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Tag: Kaduna

  • We need to overcome barriers to knowledge economy — Osinbajo

    We need to overcome barriers to knowledge economy — Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says barriers to knowledge economy have to be surmounted in order to cushion the impact of disruptive technology on key sectors.

    Osinbajo was the Special Guest of Honour at a two-day Kaduna State Investment Summit (KADINVEST) 6.0 on Thursday in Kaduna.

    The theme of the Summit is, “Towards a Sustainable Knowledge Based Economy.’’

    The vice president said that Nigeria was very far from taking full advantage of its young talented people.

    “The main problem is how to surmount the barriers to the knowledge economy; how do we surmount those barriers to the knowledge economy?

    “The World Bank describes those barriers as the four pillars of the Knowledge economy:

    “The first is institutional structures that provide incentives for entrepreneurship and the use of knowledge.

    “The second is availability of skilled labor and a good education system

    “The third is access to information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.

    “The fourth is vibrant innovation landscape that includes academia, the private sector, and civil society.’’

    According to him, the knowledge economy, as the name implies, is entirely dependent on intellectual capital, a work force and talent pool that is educated, dynamic and adaptable.

    He said it required a sound, relevant, practical, problem solving education.

    “So, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math or STEM education as it is called, is crucial.

    “The curriculum being developed by the Federal Ministry of education adds Arts to the combination of subjects; so our own acronym is STEAM because we have added Arts to it.

    “The task here is major–developing an education system that would provide resource and support the knowledge economy- from teacher training to acquiring technology and other equipment.’’

    Osinbajo said that an effective planning was needed in order to create adequate resource capacity and capability

    He said factors to be considered included what it would take to train and equip enough engineers, technologists, scientists, doctors and other products of STEM curricula to drive a Knowledge Based Economy.

    “Thankfully we are not alone in this, as there are global shortages everywhere of technological talent.

    “A recent analysis showed that the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning talent gap globally stands at 1.2 million resources, while there are only 650 thousand professionals employable in these roles.

    “The best Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) countries have 16 scientist/researches per 1000 employees and spend 1 to 3 per cent of GDP on Research and Development.

    “Where do we stand on that scale? How do we accelerate our progress?

    He said that with global gaps in talent, well planned training programme could even see Nigeria become a hub for critical technical talent.

    This was proven with the success of Andela, a Nigerian company, developing and placing Software Engineering talent.

    He said it could be replicated across a broader range of STEM disciplines.

    “So, it is possible with companies like Andela; that is already doing so much work developing soft engineers, programmers and all manner of other talents; it is possible to do more and increase the numbers.

    “Some ideas that can be explored include support for on-the job and tailored training to accelerate talent development and augment conventional schooling.

    “For example, I understand Blue Camel has a Solar Installation training facility on its industrial campus where it trains hundreds of students a year.

    “Also, the curricula in trainings could have a standard knowledge set that must be learnt prior to specialisation.’’

    Osinbajo said that the standard principles should support mobility of talent across jobs to adapt to changes in a Knowledge-Based economy.

    He said that the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship promoted by the state government was capable of creating a critical mass of talented people.

    “I think The Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship, which the Kaduna State government initiated a few years ago, which exposes Fellows to thought leaders and experts.

    “And to practical experience through rotational job programs and community service is also an example of the type of initiatives needed to create a high caliber talent pool for the Knowledge Based Future,’’ he said.

    Gov. Nasir el-Rufai, who presented an overview of KADINVEST 1.0 to 5.0 and unveiled KADINVEST 6.0, thanked the vice president for gracing the event.

    He said that KADINVEST, which was started in 2016 less than a year after he took office, was in realisation of partnering with the private sector in creating jobs and growing the state.

    Osinbajo, afterwards inspected the Galaxy Mall, Kaduna, and proceeded to inaugurate the Kasuwan Magani market and 100 kilowatt Solar PV Mini-Grid, at Kajuru.

    Osinbajo said that the Galaxy Mall and the Kasuwan Magani market were both products of the focus of the Kaduna State Government in enabling commerce and improving the economic prospects of its citizens.

  • 10 More students of Bethel Baptist school released after ransom paid

    10 More students of Bethel Baptist school released after ransom paid

    Bandits have released 10 more students of Bethel Baptist Secondary School in Kaduna State.

    The students were released on Saturday since they were abducted on July 5, 2021 by the bandits.

    Police authorities in Kaduna have yet to make any comment on the release of the students.

    But Kaduna State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),Rev. Joseph Hayab confirmed the release of 10 of the studens.

    He said the students were released on Saturday night and have been reunited with their parents.

    According to him, ransom was paid before the students were released.

    As at now, 21 students are still in captivity and yet to be released.

  • Gunmen kill chairman of Miyetti Allah in Kaduna

    Gunmen kill chairman of Miyetti Allah in Kaduna

    Gunmen have killed Abubakar Abdullahi, the chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The attack happened in the early hours of Friday, the the Director of Media and Publicity of MACBN in Kaduna State, Ibrahim Bayero-Zango, confirmed the incident to journalist.

    However, there was no official statement from the state or the Police.

    According to the MACBAN’s spokesman, the attackers stormed the home of the chairman, popularly known as Dambardi, in Lere town at about 1:00am.

    He added that the gunmen demanded N20m from him before he was whisked away to where the assailants later killed him along the Saminaka-Mariri-Zango highway.

    He said, “Early this morning, one of our members called to inform the leadership of the state branch of MACBAN that at about 1:00am (Friday), unknown gunmen attacked the home of the chairman of MACBAN in Lere LG and killed him.

    “When they arrived the house at about 1:00am, they demanded the sum of N20m from him in order to spare his life but he told them he had no such money.

    “Although he was able to raise N250,000 for the assailants, they took him to the back of the town along the Saminaka-Mariri- Zango highway where they shot him dead.”

    The MACBAN spokesman, while condemning the attack, called on the state government and security agency to investigate the attack so as to uncover the perpetrators of the heinous act.

    “We totally condemn this heinous act and we are appealing to the state government and the Police to thoroughly investigate the attack and fish out the perpetrators of the attack.

    “This is because Lere is one of the peaceful areas in the state where there has been no issue of herder-farmer crisis.

    “There has been no issue of cattle rustling in the area but, surprisingly, somebody like the slain chairman of MACBAN, a strong supporter and promoter of peace in Lere, could be so brutally gunned down in that manner.

    “We are sad over the incident,” he added.

  • ECWA Pastor Silas Ali macheted to death in Kaduna; El-Rufai reacts

    ECWA Pastor Silas Ali macheted to death in Kaduna; El-Rufai reacts

    Reverend Silas Ali of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State has been macheted to dead by gunmen.

    He was said to have departed for Kafanchan on Saturday.

    His corpse was later discovered by a search party at Kibori community, near Asha-Awuce, where he was apparently attacked and macheted to death.

    The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the incident, said security agencies were conducting investigations in the general area with a view to arresting those behind the dastardly act.

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai has therefore expressed deep sadness at the report of the killing of the pastor, describing it as horrifying and cruel.

    The governor prayed for the repose of the soul of the cleric, and also sent his condolences to the family of the deceased as well as the ECWA Church.

  • Bandits kill police officer, kidnap 23 residents in Kaduna

    Bandits kill police officer, kidnap 23 residents in Kaduna

    A police officer has been killed with 23 others abducted when bandits attacked Ungwan Maje and Ungwan Laka villages in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The bandits stormed the villages in the early hours of Wednesday and opened fire on the residents who were still sleeping at that time.

    According to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen first attacked Ungwan Maje where they abducted 16 persons, majorly women and children.

    They later proceeded to the Ungwan Laka community where they killed a mobile police officer identified as Joshua Markus.

    It was gathered that the slain officer was on a visit to his family from the Rivers State Command where he was serving.

    The bandits thereafter kidnapped the wife and daughter of the deceased.

    The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammed Jalige also confirmed the incident.

    He said security operatives were on the trail of the bandits with a view to arresting them and rescuing the kidnapped victims.

  • Insecurity: Kaduna says no plans to shutdown telecom services

    Insecurity: Kaduna says no plans to shutdown telecom services

    The Kaduna State Government has said it has no plan to shut down telecommunication services in the state.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna by Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication.

    According to the statement, the government has not made such a decision, neither has it announced any such plan.

    “The Kaduna State Government did not reach out to any federal agency to request a telecoms shutdown and it has not in any way ordered or effected a communications shutdown,’’ the statement said.

    It called on residents to ignore the rumours saying that is a fake news which some people were trying to pass off as genuine by placing KDSG logo on their false statements.

    “The Kaduna State Government is transparent about security matters. If a telecoms shutdown is deemed necessary that decision will be formally announced in a properly signed statement posted on official information handles,” it said.

  • Bandits kidnap 18 in fresh attack on Kaduna community

    Bandits kidnap 18 in fresh attack on Kaduna community

    Bandits have on Monday night, abducted 8 people in the Keke community of Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State,but 5 were able to escape.

    The PPRO of the Kaduna State Police Command,

    ASP Mohammed Jalige said that their men were on the bandits trail and claimed that they rescued the 5 victims.

    Malam Ibrahim who was among the escapees, said the bandits raided the community when it was raining and abducted the victims including women and children.

    “We manage to escape and hid in rice farms. But others were taking through the bush paths into the forest by the bandits” he said.

    Members of the community called on the authorities to provide security in the area,and decried alleged late response of security agents to emergency calls.

  • Kaduna LG polls: El-Rufai loses polling unit to PDP

    Kaduna LG polls: El-Rufai loses polling unit to PDP

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has lost his polling unit in the local council election held on Saturday.

    The results announced by the State Independent Electoral Commission for Unit 01 Ungwar Sarki, Kaduna North Local Government, showed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) getting 86 out of the 159 votes for chairman.

    El-Rufai’s All Progressive Congress (APC) secured 62 votes, while APP had 1, ZLP 5, PRP 4, and 3 abstentions.

    The PDP also got 100 votes for councillorship seat out of 162 cast while APC scored 53, ZLP 2, PRP 2, NNPP 1, and BP 4.

    El-Rufai sacks 99 political appointees
    The results were announced by the Presiding Officer, Muhammad Sani.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor had earlier said in an interview with journalists that the adoption of electronic voting for the local election was to ensure that people’s votes count.

    “As I said several times, we are not going to behave like other parties or other state governments, we will allow the people of Kaduna State to elect who they want.

    “The APC did not have to win everywhere, We don’t believe in cheating or rigging elections but also we don’t want other parties to cheat us and that was why we encouraged the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission to come up with fool-proof voting process,“ he said.

  • LG Polls: Kaduna’s second attempt at e-voting goes awry as hoodlums snatch, destroy over 41 Electronic Voting Machines

    LG Polls: Kaduna’s second attempt at e-voting goes awry as hoodlums snatch, destroy over 41 Electronic Voting Machines

    Kaduna State’s second attempt at electronic voting with its local government elections didn’t go as planned as there were hitches during the exercise on Saturday (today).

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the state had earlier in 2018 attempted the electronic voting option becoming the first state in Nigeria to achieve such feat.

    However, no fewer than 41 Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were snatched by hoodlums during the polls, according to Mrs Saratu Audu-Dikko, Chairman of Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM).

    Audu-Dikko told newsmen on Saturday that the machines were snatched in Giwa and Igabi Local Government Areas.

    According to her, this figure excludes EVMs destroyed by same people during the elections.

    “Thirty EVMs were carted away at Kwarau in Igabi Local Government, with two destroyed, while nine others at Panhauya in Giwa Local Government, were equally vandalised.

    “The hoodlums also carted away election materials and assaulted the driver and staff of the Commission conveying the materials,” she explained.

    The Chairman said that some other staff of the Commission, including ad-hoc staff, were also assaulted in those places.

    TNG reports that KADSIECOM had earlier rescheduled the Chairmanship and Councillorship elections initially scheduled to hold on Saturday in four Local Government Areas.

    Saratu Dikko Audu who announced the suspension on Friday said the decision followed security reports that it will be impossible to conduct a peaceful election in those places.

    The affected Local Government Areas are Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Zango Kataf and Kajuru.

    Election in the four LGAs will now hold on September 25.

    According to Audu, the new date will enable security agencies to be able to fully deploy their operatives to those local governments in order to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

    El-Rufai loses polling unit to PDP

    Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai lost the elections in his polling unit to the main opposition, People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
    El-Rufai voted at his Polling Unit 001 Ungwar Sarki, Kaduna North local government area where he said his target was not to win all the polls but to improve the voting process using the Electronic Voting Machine.
    According to the result announced by Muhammad Sani, Presiding Officer of the Unit, El-Rufai’s All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 62 votes in the chairmanship election while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 86 votes out of the 159 votes cast.
    In the councillorship election, APC polled 53 votes while PDP polled 100 votes out of 162 total votes cast.
    While voting earlier, El Rufai had said: “We are not going to behave like other parties or other state government of the ruling party. We will allow the people of Kaduna State to elect who they want.
    “We do not have to win everywhere, though we have worked for the people of Kaduna State, they have seen our foot print, the govt and the local government everywhere, they have seen and we are confident that all reasonable minded people will vote for our party, our candidate because they know we are committed to the welfare of the people”.
    “We don’t believe in cheating, we don’t believe in rigging election but also we don’t believe that other people should cheat us. And that is why we encouraged SIECOM to come up with a very improved system and am impressed with the whole thing.
    “Technology is key to minimising cheating in election, unless we have credible election we can never have good leaders, accountable leaders and that is why we are committed, even if it means we are going to lose in some areas, this is democracy, it is a gradual process.”
    The overall result of the Kaduna North Local Government was however being awaited as at the time of filing this report.
  • Elections postponed in four Kaduna LGAs over insecurity

    Elections postponed in four Kaduna LGAs over insecurity

    The Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission has rescheduled the Chairmanship and Councillorship elections initially scheduled to hold on Saturday in four Local Government Areas.

    Chairman of the Commission, Saratu Dikko Audu, who announced the suspension on Friday said the decision followed security reports that it will be impossible to conduct a peaceful election in those places.

    The affected Local Government Areas are Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Zango Kataf and Kajuru.

    Election in the four LGAs will now hold on September 25.

    According to Audu, the new date will enable security agencies to be able to fully deploy their operatives to those local governments in order to prevent any breakdown of law and order.