GOOGLE STATION:BROADBAND COVERAGE: FG TO LICENSE NEW SERVICE PROVIDERS -OSINBAJO

 Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has announced plans by the Federal Government to expand the broadband coverage of the country through the licensing of private broadband providers soon.

Osinbajo said this while launching the Google for Nigeria event at the Landmark Centre, Lagos on Thursday.

He said the measure would improve the digital space and opportunities for innovation and technological advancement of the country.

He said: “Next week, I will launch a climate innovation centre in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre at the Lagos Business School, here in Lekki Village.

“All of these form part of our ICT road map in which the private sector is an important stakeholder.

“The challenge remains connectivity, extending broadband reach, making data cheaper.

“Our national broadband policy is the first step we are taking.

“And so through the Nigerian Communications Commission we are licensing a number of infrastructure companies who will invest in rolling out broad band infrastructure across Nigeria.

“I believe that we can extend broadband connectivity and reach significantly within a year or two and we will be partnering in whatever way we can with Google, with Nigerian broadband providers like 21 Century Technologies, BCN, to quickly achieve the level of connectivity that is required to march the creative energy that is being released in our country on a daily basis.

“Our goal is to create a data-driven digital economy, one that would lead to the way not just in Africa but globally as well.”

Osinbajo expressed the belief that Nigeria was on the right path as the nation had the people and the talent.

He added that there existed a government that had seen the potential very clearly and showing the determination to unlock that potential.

According to him, technology has put great powers in our hands as individuals, but more importantly as co-creators and collaborators to positively and dramatically change the course of human existence.

Osinbajo noted that with technology, the country could solve many problems confronting the people.

He said in addition, the country could connect people, grow businesses, influence good governance and create better lives and a better country for the citizens and for the future.

He said the country was in many senses at an exciting moment in history because of what the young people were doing in innovation and their sheer energy and talent.

Accordingly, the Vice President noted that the future the country was looking at, which had already arrived, is bound to be an exciting one for the youth and adults.

He said the government would be with the youth in every step of the journey.

The Vice President thanked Google for democratizing the country’s digital space, urging that such innovations should be extended to many of the nation’s markets where a large number of people pride their business.

He observed that through Artificial Intelligence, the country was guaranteed more food and better healthcare.

He said every step made to make technology available would lead to a quantum leap in the African development story and a major contribution to global stability and growth.

He described the launch of the Google station in the country as a very exciting event because of the company’s promise to provide access in several public spaces.

He said the country was happy with the Google’s partnership and had been energizing the country’s markets with solar power, especially in Aba, Kano, Lagos and Ibadan.

He said access to information, tools of education, business or commerce ensured that a lot of gaps of inequalities and exclusion were bridged.

Osinbajo recalled that a digital skills training programme was launched in 2016 aimed at training of 400,000 youth on basic digital skills, adding that the government had since trained more than one million persons in partnership with Google and local digital firms.

He added that to scale up the support of private players in the technology space, government created the technology and creative industry advisory group as part of the industrial council to support young players in the industry.

He stated that through the GEM programme of the World Bank, the administration had given a $2 million lifeline to 79 start-ups across the country, while the Bank of Industry had set aside a N10 billion technology fund also.

He said: “We are looking at increasing the availability of the fund and how to use all the development finance banks to extend credit to innovation and technology start-ups.”

Osinbajo said government was committed to building an ecosystem to drive innovation, adding that government was training 5,000 developers as part of the country’s N-Power tech programme with another 3,000 being trained in animation.

The VP added that government was supporting the students’ hub innovation challenge across institutions to support student entrepreneurs.

The Country Director of Google, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, earlier said the African digital story was evolving and the organization planned to keep building products and programmes to accelerate growth in Nigeria and Africa.

Ehimuan-Chiazor recalled that in 2017, the company had brought together Google’s global leadership with over 200 key stakeholder in the industry.

She said the organisation remained committed to developing the digital ecosystem and making its products more useful for Africans.

She said: “Most of Africa’s biggest challenges may not be solved by methods of the past; with machine learning and artificial intelligence, these problems can be solved in a radically different way both faster and more cost effectively.

“For example today with a smart phone and a camera and existing apps it is possible to detect and prevent diseases, predict severe weather conditions, like droughts, and also address financial inclusion for the un-banked,” she stated.

The Google chief said the country would continue to seek digital growth of Nigeria and Africa as Nigeria currently had over 45 million mobile internet users and future growth would be driven by smart phones currently growing at 14 per cent ever year.

Ehimuan-Chiazor recalled that Google had committed to training five million Africans as well as to train the next developers of Africans and giving them Google certification

Ehimuan-Chiazor said entrepreneurs in Africa would create the jobs of the future, adding that the company was willing to through its Launchpad Accelerator Africa give more than $3 million equity free support to more than 60 early stage start-ups in the continent.

She said: “Since the launch earlier this year, 12 start-ups have graduated from the programme, working across a range of industry.

“They have created 132 jobs and raised over $7 million in funding and their products are used by approximately 4.5 million users.”

Ehimuan-Chiazor also recalled the $20 million pledged to support non-profits in their jobs.

In a related development, the Vice President declared open the Co-working Conference 2018 of innovators in Lagos, where he stressed the need for collaboration and partnerships among entrepreneurs to boost productivity and economic growth.

GOOGLE LAUNCHES GOOGLE STATION TO PROVIDE FREE HIGH SPEED WIFI (INTERNET) TO MILLIONS OF NIGERIANS

 

Google on Thursday hosted its second Google for Nigeria event where it made a number of big announcements aimed at helping more people in Nigeria, and across Africa, benefit from the opportunities the web has to offer.

In a bid to make the internet more easily accessible to people in Nigeria, Google is launching Google Station for Nigeria, a programme to provide high quality, high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots in partnership with 21st Century, one of the largest fibre network providers in Nigeria.

“Google Station will be rolling out in 200 locations in five cities across Nigeria by the end of 2019, bringing Wi-Fi to millions of people,” says Google Nigeria Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor. “Sites include markets, transport hubs, shopping malls, universities, and more. Nigeria is the fifth country to get Google Station, after India, Indonesia, Thailand and Mexico.”

Google is also making search more powerful for ordinary Africans. Job search launched in March in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, and is now rolling out in 29 new countries.

In Nigeria, Google is launching a search experience that allows users to explore health conditions based on symptoms, as well as recipe search for anyone who needs a little food inspiration.

Street View’s Discover Nigeria gallery has been expanded to include more of Nigeria’s wonders, including the National Museum in Lagos, Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Millenium Park in Abuja and Lekki Conservation Centre.

Additionally, Google announced the update of several products from its “Go” initiative, which were launched in the past year.

The Go product suite aims to give people with low bandwidth connections and low-RAM devices the best possible Google experience.

These new features include:

Google Go: will soon read web pages out loud and highlight each word so users can follow along.

BUHARI CAMPAIGN GROUP COORDINATOR, MASHOOD BAKARE, RESIGNS

Coordinator of the Kwara State Chapter of Buhari Support Group, Mashood Bakare, has formally resigned his appointment, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Bakare, who represents Omupo Constituency in the state assembly, announced his resignation on Thursday, at the floor of the House.

According to Daily Nigerian, Bakare, while explaining the decision, said his resignation was based on personal reasons.

He said he was no longer willing to be part of the organisation which he had been with since 2014.
The lawmaker, however, assured that he would continue to be sensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of his people.
Reacting, the Speaker, Ali Ahmad, inquired if the decision to relinquish his post was willingly taken, and he answered in the affirmative.

The Kwara governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed had hinted that he and other top members of the state chapter, including the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, will soon dump the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, during a meeting with youths, traders, local government chairmen among others.
Ahmed lamented that the APC formed in 2014 with the hope of meeting the needs and aspirations of the people in critical areas of national life has not delivered.
“We are gathered here to consult with our supporters, market women, artisans, youths and women on how to guarantee our people’s interest and our state’s progress,” he was quoted as saying.
“Our leader Senate President Bukola Saraki will soon come home to announce where we will go. APC has not met our expectations. You have told us that they have not met your aspirations as a people in APC.
“You have come to tell us that you want us to move on to a new platform that will give us room to meet our aspirations for the good of Kwarans. By the grace of God almighty, you will have a response very soon and very clear.
“But one is as clear as crystal you the stakeholders have told us to move out of the APC and because we run an inclusive process, that is why we have come to sit here and seek your opinion which you have expressed.
“And certainly your decision is our decision. So whatever you want is what we will do. God will guide us aright.”

I AM STILL A MEMBER OF APC - SENATOR SANI

Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Sen. Shehu Sani on Thursday declared that he remains a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said this amidst his rumored defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Senator said this while fielding questions from journalists at the APC National Secretariat after a meeting with the Party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

He backed the ongoing reconciliation efforts undertaken by the Party’s National Executive led by the National Chairman.

“We are confident that the new leadership of the Party has the capacity the ability to address these injustices. In the words of Frantz Fanon, ‘We revolt because we cannot breathe’.

“So we revolted against the manner the Party was run because it is suffocating us. Now we have a new surgeon who is doing everything possible to put it back on track. That is why we give him the benefit of doubt that the problem can be solved”, the lawmaker added.

APC CRISIS: SHEHU SANI SPEAKS ON BEING PART OF PLOT TO IMPEACH SARAKI

The Senator Representing Kaduna Central at the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has denied being among those allegedly plotting to impeach the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

The lawmaker described the reports as the handiwork of his opponents, adding that he enjoys a good relationship with the senate president and will continue to support him.

The senator said the accusations leveled against him will not work, referring to it as “cheap blackmail.”

In a statement on Thursday, the lawmaker said, “My attention has been drawn to a report by an online newspaper without a defined address that I, Senator Shehu Sani and other senators plotted to impeach the senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki on Tuesday, 24th 2018.

“I’m not aware of such plot whether it happened or not. And If there was anything like that, it stands condemned. I can never be part of any plot to impeach the senate president because there was never reason to do so.

“I enjoyed a good working relationship with Dr Saraki since 2015 till date and he has always supported and identified with me in my moments of travails and trials and I reciprocated the same to him.

“He has managed the senate with experience, responsibility and maturity and always respects my views even when it differs with his. Fifthly, Senate President and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekwerenmadu have managed the Senate satisfactorily and championed and sustained its independence.”

“My decision to remain in the APC or leave the party is my own choice to make in tandem with my conviction, conscience and the imperatives of the constituents and constituency I represent,” he said.

“Fabrications, concoction and outright lies and blackmail aimed at me, to force me to toe a line against my conscience will not work. Using such cheap blackmail and character assassination against me will not work.

“I will continue to support the leadership of Dr Saraki and Dr Ike Ekweremadu till the end of the life of the eight senate. Once again, my choice of party is my business and not that of any person.”

I CAN’T WORK WITH SARAKI – KWARA STATE PDP CHAIRMAN

Bukola Saraki

The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, said on Thursday, July 26, that he cannot work with the All Progressives Congress (APC) defectors led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki. 

The Nation reports that he said other members of the party executive committee in Kwara cannot work with the defectors too.

Saraki and the state Governor, AbdulFattah Ahmed, are expected to announce their own defection soon. 

Oyedepo, who spoke on the development during a radio programme in Ilorin, said the national leadership of the PDP has set up a committee to interface between his group and the defectors. 
He said the first meeting is slated for next week.

The PDP chairman, who said he had just returned from a meeting with PDP leaders in Abuja, blamed the party’s national leadership for being allegedly insensitive to the political configuration in Kwara state and allowed themselves to be swayed by funding capacity of the defectors. 

According to him, the option before the leaders is to choose between his group and the one led by Saraki. 

He said: “We have not been opportune to sit down with the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the state governor, Alhaji AbdulFattah Ahmed, even though I’m hearing several rumours that I have met with them and that they have offered me juicy positions. "These are all lies, the Senate president despite his humongous wealth, does not have what it takes to buy me. He cannot ever buy me because he cannot buy my integrity. If my bank account is not fat, my integrity account is very fat.

“So they have not met with us but our national body said they have set up a committee to meet with the two sides next week and when that meeting comes up we are going to tell the national leaders that we cannot accept the formula they have put down which is 60:40, 60 percent for a state defecting with the governor and 40 percent for the existing PDP members. "And if they said what of 50:50, or 40:60 or 30:70 or even 10:90, we shall not accept;

we cannot accept any offer. Anything less than our not working together we cannot accept. “So we will tell our national body to choose between us and them and I know that they will not choose us because we don’t have money but we are not worried. We will only know that an end has come to our journey and our relationship (in the PDP).

“If we agree to work with them (Saraki) just imagine myself and (Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed) Maigida standing on the same rostrum pledging to do things for the people. It will be a shame; many people will look at me and wonder what has happened. "So it is better not to be in politics again. Instead of a dog being the treasurer for the lion it is better for both to part ways and go on their separate hunting game.

“The blame is not from the Saraki camp, the blame is from our national leaders in the PDP. Leadership in Nigeria is the conspiracy of the elite to punish the downtrodden.

"When they gave us the party, we inherited nothing and so whatever you see in the PDP today is the product of our efforts. For this alone we should not be interested in defecting from our own house but it is better we do so now and look forward to better future for our dear state.”

RIVERS STATE GOVT ALLEGES SARS THREAT TO WIKE AIDE'S LIFE AS YOUTH PROTESTS

Rivers State Government, RVSG, has alleged threat by men of the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to kill Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Social Media, Marshal Obuzor.

Rivers Youths after their protest march against SARs Brutality in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

The development Thursday provoked street protest in Port Harcourt by teeming youths in Rivers who called for end to reported recurring SARs brutality and extrajudicial murders across the state.

The SARs Operatives had on Monday, around Mandela Car Wash in Old GRA, Port Harcourt, reportedly entrapped and brutalised Obuzor and inflicted injuries on him with machetes and rods.

The victim, Obuzor, narrated to the protesters, including youth professionals and Rivers leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, gathered at the Port Harcourt Council secretariat, that SARS led by one Sgt Clever Kporoko left him with a ruptured ear.

Medical Examinations by consultants at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital is said to have indicated that Obuzor would require surgical procedures in France to correct the ruptured ear.

‘In Public view, they used machetes and rods to beat me and seized my phones. They repeatedly threatened to kill me. Even the Government Official who intervened was threatened with death. I was surprised that SARs has gotten to this stage where they don’t care that people are watching”, Obuzor said.

The protesters also matched to the Rivers State Police Command where they submitted the two petitions with assurance from the authorities to investigate the issues and any SARs operative found wanting liable to face the wrath of the law.

Obuzor had told the police authorities that the petition to the Rivers Police Commissioner demanded an end to SARS Brutality across the state, saying that enough is enough.

Adokiye Ogunobere, Publicity Secretary NYCN, Rivers chapter, said, “Rivers Youths write to formally register our protest on the illegal activities of operatives of SARS across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.

OBASANJO, ONCE AGAIN, BLASTS NIGERIA’S LEADERSHIP, CONDEMNS SIEGE AGAINST SARAKI , OTHERS

Chf. Olushegun Obasanjo

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo has again attributed Nigeria’s under-performance to the problem of leadership.

Speaking when he granted audience to a PDP Presidential Aspirant, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Thursday, the ex-President, however, said that he had not lost hope because God had blessed Nigeria with men and women of caliber who can stand their own in the world.

Chief Obasanjo, after listening to the speeches of Turaki and Boni Haruna (DG Kabiru Tanimu Turaki Campaign Organization), said “we are not short of leadership that can perform”.

The former President, who recalled that he consulted widely in 1998/1999 just as Turaki is doing now, revealed that he accepted to be drafted into the presidential campaign because of the need to unite the country.

“Listening to you, I believe you have got the concerns of Nigerians today in the area of security, economy and cohesion. Anybody who will lead Nigeria to the promised land will have my support,” Obasanjo said.

He condemned the siege laid to the residences of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, saying that was “embarrassed” by a number of things happening in the country.

“We are in a position to do better than what we are doing today”, he said.

Obasanjo further noted that what Turaki had been doing is to firm up and stabilize Nigeria’s democracy which, he believed is making some progress.

He explained that the statement he issued in January was not done frivolously, noting that a nation can be destroyed not necessarily when people are doing bad things but when people keep quiet when danger looms.

In his remark, Turaki who described Obasanjo as the ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’, said that it is people like him who speak truth to power that are working assiduously for a united country.

The aspirant stressed that there is need to take up the challenge of rescuing Nigerians from the plethora of problems such as insecurity, poverty, divisiveness and hopelessness confronting them today.

He said that with the support of respected leaders like Obasanjo “we know that we would be able to rescue our country as we have no other place to go.”

BBNAIJA’S CeeC SIGNS ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH NAIRABET

CeeC and Nairabet CEO Akin Alabi

Big Brother Naija Double Wahala 
housemate, CeeC Nwadiora has added another endorsement deal to her already growing list and this time, it’s with sports betting brand, NairaBET.

The sports betting platform took to their social media platform to unveil their latest ambassadorial addition alongside pictures from the contract signing event.

See tweets:

CeeC also confirmed the endorsement deal with a post shared on her Instagram page with caption;

The most powerful thing you can do right now is to be patient while things are unfolding for you. Another one in the bag, I love my new family!! Thanks @officialnairabet , looking forward to an amazing relationship.

Check out more photos

Photo Credit: @nairabet

GUNMEN ABDUCT 2 PRIESTS, 1 LECTURER IN KOGI STATE

There has been confusion in parts of Kogi as Rev Father Leo Michael, the parish priest of the St Michael Catholic Church, Obajana area of the state, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

Also reportedly abducted, according to the Nigerian Tribune, are a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and a lecturer with the Kogi state college of education, Kabba, Samuel Aronimu.

The details of the abduction of the pastor and the lecturer were still sketchy at the time of this report. 

But the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also quotes his colleague and diocesan chancellor in Lokoja, Peter Adinoyi, confirmed the kidnap to newsmen in Lokoja on Thursday, July 26.

Adinoyi said that the priest was returning to Obajana when he was kidnapped at a spot around the Irepeni village, Okene-Lokoja road. He said the matter has been promptly reported at the Irepeni police station.

The reverend father said that the army and the Department of the State Security (DSS) were also aware of the development. Adinoyi, however, said that the kidnappers, on July 25, called some members of the church to demand a N50 million ransom for the release of their priest.

According to him, the kidnappers later reduced the ransom to N20 million and further reduced it to N8 million. Adinoyi added that the kidnappers gave the church up till 1pm on July 26, to pay the ransom. They reportedly threatened to relocate the priest should the church fail to meet the deadline.

Adinoyi said that the church was unable to meet the deadline for the payment of the ransom demanded. He called on security agents to assist in rescuing the cleric from his abductors just as he decried the incessant kidnapping of the less privileged in the state, describing the situation as unfortunate. 

The spokesperson of the police command in Kogi state, DSP William Aya, said that he was not aware of the incident. He promised to find out and call back, but failed at the time of this report.