Dupe Abiola, the daughter of Africa’s business mogul and billionaire the late Bashorun M.K.O Abiola was recently at the popular British Dragon show on BBC where she wowed the panelists with her charisma and business acumen. Dupe, a former British arttoney quit her job to start this new business. Her story is truly inspirational.
Miss Dupe Abiola, whose father, the President Elect of Nigeria was believed murdered in a high-wire conspiracy in which members of the Nigerian military elite have been repeatedly fingered, dazzled with her simplicity and doggedness She also revealed that she had to claw her way to success despite her father’s famed billions.
Bashorun Abiola was reputed as Africa’s number one philanthropist in his days. He contested and won election into the presidency of Nigeria but was denied the opportunity to assume leadership by a military junta led by Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, then self-styled military president.
Barely one month after the death of Sani Abacha, Abiola was believed murdered. Hamza Al Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer to Sani Abacha frantically gave evidence in support of this at the popular Oputa Panel. Hamza al–Mustapha was the Chief Security Officer of General Sani Abacha, military head of state of Nigeria from November 1993 to June 1998.
ENERGY FOR DEVELOPMENT: NIMechE CALLS FOR TECHNICAL PAPER PRESENTATION
The professionals have equal obligation to contribute to national development through their respective vocation as the government. Their technical expertise and vast experiences cannot be ignored by any serious policy makers. In your heads, lie the solutions to the varying problems ravaging the nation. Come, let us put head together and chart a way out of our energy crisis. To serious professionals in energy sector, investors, policy makers and general public: between 17th and 19th of October 2012, Enugu is the place to be!
The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NimechE), a division of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), announces its International conference ad Annual General meetings coming up in Enugu, Nigeria between 17th and 19th October 2012. This event will also mark the Silver jubilee anniversary of the institution.
The theme of this year conference is “APPROPRIATE ENERGY MIX FOR SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT”. This choice of this year theme is in response to the many challenges facing the country and especially the energy sector which has been having far reaching effect on the national economic as some industrial concerns and small and medium enterprises groan silently under the yoke of crippling and inadequate energy infrastructure, which often lead to high cost of production. Small and medium enterprises and some industrial concerns have had one disappointing story or the other over our energy challenges.
NimechE is determined to contribute into finding solution to the sector and is therefore calling on all professionals, technocrats, technologists and policy makers to participate. The event is Tagged “Coal City 2012…”
Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa is aspiring to become one of the top 20 economies in the world by year 2020. This aspiration is anchored upon many parameters affecting the nations. In energy sector, the challenges are more profound as the government and policy makers recognize the important of energy in industrial and technological development of the country. This in turn, will naturally have far reaching effect on the nation’s economy. The task ahead calls for the participation of every stakeholder in both private and public sector.
In achieving this goal, the national policy makers yearn earnestly to explore all available opportunities toward meeting the target goals of providing sustainable energy for the use of both individuals and industrial concerns. It is upon this basis that NimechE is inviting the general public, investors, professionals and stakeholders to come forward and participate in this year International conference in Enugu. The conference aims at bringing everyone together to brainstorm, explore new opportunities and provides the way forward while also providing opportunities for them to network.
Intending contributors from academic institutions (both polytechnics and universities) are invited to submit technical papers for the event.
The sub-themes of the conference are as follow
Power Plant generation maintenance, safety and reliability issues
Bio-energy
Renewable energy sources
Energy investment and entrepreneurship
Energy planning, policy optimality and security issues
Energy issues in manufacturing industries
Energy and social issues
Intending author(s) is/are required to submit paper(s) to meet the following deadline
15 July 2012 submission of full papers
15 August 2012` submission of provisional acceptance
30 August 2012 submission of final corrected papers
30 September 2012 publication of abstract and proceeding
Manuscript should be typed in 12 points, Times New Roman font on A4 paper leaving an inch margin on each side and at the top of all but the first page. The title and author information is to be centered across the first page and then a two column format is to be followed for the balance of the paper.
Manuscript should be 1.5 lines spaced, with 2. 0 lie between paragraph indentations.
The paper should include
Title (10 words maximum)
Author(s) name(s) and present address(es)
Abstract (maximum 300 o words)
A maximum of six key words
A clearly written introduction to explain the nature of the problems, previous works, purpose and contribution of the paper
An appropriate conclusion section must be included
Diagram and photograph must be of high quality. Diagram and lettering must be either computer designed or digital. Photograph for diagram is acceptable but photocopies are not.
References should be quoted in text with a number in sequence bracket. For example [1] and should be numbered according to the order cited in the manuscript.
Author(s) are requested to prepare multimedia projection format in MS-PowerPoint for all accepted papers for 10 minutes duration Maximum. A soft copy should be sent through email attachment using MS word office 2007 while final presentation should be in PDF format (preferably).
For those who are attending and not delivering papers, below is the registration fee details:
Registration on or before 30/08/2012 after 30/08/2012
Fellows 20, 000 25, 000
Members, 15, 000 20, 000
Associates 10, 000 15, 000
Graduates, 5, 000, 5, 000
Students, 2, 000, 2, 000
Spouses 5, 000 5, 000
Non-member 20, 000, 25, 000
The professionals have equal obligation to contribute to national development through their respective vocation as the government. Their technical expertise and vast experiences cannot be ignored by any serious policy makers. In your heads, lie the solutions to the varying problems ravaging the nation. Come, let us put head together and chart a way out of our energy crisis. To serious professionals in energy sector, investors, policy makers and general public: between 17th and 19th of October 2012, Enugu is the place to be!
Report written by DAYO OKETOLA | Published in the Nigerian Punch Newspaper | MARCH 12, 2012
Information Communications Technology stakeholders, who discussed the draft ICT policy document at a public forum in Lagos, on Friday, offered constructive criticism to make the policy more robust for industry growth, writes DAYO OKETOLA
There was a deluge of constructive criticism against the draft National Information and Communications Technology policy released by the Ministry of Communications Technology on January, 9, 2012.
Most stakeholders, who gathered at the Lagos City Hall, venue of the public forum on the draft ICT policy documents on Friday, offered more constructive criticism of the document than commendations.
From simple shortcomings such as the composition of the Ministerial Committee on ICT Policy Harmonisation to complex issues regarding the substance and content of the policy, which experts said lacked depth and was not inclusive enough for holistic transformation of the ICT industry, the forum created an opportunity for stakeholders to air their views on the ICT policy.
Experts said the policy harmonisation committee, which consisted only members from agencies under the Ministry of Communications Technology, was not representative enough as it failed to include private sector players who were the real drivers of ICT growth in the country. As such, they called for the immediate re-composition of the committee.
To the more critical issues, however, stakeholders generally criticised the policy for not making adequate provisions for broadband and computer penetration; tackling multiple taxation and regulation, and providing support for local computer manufacturers.
Other shortcomings, according to experts, include inadequate provision for women, children and people living with disabilities; inadequate provisions for local content and Internet governance; as well as proper convergence in the ICT sector and failure to make provisions that will categorise ICT equipment as critical national infrastructure fully protected by the government.
More specifically, the Nigeria Computer Society expressed worry that the policy did not set a target and time line for broadband penetration, which currently stands at seven per cent in the country.
In view of this, the Chairman, Education and Manpower, NCS, Dr. Vincent Asor, said it was important for the government to drive broadband penetration in the country. He urged the government, via the draft ICT policy, to target a 50 per cent broadband penetration within a stated time line.
Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson. Photo credit: Nigerian Punch Newspaper (file)
Asor further said it was equally imperative for the country to focus on outsourcing as an economic enabler as it was done in India.
The President, Information Technology Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Florence Seriki, who also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer, Omatek Ventures Plc, lamented the poor PC penetration in the country, adding that the IT segment of the ICT industry was not properly provided for in the draft policy document.
Seriki, who called on the Federal Government to drive local PC manufacturing as the epicentre of ICT industry development in the country, said, “We want to develop IT industry but we cannot achieve this without encouraging local manufacturing of PCs and other IT devices.”
The ITAN president, who emphasised the need to establish IT departments in schools across the country, said the draft policy document must specify policies for youth empowerment, foreign investments, and local content.
She argued that there was no way the ICT policy would make significant impact without developing manufacturing in the IT sector.
The Omatek boss explained that the policy enjoyed by local Original Equipment Manufacturers during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime was no longer there and this was affecting their operations.
In view of this, Seriki urged the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, to facilitate the restoration of those policies for the benefits of local OEMs in the country.
Speaking in the same vein, the President, Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tuni Balogun, called on the Federal Government to encourage local PC manufacturing in the country.
He stressed that this was important if the country wanted to be self reliant in the area of ICT development like countries such as India and China among others.
The President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Mr. Deolu Ogunbajo, said the draft policy didn’t make enough provisions on how to tackle multiple regulations and taxation in the country.
While urging the ministry to focus on those areas, Ogunbanjo advised the Federal Government to categorise telecoms equipment as critical national infrastructure fully protected by the law.
The Executive Director, Development Information Network, Mr. Bankole Olubamise, recalled that the draft policy document failed to make any provision for women and children despite mentioning them in the opening of the document.
He advised that the Ministry of Communications Technology should adopt universal access to ICT as a human right.
“ICT divide is still very wide in the country. There is no way we can achieve vision 2020 with the current ICT access,” he said.
According to him, Internet governance is an important issue that the draft policy document does not mention. He also advised that this should be looked into.
Similarly, the Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer, Global Network for Cybersolution Limited, an anti-cybercrime campaign and cybersecurity solution organisation, Mr. Segun Olugbile, said the draft policy failed to make provision for cyber security in the country.
He said this against the backdrop of the rising cyber fraud and insecurity in the country’s cyber space and urged that measures should be put in place to address the problem through the ICT policy.
According to the President, Open Source Association of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Adesomo, open source is a key area in most developed countries’ ICT policies. He called for adequate policy provision for open source in the country while urging the government to encourage mobile software applications locally.
Despite the robust growth recorded in mobile telephony, the lack of convergence in the nation’s ICT sector has been said to be responsible for the fragmentation and inefficiency in the management of resources in the sector.
Experts had, therefore, underscored the need for convergence in the ICT sector, in line with the global trend.
They, however, lamented that the draft ICT policy did not provide adequate ICT regulatory framework that could guarantee complete convergence in the sector.
Speaking on behalf of the ICT Publisher Alliance, the Publisher, eWorld Magazine, Mr. Aaron Ukodie, stressed the need for proper convergence in the ICT industry, adding that this was the only way to fast-track the growth of the industry.
According to the document, the main objective of the National ICT Policy “is to create a conducive environment for the rapid expansion of ICT networks and services that are accessible to all at reasonable costs, and for the transformation of Nigeria into a knowledge-based economy.”
The Managing Director and Chief Executive, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, Mr. Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, who expressed satisfaction with the level of response received at the public forum, lauded ICT stakeholders present for their constructive crtiticisms.
He said, “The contributions were fantastic. What happened here today was constructive criticisms because in making a policy, you are trying to chart a course. If somebody says don’t go there, there is a pit there; don’t go that way, there is danger there, it is not criticism, it is advice. You will see that it is the ministry that presented itself for criticism because it wants to get all issues addressed. At the end of the day, the policy document that will be released will be an all embracing and comprehensive one that will reflect where we want the ICT industry to be.”
The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, said the objective of the public forum was to get critical inputs from industry stakeholders, adding that the contributions would make the final ICT policy more robust for proper execution.
About 61 percent of oil-rich Nigeria’s citizens lived in absolute poverty in 2010, existing on less than $1 a day and unable to afford the bare necessities, a report by the National Statistics Bureau stated.
The NBS announced yesterday that the number of impoverished Nigerians “rose to 60.9 per cent in 2010, compared with 54.7 per cent in 2004″.
Statistician General of the NBS, Mr. Yemi Kale, said that even though the nation’s economy is growing, the proportion of Nigerians living in poverty continues to grow every year in Africa’s most populous nation.
Kale explained that the fastest-growing industries in Nigeria – wholesale, retail and oil and gas – “are not significant employers of labour” and without the creation of new jobs, poverty is expected to climb even higher.
Mr. Kale estimates that this trend may increase further in the 2011 report if the potential positive impacts of several anti-poverty and employment generation intervention programmes are not taken into account.
He suggested boosting the agricultural sector, which the central bank estimates accounts for 42 percent of gross domestic product, will aid poverty alleviation in Africa’s top oil-producer.
The report further reveals that the northeast and northwest geo-political zones are the poorest regions in the country while the southwest, which hosts the commercial city of Lagos, has the lowest levels of poverty.
Italy and Britain’s foreign ministers have moved to defuse a row over the UK’s failure to inform Rome of a planned hostage rescue bid in Nigeria.
Giulio Terzi and William Hague issued a statement saying Italy and the UK would continue to fight terrorism together.
Briton Chris McManus and Italian Franco Lamolinara died on Thursday as Nigerian and UK forces tried to free them from Islamists in Sokoto in Nigeria’s north.
Mr Terzi had asked Britain for “utmost clarity” about the operation.
He met Mr Hague earlier at a meeting in Denmark, and on Friday evening they released a joint statement.
It said Mr Hague had made it clear that there had been “a limited opportunity” to secure the release of the hostages whose lives were “in imminent and growing danger” and it had been possible to inform Italy only once the operation was already getting under way.
The statement went on to say: “Mr Terzi expressed deep sorrow and disappointment over the tragic outcome of the operation and both ministers agreed on the urgency of sharing full information to facilitate the reconstruction and understanding of these events.”
“Start Quote
The urgency is evident from the fact that the raid took place in daylight. It was deemed too risky to wait even 12 hours for dark”
Gordon CoreraSecurity correspondent, BBC News
It continued by saying they had reaffirmed that the UK and Italy would continue to work together closely in the fight against “such horrific terrorism and hostage-taking”.
After the ministers’ meeting, Italian news agency ANSA reported sources from the prime minister’s office in Rome as saying Italy remained firm in its demands for clarity, but that it had no intention of escalating the diplomatic row.
The BBC’s Alan Johnston, in Rome, said this was the first sign that some of the heat may be going out of this diplomatic row.
The row – which has been rumbling since news first broke of the failed operation on Thursday evening – appeared to peak on Friday afternoon when the Italian president said it was “inexplicable” that the British government had not told Rome about the rescue attempt until it began.
Giorgio Napolitano said the UK needed to explain itself.
The victims
“The way the British government has behaved is quite inexplicable. To have failed to inform or consult Italy, with regard to a military action which could have such consequences,” he said.
“A clarification is needed on both the political and diplomatic levels.”
Earlier, UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the attempted rescue had been launched after information was received that the hostages “were about to be moved – possibly executed”.
“These hostages were taken, they were held at an unknown location for a very long period of time despite extensive efforts to track them down.
“And when a window of opportunity became available, a well-trained Nigerian force with British support, went in and tried to rescue them,” he said.
Heavy fighting
Number 10 said the UK and Italy had been in contact ever since the men were kidnapped.
Gunmen seized Mr McManus, 28, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, and Mr Lamolinara, 48, in the town of Birnin Kebbi in the north of Nigeria on 12 May 2011.
They had been working for Italian firm B Stabilini in the construction of a local headquarters for the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Sequence of events
Arrested suspect gives location of hostages
Intelligence received suggesting hostages’ lives at risk
Prime Minister David Cameron authorises raid
Hostages murdered by the time forces reach them
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s office said he had asked Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to provide a “detailed reconstruction” of events as soon as possible.
Mr Cameron’s spokesman said it was a Nigerian-led operation, with UK support involving the UK’s elite Special Boat Service. BBC reporter Haruna Shehu Tangaza, in Sokoto, described several hours of heavy fighting where the men were being held.
The house where the men were being held had been under surveillance for some time.
Mr Cameron and Mr Jonathan said they believed the kidnappers had killed Mr McManus and Mr Lamolinara.
But an unnamed official from the Nigerian state security service quoted in local reports said the hostages had died in crossfire.
Boko Haram
Mr Jonathan said that the men’s captors had been seized and “would be made to face the full wrath of the law”.
He said they were from militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which has carried out a number of attacks on police, politicians and clerics who oppose it.
Reports have emerged that a senior member of Boko Haram was captured on Tuesday, and he gave information which led forces to the house where the two construction engineers were being held.
However, on Friday, a spokesman for the group told reporters that Boko Haram had not been behind the deaths.
“We have never taken anyone hostage. We always claim responsibility for our acts,” he said.
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said Boko Haram had become more violent and capable in recent years and there was a suspicion this might be a sign of the growing influence of the group known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has a track record of kidnapping Westerners in north Africa and trying to extract ransom payments to fund its violence.
As China’s economy and population expand, so do its transport needs. Although car ownership is on the increase, the Government is investing more in the railways.
China now has the fastest train in the world. It runs from the central city of Wuhan down to the south coast, at a speed of more than 380km/h.
Jenny Wivell reports.
The ranking of universities has generally been a matter of several debates. Though just a few criteria of selection could be unanymously accepted by the scientific community, a european institution has nevertheless published a list of Nigerian universities which it has ranked based on the popularity of their websites.
1 University of Ibadan Ibadan
2 University of Ilorin Ilorin
3 University of Benin Ugbowo and other locations
4 Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife
5 Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
6 University of Jos Jos
7 University of Lagos Lagos
8 University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Abeokuta and other locations
9 University of Port Harcourt Port Harcourt
10 Lagos State University Ojo
11 Federal University of Technology, Akure Akure
12 Babcock University Ilisan-Remo and other locations
13 Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso and other locations
14 University of Nigeria, Nsukka Nsukka and other locations
15 Covenant University Ota
16 Redeemer’s University Mowe
17 Pan African University Lagos
18 Benson Idahosa University Benin City
19 University of Maiduguri Maiduguri
20 Federal University of Technology Minna Minna
21 Federal University of Technology, Yola Yola
22 Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma
23 University of Uyo Uyo
24 Bayero University Kano Kano
25 Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto
26 Joseph Ayo Babalola University Ikeji-Arakeji
27 Bowen University Iwo
28 Kwara State University Ilorin
29 Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Umuahia
30 University of Ado-Ekiti Ado-Ekiti
31 Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and other locations
32 Caleb University Ikosi
33 Bells University of Technology, Ota Ota
34 Delta State University, Abraka Abraka
35 Lead City University Ibadan
36 American University of Nigeria Yola
37 Igbinedion University Okada Okada and other locations
38 Renaissance University Enugu
39 Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai
40 Ajayi Crowther University Oyo Town
41 Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt
42 University of Mkar Mkar
43 Kaduna State University Kaduna
44 Abia State University Uturu
45 Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye
46 Kogi State University Anyigba
47 Obong University Obong Ntak
48 Federal University of Technology, Owerri Owerri
49 Ebonyi State University Abakaliki
50 Crawford University Igbesa
51 Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University Katsina
52 Salem University Lokoja
53 Enugu State University of Science and Technology Enugu
54 Niger Delta University Wilberforce Island Yenagoa
55 Anambra State University Uli
56 Imo State University, Owerri Owerri
57 Plateau State University Bokkos
58 Osun State University Oshogbo and other locations
59 Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko and other locations
60 Novena University Ogume
61 Tai Solarin University of Education Ijebu-Ode and other locations
62 University of Agriculture, Makurdi Makurdi
63 University of Abuja Abuja
64 Western Delta University, Oghara Oghara
65 Wukari Jubilee University Wukari
66 Madonna University Okija
67 Bingham University Auta Balifi
68 Ondo State University of Science & Technology Okitipupa
69 Al Hikmah University Ilorin Ilorin
70 Katsina University Katsina
71 Benue State University Makurdi
72 Adamawa State University Mubi
73 Caritas University Enugu
74 Fountain University Oshogbo
75 Nasarawa State University Keffi
76 Bukar Abba Ibrahim University Damaturu
77 University of Calabar Calabar
Source: 4 International Colleges & Universities, July 13th, 2011.