    1. Her lawyer (s) MUST be Muslim by faith. This is predicated on the fact that it is only a Muslim Lawyer that can understand the proceedings of Sharia Court. It is a matter relating to Hadiths of the Prophet and the Glorious Holy Qur’an and not a matter relating to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    2. The Police should only observe their constitutional role of conveying her to Islamic Shariah Court after conduction discreet investigation of the case in issue.

    3. Renowned Islamic scholars like Sheikh (Dr.) Ahmed Mahmoud Gumi, Kaduna, Sheikh Ahmed BUK from Kano, Sheikh Kabir Haruna Gombe from Gombe state, Shekh Nura Khalil (Digital) from Abuja and Sheikh Ali Isa Pantami (Hon. Minister of Communication) will be the Ulamas that will give Islamic interpretation with regards to the balsphemy on the Prophet Muhammed (SAW).

    4 We compliment the resolve of Arewa lawyers for not interfering in the cases of blasphemy against one Aminu Sherif and Umar Farouq. We expect the Arewa Layers and most particularly Lawyers in Kaduna not to interfere in Rahama Sadau’s case.

    Finally, we wish to call on the general public to remain calm, while assuring all Muslim faithful that justice will take its course.

    Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Long live the Nigeria Police Force!

  • FG keen on developing Nigeria into digital economy, says Minister

    FG keen on developing Nigeria into digital economy, says Minister

    Dr Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has said the Federal Government is keen on developing Nigeria into a digital economy.

    Pantami stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the National Dialogue on telecoms and ICT sector in Nigeria organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) with the theme “Harnessing the digital resources for the building of our national economy”.

    The Minister, in his keynote address, acknowledged the challenges of developing a digital economy in Nigeria.

    “In Nigeria, we are keen to develop a digital economy that will have a great impact on every sector of Nigeria’s economy,” he said.

    He enumerated some challenges of developing a digital economy in the country to include; rapid evolution of technology and widening inequalities between the digital “haves” and “haves-not” and the need for new regulations.

    Pantami named others to include cybercrime and other threats; low level of digital literacy; and need for infrastructure.

    Speaking further he said that a number of opportunities were abound in the economy, once it was placed on the right track.

    Pantami said they included economic growth and productivity, increased transparency, growth of digital innovation and entrepreneurship, digitisation of work, and useful insights from big data.

    In addition he said, digital economy can contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) more than ICT which contributed 17 per cent in 2019.

    “According to the Q2 ‘2020 GDP Report by the National Bureau of Statistics, ICT contributed an unprecedented 17.83 per cent to the GDP.

    “The effect of the digital economy is even far greater than the ICT contribution shows.

    “The digital economy encompasses ICT and all digital services, which includes all online activities in financial institutions, ecommerce, online tax payment, any form of online payment, online banking, etc.

    “When we consider these, the contribution of the digital economy could be up to 45 per cent or even more.

    “The telecom and ICT sector stand to gain a lot from the development of our digital economy and the public and private sectors need to partner to maximise the impact,” he said.

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in his paper pledged the commission’s commitment towards driving the nation’s digital economic policy.

    “The NCC remains committed to driving the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 for advancing the digital economy vision of the federal government.

    “As you are aware, our role is to drive major digital initiatives and policies of the government, hence, we have continued to work with government as a critical stakeholder,” he said.

    He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to fulfill its part of the agreement with the infracos, which was a major aspect in achieving the national broadband plan of 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025.

    “We are committed to the execution of the counterpart funding agreements with the Licensed InfraCo to facilitate increase in fibre deployment in the country.

    “To ensure, at least one Point of Access (PoA) in each of the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria enhance digital transformation.

    “The commission has, so far, awarded the sum of N336.4 million as research grants to the academia and has endowed professorial chairs in two Nigerian universities.

    “The NCC has also remitted N362.34 billion from 2015 till date to the Federal Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), through spectrum fees and operating surplus,” he said.

  • FG reiterates commitment on Digital Economy

    FG reiterates commitment on Digital Economy

    The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards developing a digital economy for Nigeria, especially with the advent of COVID-19 pandemic.

    Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy said this at the Nigeria Innovation Summit 2020 organised by Innovation Hub Africa on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Pantami was represented by Mr Kashifu Inuwa, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), at the event.

    He said that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to ensuring that Nigeria was abreast with global innovation trend as well as positioning the country to become a digital economic giant in Africa.

    Pantami said that the theme of the 2020 summit “Innovation In Critical Times” was interesting, because COVID-19 has forced people to embrace new practices and innovations as a means of reducing the impact of the disease.

    “In Nigeria, we are lucky to have the right leadership at this time, the government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,has set the foundation to innovate even before COVID-19.

    “On Oct. 23, 2019, the President renamed and expanded our ministry’s mandate to cover the digital economy,also on Nov. 28,2019, the President launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for Digital Nigeria, and he urged us to start implementation immediately.

    “On March 19,just before COVID-19 lockdown, the President launched the National Broadband Plan and unveiled Digital Nigeria initiatives, and also launched digital skills and literacy trainings,” he said.

    The minister said that COVID-19 has been the worst health and economic crisis of the present generation.

    He said that the World Bank predicted that COVID-19 would lead the global economy into the worst recession since World War 11.

    “According to World Bank, it is also a learning crisis because at the end of March, over 180 countries closed schools, forcing over 1.5 billion students to stay home and we are forced to unlearn, relearn how we live and work to navigate our way out of the pandemic, “Pantami said.

    He said that the ministry has been championing efforts on remote working and setting the pace for innovation since the advent of the pandemic.

    “We conceptualised and implemented groundbreaking initiatives under the lockdown and those initiatives set the foundation that helped us as a country to innovate and navigate our ways from the crisis mode to the recovery stage.

    “We collaborated with stakeholders in the ecosystem to host the COVID-19 Innovation Challenge, where innovators were invited to showcase their ideas on how to manage the pandemic.

    “The winners got prizes and fundings that helped them turn their ideas into impactful ventures and we handheld them to develop into products and services,” he said.

    He named some of the exciting inventions at the competition to include an indigenous ventilator currently being tested on an animal, a smart decontamination chamber and MyClinic, an online platform that enable users to hold video consultations with medical personnel.

  • Nigeria @60: FG presents N16.5m to winners of anniversary branding competition

    Nigeria @60: FG presents N16.5m to winners of anniversary branding competition

    The Federal Government has presented a total of N16.5 million as cash prizes to the nine winners of Nigeria at 60 Diamond and Innovation Challenge.

    The Diamond and Innovation Challenge is an initiative of the Inter-Ministerial Committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to encourage Nigerian youths on creativity and innovation.

    The challenge was segmented into three categories- Poetry, Slogan and Photography, with three winners emerging from each of the categories.

    In the Poetry category, Kalu Chioma took the first position; Mustapha Dauda was second, while Usman Patrick placed third.

    In the slogan category, Nwakuba Ezinne took first position, Yusuf Mohammed second, while Sani Ibrahim placed third.

    Amau Oluwadausimi came first in the photography category, Leke Adebule came second, while Sampson Emeka placed third.

    Those who came first were presented with a N3 million cheque each, while those who took the second position got N1.5 million each.

    Those who placed third were presented with N1 million cheque each.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, said the competition was thrown open to all Nigerians in line with the presidential mandate to enable Nigerians own the Diamond celebration.

    He commended the winners for their creativity and innovative prowess and charged them to sustain the vision of patrotism.

    ‘‘What we did was to allow our citizens to be owners of the diamond celebration to own it up.

    “We only opened it up for all our citizens to come up with innovative slogans, poetry and photography.

    “Nigerians are highly innovative and have very creative minds and we feel it is better we allow our people to own the celebration.

    “We will continue to encourage them to do so, it should be the beginning and not the end. I encouraged you to do more in future,’’ Pantami said.

    Mr Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) earlier, said the event was designed to make the Nigerian Diamond celebration more exciting and inclusive even with the COVID-19 pandemic.

    ‘‘We needed to come up with a platform to make it digitally driven since we are in digital age.

    “We needed to come up with a platform to do a digital and innovative challenge, the first time we are using digital platform, to engage Nigerians in Independent Anniversary celebration,” he said.

    He acknowledged that the process was seamless with many Nigerians participating.

    The Chairman of the selection panel, Dr Usman Gambo said ‘‘opportunity was given to all Nigerians to participate in the contest.’’

    Gambo said a total of 3,258 participants submitted entries for the challenge out of which 1,931 entries came for Poetry; 630 for Slogan and 689 for photography.

    According to him, there are series of selection process by the panel that comprised of linguistic and poetry experts, who carried out the screening before arriving at 60 and finally at nine grand winners.

    He added that some of the criteria used in the selection process included, relevance to the theme of the Diamond celebration; originality; creativity; impact and presentation by the innovators.

    The theme of the celebration is “Together at 60”.

  • FG launches digital Nigeria portal, mobile app

    FG launches digital Nigeria portal, mobile app

    The Federal Government has launched a Digital Nigeria Portal and Mobile Application in furtherance of the Digital Nigeria Programme, which was kick started by President Muhammadu Buhari, on March 19, 2020.

    Dr Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCDE), performed the virtual launch of the mobile application on Monday in Abuja.

    Pantami said it was part of government’s key initiatives aimed at empowering innovators and entrepreneurs with the requisite skills to thrive in an emerging digital economy.

    He explained that the Digital Nigeria programme was a key component of the Digital Literacy and Skills Pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria which was being championed by himself.

    Pantami said the ministry was partnering with global institutions including the African Development Bank (AFDB) and Microsoft to enable Nigerians acquire cutting edge digital skills within the comfort of their homes.

    The Minister, however, reiterated government’s resolve to promote skills over paper qualifications.

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

    “Degrees are only meant to validate skills, this is a growing trend across the globe.

    “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.The “Digital Nigeria” mobile app is available on playstore and apple store, enabling Nigerians to enrol in ICT courses within the comfort of their homes,” he said.

    Pantami said that much of the content was provided through AfDB’s partnership with Microsoft, adding that students can download certificates after completing the courses.

    According to him, across the globe, there is a growing focus on the need for developing skills, rather than merely acquiring degrees.

    “To this end, Nigerians are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by enroling today at https://digitalnigeria.gov.ng; or https://academy.nitda.gov.ng/ accordingly.

    “The portals will give details on how to register and how to download the relevant Mobile Apps.

    “The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy is committed to developing the capacity of Nigerians to use technology to solve problems.

    “We will keep updating the course offerings to reflect global trends. The Digital Nigeria Programme will provide a platform to empower Nigerians to develop relevant skills and build innovative solutions to address challenges within,” Pantami said.

    Some of those present at the launch included Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Prof. Mohammed Abubakar, Managing Director of the Galaxy Backbone (GBB).

  • FG mulls policy on zero rating for educational websites

    FG mulls policy on zero rating for educational websites

    Federal Government says it is considering a new National Policy for zero rating on educational websites to allow for consumption of contents without charges, to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, on education sector.

    Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, said this while delivering an address at a webinar organised by Lead Inspire Network and monitored in Abuja.

    The theme of the webinar was “Enhancing Virtual Learning and the Challenges of Internet Penetration in Nigeria.”

    Pantami, represented by Dr Usman Gambo, Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said the policy would contain appropriate incentives for mobile network operators and internet service providers.

    The minister agreed that sufficient access to the internet was essential for the development of an informative society and thatvgovernment was also working to increase the broadband penetration from its current level.

    “Currently, broadband penetration stands at 40.18 per cent and the plan is to make it 70 per cent by 2025. This is the target we set for ourselves in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan.

    “This will be of great benefit to the education sector and we would focus more on enabling appropriate contents, infrastructure, capabilities for learning and teaching,” he said.

    He added that few agencies under the ministry had established digital centres, capacity training centres, e-accessibility centres, school knowledge centres, e-Libraries, ICT Hubs and innovation parks across the country to propel broadband penetration.

    “In just one year, we have deployed over 200 of these centres across the country and they are mostly situated in rural areas, equipped with at least 25 computers, back-up power supply and free internet service.

    “In addition to providing free internet services, the centres also serve as innovation hubs and learning centres for the local community,” Pantami said.

    He said that NITDA had issued Framework and Guidelines for Public Internet Access to regulate government approach to deepen internet penetration and bridge the digital divide.

    Prof. Umar Danbata, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission stated that COVID-19 had created a new level for education that required a new approach.

    Represented by Dr Henry Nkemadu, a Director with the commission, Danbata acknowledged that high cost of Right of Way, multiple taxation, operating expenses and economic downturn had affected internet penetration but reiterated that government was putting measures in place to ease the challenges.

    Mr Sope Afolayan, Co-Founder, Lead Inspire Network, said the event was aimed at providing equal access to children at all levels and redirect the thinking of policy makers on the need to see acquisition of education beyond the four walls of the classroom.

  • FG declares Sept. 16 as National Identity Day

    FG declares Sept. 16 as National Identity Day

    The Federal Government has declared Sept. 16 as National Identity Day and has supported the enrolment of Nigerians for Digital Identity (ID) across the country.

    Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, said this in a statement signed by Mrs Uwa Suleiman, his spokesperson on Tuesday, in Abuja.

    Pantami reminded Nigerians of the importance of digital identity, adding that the ministry was developing the right policy environment to support enrolment for digital IDs in the country.

    He said that the celebration of the National Identity Day would take place virtually, adding that digital IDs play critical roles in the development of digital economies, as they were often called the fabrics of the digital economies.

    Pantami also stressed that the importance of a digital identity programme for the successful development of a digital economy cannot be overstated.

    “The Sept. 16, has been declared as the National Identity Day. Following the approval of the federal government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria also formally adopted 16.9 as the National Identity Day.

    “This year’s edition of the National Identity Day will take place virtually on the same date and will have the theme: Identity for Health, Sustainable Development and Growth.

    “We will start by capturing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria and will also support the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other stakeholders to ensure that we make the process of obtaining digital identities swift and secure.

    “One of the key objectives of pillar 6 (Soft Infrastructure) of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) is support for the accelerated implementation of a Digital Identity Programme,” he said.

    He said that the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa rightly noted that Digital Identity and the digital economy were not only linked, but reinforcing as digital ID was the basis for digital economy platforms.

    He explained that digital identification can be an important catalyst for various development initiatives in the continent such as impacting on trade, governance, social protection, financial inclusion, domestic resource mobilisation, as well as security and human rights.

    As the world and Nigeria mark the International Identity Day and National Identity Day, accordingly, Pantami urged Nigerians to support the development the digital economy by embracing the use of digital identities.

    He encouraged Nigerians to visit NIMC accredited centres for their digital identities.

    That minister said that his ministry is committed to ensuring that Nigeria derives the benefits of a functional digital ID system and calls on all stakeholders to support the process.

  • Nigeria @60: FG calls for ideas on anniversary branding

    Nigeria @60: FG calls for ideas on anniversary branding

    As countdown to Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee begins, the Federal Government has called on Nigerians to submit creative ideas that can brand the anniversary.

    Dr Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, made the call on Saturday in a statement in Abuja as part of the activities to mark the celebration.

    Pantami, who doubles as Chairman, Diamond, Innovation, Change Sub-Committee, Nigeria @60 Inter-ministerial Committee, said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved an inclusive National Independence Celebration programme in line with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.

    He said that to ensure inclusiveness, the thematic and creative aspects of the event would be designed by Nigerians for Nigeria, focusing on the proposed theme “Together at 60”.

    “On Oct.1, Nigeria will be celebrating its Diamond Jubilee as it turns 60 years.

    “It is a day that reminds every citizen about the dawn of the nation we call our country, a diverse nation with resilient and hardworking people.

    “Nigerians have gone far and wide, impacting their communities and the world at large and as the saying goes, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.

    “The Federal Government uses this opportunity to celebrate our strength as one indivisible country.

    “The Federal Government is also providing opportunity for Nigerians to choose their brand and harness the power of our creative minds to create other elements that will form the brand of the anniversary,’’ he said.

    Pantami said the committee would be anticipating a challenge in which they would be looking for talented, critical thinking and creative individuals or teams to produce content for the anniversary.

    Pantami said that the content could be the slogan, photograph and a poem for Nigerians to mark the anniversary from Oct. 1, to Dec. 30, 2021.

    The minister directed citizens to participate in the challenge as well as vote for the best brand through the challenge portal, https://nigeriaAt60.gov.ng.

    According to him, the best brand and concept will be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari and adopted for celebrating the country’s 60th anniversary.

    “The winners will also receive prizes, in addition to being part of this epoch-making event.

    “As the country eagerly awaits the unveiling of the winning brand and other elements of the celebration, we look forward to the active participation of all,” he said.

  • Internet, active GSM, broadband subscriptions hit new high in Nigeria

    Internet, active GSM, broadband subscriptions hit new high in Nigeria

    Active GSM subscribers in Nigeria have increased from 184 million in December 2019 to 199.3 million in May 2020, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has said.

    Danbatta made the disclosure at the virtual launch/award ceremony of the COVID-19 Research Grant presented to three startups by the NCC on Tuesday Abuja.

    He further explained that internet subscription in the same period increased from 126 million to 147.1 million, while broadband subscription also increased from 72 million to 80.2 million, achieving a 42.02 per cent penetration in the country.

    Danbatta explained that the startups participated in a 3-month virtual hackathon with the theme Virtual Hackathon: “Adaptable Digital Solutions for Addressing the Present and Future Impact of Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases from Technology Hubs, Startups and Innovation Digital SMEs in Nigeria”.

    “These may have given impetus to the possibility of holding virtual meetings and conferences on video technologies that are now providing social distancing solutions.

    “So, in whichever way we look at it, telecommunication has much more greater role to play than many other sectors of economy and the society.

    “Therefore, the challenge is for us to find a way to accentuate our local content solution, which is a blessing to us. We are pleased with the responses that we received on this initiative,” he said.

    Danbatta said that the NCC, has in the past two years managed similar ICT-based innovations and research competitions among tertiary institutions in the country, with potentials of improving local content solutions in the industry.

    “We should be bold enough as a country in adopting indigenous solutions. We must adopt and consume them. There should be less attention on imported goods.

    “It is evident that the entire globe is challenged about how best to tackle this pandemic. Telecommunications and ICTs have taken the centre stage in the provision or advancement of solutions.

    “We will all witness what digital solutions that today’s winners are going to bring to the table. Each of the Startups, or tech-hubs with promising innovative digital solutions against the pandemic will receive a grant of N3 million.

    “We have encouraged ICT innovations among the Nigerian youths whom we have regularly sponsored to various competitions organised by the International Telecommunications Union,” Danbatta said.

    Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, who presented a N9 million COVID-19 research grants to the three promising startups, stressed that there was the need to adopt indigenous solutions to challenges in the country.

    Pantami also encouraged individuals to consume what the country produced and pay less attention to imported goods.

    “We need to produce what we need and consume what we produce, any country that remains a consumer nation will find it difficult to succeed,” he said.

    Dr Henry Nkemadu,NCC Director, Research and Development, said that there was the need to harness the potentials of technologies in order to address societal challenges and meet up to standard.

    Nkemadu explained that the Hackathon was designed to engage the startups to compete in a healthy manner to improve innovations.

    He noted that 298 submissions were received from startups of, which 56 qualified for the final stage of the evaluation process based on the selection criteria and later came up with three winners.

    “It is a national aspiration to spice some of these technologies with local content as a way of improving availability of local manpower and advancing ICT skills.

    “Technology has provided solutions to the challenge of weak public systems by providing solutions to the most challenges in education, health, financial and agricultural sectors,” he said.

    Each of the Startups, or tech-hubs with promising innovative digital solutions against the pandemic will receive a grant of N3 million

    The three winners included-Messers Primed E-Health, Messers Cyberfleet Intergrated Limited and Messers Elizade University.