Social media platform, Meta, has unveiled new features targeted at restricting how teens receive messages on Facebook and Instagram. Meta said the new measures are being rolled to build on its earlier policy restricting people above 19 from messaging teens, who are not following them.
The policy, which took off, yesterday, Meta said it is now turning off teens’ ability to receive DMs from anyone they do not follow or are not connected to on Instagram including other teens by default.
Additionally, Meta is also making its parental controls more robust by allowing guardians to allow or deny changes in default privacy settings made by teens. Previously, when teens changed these settings, guardians got a notification, but they couldn’t take any action on them.
Announcing the new features to protect teens on its social media platforms yesterday, Meta said: “To help protect teens from unwanted contact on Instagram, we restrict adults over the age of 19 from messaging teens who don’t follow them, and we limit the type and number of direct messages (DMs) people can send to someone who doesn’t follow them to one text-only message.
“Today we’re announcing an additional step to help protect teens from unwanted contact by turning off their ability to receive DMs from anyone they don’t follow or aren’t connected to on Instagram – including other teens – by default.
“Under this new default setting, teens can only be messaged or added to group chats by people they already follow or are connected to, helping teens and their parents feel even more confident that they won’t hear from people they don’t know in their DMs.
“This default setting will apply to all teens under the age of 16 (or under 18 in certain countries). Those already on Instagram will see a notification at the top of their Feed letting them know we’re making these changes to their message settings.”
Meta, owned by Mark Zukerberg, added that it is also making these changes to teens’ default settings on Messenger, where under 16s (or under 18 in certain countries) will only receive messages from Facebook friends, or people they’re connected to through phone contacts, for example.
Recall that Meta first launched parental supervision on Instagram in March 2022 and since then has continued to add new features to help involve parents more in their teens’ online experiences.
These include the ability for parents to set time limits and schedule breaks, to understand when their teen blocks or shares they have reported someone, and to be notified when their teen changes their settings. The company is now adding more features.
Governor Yahaya Bello has made much impact in his eight-year tenure in the Confluence state despite the general perception and opinion of his perceived political opponents.
On January 27, 2024 to be precise, the administration of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello will come to an end and pave way for that of Ahmed Usman Ododo who had won the November 11, 2023 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressive Congress APC in Kogi State.
Bello who ventured into the state political landscape in 2015 contested for governorship primary election on the platform of the APC culminating in his becoming number one citizen of Kogi State on 27th of January 2016. The rest is history. Bello has come, saw and conquered, most importantly, he has etched his name in gold following his spectacular performance in the last eight years.
Notwithstanding the critical circumstances that brought him in as the Governor of Kogi State and litany of opposition, Bello however navigated through thick and thin in the past eight years and berthed in style with numerous successes achieved in the State.
Shortly after taking oath of office on January 27, 2016, the new administration which was tagged a “New Direction Administration” led by the young Yahaya Bello highlighted thematic areas for the government such as security of lives and property, health, education, civil service reforms and provision of infrastructures across the length and breadth of Kogi State.
Motivated by a desire to address underdevelopment in Kogi state, Bello constituted a screening committee to look at the various crises rocking the engine room of government – the Civil Service – with the aim of repositioning it. The exercise was greeted with opposition from the labour union and characterised with a lot of noise particularly from the workers.
By and large, Bello’s administration succeeded in weeding out the bad elements and was able to raise Kogi Civil Service to a bar comparable with any State in the federation or ever more better.
This singular act has not only fetched the state accolades and recipient of international awards as the most transparent state and also for adhering strictly to Budget principles. He was also able to determine the monthly wage bill for the State against hitherto ever increase in payment of huge monthly bill.
No doubt about the fact that before the advent of Governor Bello’s administration in Kogi State, the State was known as a flash point for all forms of criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and killings. But on assumption of office, Bello swung into action by declaring zero tolerance for crimes in the state and asked the criminals to relocate to another place as Kogi would no longer be a safe destination for them.
He marched his word with action as he donated over 150 Hilux vans to the former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Kpotun, to combat crimes in the state.
Not only that, he was determined to ensure the setting up of Joint Security Task Force in the state comprising all the security agencies in Kogi State in collaboration with the State government to reduce the rate of crime.
For taking critical steps to stem the high tide of insecurity in Kogi and Nigeria at large, the then Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun recognised Bello’s efforts in fighting insecurity and subsequently became the first Governor to be so honoured with Nigerian
In the area of Agriculture, it is a known fact that Kogi is an agraian State and in line with the determination to ensure food security in the State, the Bello-led administration established the largest Rice Mill at Ejiba with capacity to employ over 2000 workers as the project also targeted to move unemployed youths out of the street. This is in addition to various agricultural program initiated by the new direction administration in the State.
The Health sector’s services delivery was second to none in Kogi State under the leadership of Bello in the past eight years as it received financial boost.
Prior to his wedding last weekend, Nollywood actor, Kunle Remi had left many of his fans and followers curious about his relationship status. Why?! He’s one of Nollywood’s most eligible bachelors. On different occasions, the charming and charismatic actor had been romantically linked to a couple of his female colleagues.
Playing love roles with any of these female actresses had opened the ‘Falling’ star to the dating rumours. The rumours kept prompting fans prying to know his actual status. However, as guest once on a popular television programme last year, Kunle Remi finally opened up on his relationship.
The thespian then had revealed that he was in, “a serious relationship”. He had said: “I mean, it is nothing to hide. I have someone. I’m serious.”
Well, that someone appeared to be Boluwatiwi (Tiwi) Oye with whom he tied the knot last weekend in a star-studded traditional and church wedding ceremonies, which took place in Ibadan.
Pictures and clips from the wedding ceremonies trended. It was a beautiful celebration of love, friendship and family. The events also had in attendance business mogul Mr. Femi Otedola and his family. The fact that the billionaire businessman is Tiwi’s maternal uncle came as surprise to many.
Taking to his instagram page to share pictures from the events, Otedola congratulated the couple and wished them well in their new journey together. Captioning the pictures, daddy Cuppy wrote, “Yet more good times to be grateful for! Congratulations to my beautiful niece Tiwi on her union with KR! Wish you a wonderful life together… F.Ote”
Best known for his roles as Saro in the blockbuster movie ‘Anikulapo’, Kunle Remi had, to the surprise of his fans and colleagues, on New Year’s Day, disclosed on his instagram page that he and his wife, Boluwatiwi, exchanged vows. It further revealed that the couple got engaged in the US sometime in 2023 and had their court wedding there.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has revealed that it is still cheaper to use humans for certain jobs than artificial intelligence (AI).
In a study addressing fears about AI replacing humans in various industries, MIT established that using AI to replace humans is only profitable in a few industries.
This is coming amid concerns that AI will replace many jobs currently handled by humans. The report suggests that AI cannot replace most jobs in cost-effective ways at present.
Already, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that almost 40 per cent of jobs across the globe will be influenced by AI, projecting that advanced economies are expected to experience a higher impact compared to emerging markets and low-income nations.
In a blog post, IMF chief, Kristalina Georgieva, called for governments to establish social safety nets and offer retraining programmes to counter the impact of AI.
But MIT explained that the cost-benefit ratio of computer vision is most favourable in segments like retail, transportation, and warehousing—areas where Walmart Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are prominent—and in the healthcare context.
It said computer vision is a field of AI that enables machines to derive meaningful information from digital images and other visual inputs, with its most ubiquitous applications showing up in object detection systems for autonomous driving or in helping categorize photos on smartphones.
Giving further insights, MIT researchers said they found that AI could effectively supplant only 23 per cent of workers, measured in terms of dollar wages.
In other cases, because AI-assisted visual recognition is expensive to install and operate, humans did the job more economically.
“Machines will steal our jobs” is a sentiment frequently expressed during times of rapid technological change. Such anxiety has re-emerged with the creation of large language models, said the researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in the 45-page paper titled “Beyond AI Exposure.”
“We find that only 23 per cent of worker compensation ‘exposed’ to AI computer vision would be cost-effective for firms to automate because of the large upfront costs of AI systems.”
The study was funded by the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and used online surveys to collect data on about 1,000 visually assisted tasks across 800 occupations.
Only three per cent of such tasks can be automated cost-effectively today, but that could rise to 40 per cent by 2030 if data costs fall and accuracy improves, the researchers said.
Commenting on the study, the Director of the FutureTech Research Project at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Neil Thompson, said: “Our study examines the usage of computer vision across the economy, examining its applicability to each occupation across nearly every industry and sector. We show that there will be more automation in retail and healthcare, and less in areas like construction, mining, or real estate.”
The presidential candidate in last year’s election under the Labour Party (LP) and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on the federal government and the security agencies to rise up and put an end to the wanton killings in Nigeria.
Obi stressed that for the umpteenth time, Nigerians again woke up to the continued reports of highly condemnable acts of violence reoccurring across the country.
Obi, who stated this via his verified X handle, lamented that: “First was the reported killing of about 30 persons in Plateau State, and secondly, the gruesome killing of husband and wife in Anambra State, whose bodies were left in the boot of their vehicle by the roadside, among many other violent crimes that go unreported in our nation.
“While condemning these dastardly and despicable acts in totality, one wonders when we will wake up to the news of this insecurity that has continued to undermine the peace and progress of our country being curtailed.
“This constant loss of precious lives to insecurity demands that more concerted efforts be taken to end the menace.”
Obi pointed out that he would continue to appeal to everyone, the leaders, especially those in office and the security agencies, to strive harder to unravel and bring the perpetrators of crime to book, and continue to make efforts to rid society of crime and violence.
“I condole with the affected families who have lost their loved ones to the raging insecurity in the country, while praying to God to grant eternal rest to the dead. These are very difficult times in our country, but we must conquer this monster of insecurity to be able to enjoy the New Nigeria of our dreams,” he added.
Over 30 persons were killed and several houses destroyed, in Kwahaslalek and the surrounding communities in Plateau State during the week, as gunmen defied the 24-hour curfew imposed on Mangu Local Government Area by the State government, on Tuesday.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang had declared a 24-hour curfew in Mangu, following the deteriorating security situation in the area, stressing that only persons on essential duties were allowed to move within the local government until further notice.
However, despite the curfew, gunmen stormed Kwahaslalek and its environs, killed more man 30 persons and destroyed several houses and worship centres.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the Fifth Generation (5G) network has only reached about 30 cities in Nigeria.
Going into its third year of commercial launch in Nigeria, NCC assures of further expansion with clarion calls on the licensees to roll out in more cities.
In the last NCC updated subscription statistics as of August 2023, the Commission puts 5G subscriptions in the country at 0.83 per cent penetration with some 500,000 people enjoying the service.
The current 5G-network status was revealed in Lagos, when the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, unveiled his agenda for the sector for the next five years.
While assuring that during his tenure, issues limiting the expansion of telecoms services would receive utmost attention, Maida posited that the need for improved telephony services couldn’t be over-emphasized.
On the question of how ready Nigeria is for the sixth-generation (6G) network, Maida said: “On every level of technology, Nigeria won’t be left behind. We are yet to maximize the benefits of 5G. We are still at the earliest stage of that. But we can’t be left behind by other countries, as the world progresses, we also progress. We still need to leverage 5G before we can talk of adopting 6G.”
Providing more insights, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Standard, Ubale Maska, said: “Nigeria is still grappling with 5G. I can say that the network is still in less than 30 cities in the country. So, we still have a long way to go. But we have strategies to deploy the service in Nigeria. 4G LTE has not even covered the entire country.
“So, before we talk of 5G, 6G, let’s maximize 4G to the fullest. When the spectrum for 6G becomes available globally, we shall deploy as fast as possible.”
Checks by The Guardian showed that 2G still dominates network usage in the country, with 60.47 per cent penetration. 3G penetration was put at 9.57 per cent and 4G, 29.13 per cent population penetration as of August 2023.
Also, since launched in Nigeria, going into the third year now, the licensees, MTN, Mafab and Airtel, have pushed for more 5G penetrations in the country. While Airtel claims to be in Lagos, Ogun, Port Harcourt and Abuja, MTN is in over 15 cities across the country. Mafab claims to be in Lagos and Abuja and is currently planning expansion.
Meanwhile, more investments in 5G networks are expected to bring operators a 32 per cent revenue jump, which could fetch them $400 billion by the end of 2024.
A study by Juniper Research, which disclosed this, noted that as consumer 5G penetration rates become saturated, it will be ‘imperative’ for operators to launch 5G services geared towards enterprise IoT users – specifically 5G Advanced and 5G RedCap (Reduced Capacity).
The report described 5G Advanced as ‘a development of the next evolutionary stage of 5G’ and said it will unlock new opportunities for operators and strengthen 5G support for XR, VR and AR applications, while AI and machine learning will be a key to improving network performance.
Already, the United Nations arm in charge of global communications, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has disclosed that the 5G network has reached 40 per cent of the eight billion global populations since its launch in 2019.
Renowned record label, Rich Rhythm Records proudly announces the release of the latest single, “Show Me,” by the exceptionally talented artist Hvntar, also known as Oche Peter. Produced by the acclaimed Braynzee, the song showcases the artiste signature style, blending soulful melodies with cutting-edge beats. The track not only reflects his artistic evolution but also demonstrates the labels commitment to pushing musical boundaries.
Known for his dynamic and emotive performances, Hvntar’s distinctive vocal style and lyrical depth shine through in “Show Me,” showcasing his evolution as an artist. The track explores themes of love, longing, and self-discovery, resonating with listeners on a profound level.
Producer Braynzee’s masterful touch adds a layer of sophistication to the song elevating it to industry standards and solidifying its potential as a chart-topping hit. Rich Rhythm Records, a trailblazing label committed to nurturing exceptional talent, is thrilled to be at the forefront of Hvntar’s musical journey. The partnership between both parties underscores the label’s dedication to supporting artists who redefine the industry’s landscape.
Prolific filmmaker, Moses Inwang is set to release his latest project, titled ‘Dead Serious’. The award-winning producer-director announced the star-studded movie via a social media post last Monday, alongside a trailer. The clip shows actress Sharon Ooja and Skit maker, Sabinus engaging in a comical yet endearing love tango.
A romantic-comedy, ‘Dead Serious’ is scheduled for cinema premiere nationwide on February 9, 2024, starring Nkem Owoh, Deyemi Okanlawon, Lilian Afegbai, Funky Mallam, among others. Inwang had earlier told Showbiz that the film was crucial and timely to undertake, adding that the story is just one of many in his repertoire.
‘Dead Serious’, according to Inwang, advocates against suicide and suicidal thoughts; “a young man will make several unsuccessful attempts to take his own life after losing the love of his life just a few days to their wedding.” He said, its romantic-comedy; but one that is themed around a serious topic, suicide.
“And no, it’s not a sad film; as a matter of fact, it’s one packed with a lot of laughs and an important message of hope and perseverance,” Inwang revealed. The producer-director has also characterised the upcoming feature film as the wildest romantic comedy series of the year. “We are dead serious about bringing you the most hilariously awkward romantic couple this Valentine!
“Prepare to laugh till your sides hurt and shed a few tears as well,” Inwang wrote. Brace yourself for the mind-blowing movie, ‘Dead Serious,’ the craziest romantic series comedy of the year.”
The 10th edition of the historic Okpekpe international 10km Road Race will hold on Saturday, May 25, 2024, according to World Athletics.
The race, the first road running event in West Africa to get World Athletics recognition is among the 30 gold level road races listed in World Athletics’ worldwide calendar of global races for 2024.
Overall, World Athletics has confirmed 167 road races for the year and Okpekpe race is the first gold level 10km road race that will hold in 2024.
Zack Amodu, Okpekpe Road Race director says organisers of the race are happy to have consistently received recognition from World Athletics since it was granted a bronze label status in 2015.
“Since the race made history as the first Nigerian nay West African road running event to be recognised by World Athletics and granted a bronze label status in 2015, it has continued to wax stronger and have grown to a gold level status.
“This is down to our ability to play by World Athletics rules,” said Amodu who reveals other reasons why the race has been a huge success.
“The support we have received from the Okpekpe town and its environs, the people and government of Edo state, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development and of course our sponsors have been invaluable.
“Through our sponsors we have been able to make Edo State in particular and Nigeria in general a destination of sort for Sports.
“On May 25, the attention of the whole sporting world will be on Nigeria when the race is held. It is the only gold level road race that will be held in the whole world that day which means there will be no divided attention,” said Amodu who further revealed this edition will also serve as a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Samsung has ushered in a “new era of AI” with the launch of its Galaxy S24 smartphone series, which leans heavily on the vendor’s big-name partners – Google Cloud and Qualcomm – for the capabilities and functionality that enable features such as live translation of calls and texts.
AI amplifies nearly every experience on the Galaxy S24 series, from enabling barrier-free communication with intelligent text and call translations, to maximizing creative freedom with Galaxy’s ProVisual Engine, to setting a new standard for search that will change how Galaxy users discover the world around them.
President and Head of Mobile experience Business at Samsung Electronics, TM Roh, said: “The Galaxy S24 series transforms our connection with the world and ignites the next decade of mobile innovation. “Galaxy AI is built on our innovation heritage and deep understanding of how people use their phones. We’re excited to see how our users around the world empower their everyday lives with Galaxy AI to open new possibilities.”
Galaxy AI introduces meaningful intelligence aimed at enhancing every part of life, especially the phone’s most fundamental role: communication. When users need to defy language barriers, Galaxy S24 makes it easier than ever.
The Galaxy S24 launch is seen as an effort by Samsung to use AI-driven features to “reignite consumers’ interest in smartphones at a time when incremental hardware updates have seen sales slow”.
The CEO, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Sung-won Jung, said that for messages and other apps, Chat Assist can help perfect conversational tones to ensure communication sounds as it was intended: like a polite message to a coworker or a short and catchy phrase for a social media caption.
“AI built into Samsung Keyboard can also translate messages in real-time in 13 languages. In the car, Android will automatically summarize incoming messages and suggest relevant replies and actions, like sending someone your ETA, so you can stay connected while staying focused on the road.
“Organisation also gets a big boost with Note Assist in Samsung Notes, featuring AI-generated summaries, template creation that streamlines notes with pre-made formats, and cover creation to make notes easy to spot with a brief preview. For voice recordings, even when there are multiple speakers, Transcript Assist uses AI and speech-to-text technology to transcribe, summarize and even translate recordings,” he said.
Afrobeat sensations Kizz Daniel and Davido have unveiled the remix of Kizz Daniel’s hit single, ‘Twe Twe’. Following their last collaboration since 2018 on ‘One Ticket’, This dynamic remix sees the two Nigerian superstars merging their unparalleled talents to deliver a musical experience that promises to captivate audiences worldwide.
Since its original release on the 12th of December, ‘Twe Twe’ has gone on to spend several weeks as the number-one song on the official Nigeria charts, the number-one song on the radio and the most streamed song on Youtube. The remix not only looks to reintroduce the beloved ‘Twe Twe’ but also infuses it with the dynamic energy and distinct styles of both artists. The result is a fresh and exciting musical experience that resonates with a diverse audience.
Source close to the artiste claim there is a music video set to drop soon directed by Visionary Nigerian Director, TG Omori. With the director’s pedigree, we are sure to expect an immersive visual journey that complements the pulsating richness of the track. As the “Twe Twe” remix looks to make waves, the video would definitely amplify the impact of the track, creating a multimedia experience that is bound to leave a lasting impression on audiences across the globe.
As Nigeria prepares to face hosts Côte d’Ivoire today in a crucial Group A match at the ongoing 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan, former Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and former Captain of the senior national team, Austin Jay Jay Okocha have joined other supporters to wish Super Eagles victory.
Ambode and Okocha along with NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau visited the three-time African champions at their camp Wednesday night to motivate them to victory.
They urged Eagles to be at their best to overcome the Ivorians who are expected to have massive support inside the 60,000-capacity Stade Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe area of Abidjan.
The hosts won their opening game against Guinea-Bissau to lead Group A on three points while Eagles have one point from their 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea.
The Equatorial Guinea’s Nzalang Nacional will take on Guinea Bissau in the Group’s other game.
The last match of the evening is between Egypt and Ghana. Egypt drew their opening match with Mozambique while Ghana lost 2-1 to Cape Verde.
Hyundai Motor Company has been recognized yet again for its innovative design competitiveness by winning six top honors at the 2023 GOOD DESIGN Awards in the U.S., including four in the Transportation category and two in the Interactive Media category. Notably, Hyundai’s N Vision 74 ‘rolling lab’ achieved a global design awards ‘grand slam’.
“We feel a tremendous sense of honor to receive acknowledgment from the GOOD DESIGN Awards for these significant vehicles and innovations,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai & Genesis Global Design. “This recognition serves as a testament to the exceptional dedication exhibited by our team of visionary designers, who poured their unwavering passion and commitment into this project, alongside our collaborative engineers at the R&D center. It highlights the remarkable competitiveness of Hyundai’s design identity within the global market.”
The GOOD DESIGN Awards are selected through collaboration between The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design in Chicago, Illinois, and The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies in Europe. They announce award-winning works in various categories for Fortune 500 and global leading companies every year.
Hyundai Motor achieved the honor of having four products, including N Vision 74, IONIQ 6, Azera and Kona, selected in the Transportation category.
In particular, the N Vision 74 high-performance hydrogen hybrid ‘rolling lab’ achieved a grand slam by winning all four major global design awards (iF, IDEA, Red Dot, GOOD DESIGN) with this award.
N Vision 74 is part of Hyundai Motor’s heritage communication efforts that seek to find the vision of the future through the bold spirit of the first independently developed Korean sports car prototype, the ‘Pony Coupe Concept,’ unveiled in 1974.
IONIQ 6 drew attention with its sleek exterior and stylish interior design. With a smooth streamlined design that minimizes wind resistance, the all-electric vehicle achieved the highest aerodynamic coefficient (Cd) of 0.21 among all Hyundai Motor vehicles, combining sensibility and efficiency.
Grandeur stood out with its advanced design that reinterprets the heritage designs of previous models. With a futuristic exterior styling and an interior that maximizes comfort and luxury, it embodies the image of Hyundai Motor’s flagship sedan.
Kona features a future-oriented image unique to electric vehicles while inheriting the existing iconic design elements. The seamless horizon lamp that spans the front, the prominent surfaces and the sharp lines harmonize to emphasize elegance.
Hyundai also won awards in the Interactive Media category with the ‘Seon,’ connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) infotainment system, and the ‘Hyundai Sans UI,’ the mobility-exclusive font.
‘Seon’ is a new design theme applied to the next-generation integrated infotainment system, first introduced in the new Grandeur. It completes a differentiated graphic design that uses linear elements, such as straight lines and ovals, that can be seen in daily life to convey a familiar and comfortable feeling.
‘Hyundai Sans UI’ is Hyundai Motor’s first mobility-exclusive font, applied to the infotainment system of every ccNC-applied Hyundai model. It contributes to enhancing the completeness of the infotainment system by providing consistent legibility in any external environment through a harmony of smooth curves and refined straight lines.
“With this intuitive and attractive design, we’ve provided a familiar and comfortable interface for our customers to enhance their overall experience,” said Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President and Head of Infotainment Development Center. “We are proud to offer these award-winning features that truly prioritize the needs and satisfaction of our valued customers.”
inDrive’s Commitment to Driver Welfare, Safety Highlighted at Lagos Roundtable
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has restated his commitment to drive digital transformation in the state, though the Anambra’s Digital Revolution Agenda that is championed by the governor.
Soludo who restated his commitment during a virtual media briefing organised by the Anambra State ICT Agency, said his agenda for 2024 would focus on how to leverage emerging technology to drive government activities for the good of the people.
Soludo, who was represented at the media briefing by the CEO, Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, stressed the importance of collaboration with industry stakeholders in the state to achieve his digital transformation drive in the state.
According to the governor, the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the State are currently in partnership with the ICT Agency towards the establishment of an Internet Exchange Point in the state. The initiative, he said, would focus on improving interconnectivity and reducing the cost of internet access and deepening penetration.
Listing the many achievements of the governor in transforming the state, Agbata said a pilot phase of the Public Wi-Fi (Solution Wi-Fi) was activated at key locations across the state such as Aroma Junction, Book foundation and Unizik Gate, Ifite Awka. This, according to Agbata, marks a significant stride and efforts to extend this public Wi-Fi to various public spaces across the state.
The alleged financial impropriety levelled against the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu.
Let us today reflect on the ongoing saga that is amusing most and upsetting few Nigerans in the second week of January, 2024.
No prize for guessing, it is of course the story around the now investigated and suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu.
On a personal note, I first got the news, before it went public, from someone connected to the embattled suspended minister and the call started with the line “there is fire on the mountain”, yes, my instinct too was to say “run run”, but I did not do so due to the sombre tone of the voice of the caller.
Rather I silently and attentively listened to the caller and digested all that had happened, together we analysed what had been done and went on to project what might happen next.
The conversation with my Betta Edu-connected caller brought back to mind a wish and prayer introduced to me by my late grandma, Abigail Kila. Mama taught me that we should always hope and pray that “anyone whose circumstances will affect our own circumstances should be affected by good only”.
Ignore my caller for now, and just think of all those that were planning to work with Betta Edu as contractors, consultants, vendors, etc. Think of those Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank, and Jaiz Bank whose lives are taking a new turn due to what is happening in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Think of the Minister for Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who on the day he was meant to parade his achievement as “Mr Automated Passport Process” had to explain how he did not influence the money earned by a company he founded and wherein he is a shareholder and how such earning does not benefit him.
Whilst Bettagate is the story of the richest and most powerful members of the society stealing money earmarked for the poorest and weakest amongst us with Betta Edu as the leading character, who comes across as a starlet, the scandal is in reality a mirror of the Nigerian system and it goes beyond Betta Edu.
The money at stake is a lot by all standards, the sector involved and the process are shocking by any measure but what has left me jolted is how many (too many) people in the country are not surprised by Bettagate. For many, it is just business as usual and they in fact saw it coming.
Ibadan based flowery pen and docile member of the League of Nigerian Columnists, Lasisi Olagunji, lead the way of reflection by showing us that corruption in the country is as old as the country itself and it has always been a case of the kettle calling the pot black.
On Tuesday (9th January 2024), I sent out a very informal questionnaire to some contacts online to find out if people thought Dr Betta Edu, as a minister, was unlucky, incompetent, fraudulent or a combination of more of these options. Of all the answers I received, this one from an attentive and very active reader speaks for most: “In my humble opinion, the list of options provided presupposes that Betta Edus behaviour is an anomaly in the Nigerian society. Nigeria is a kakistocracy and a dystopian society where incompetence, fraud and luck are sociocultural values and norms that are highly valued. Betta Edu is the quintessential Nigerian who went to Daddy Oyedepo to prophesy becoming a Minister into her life. Shout out to Peter Obi. Societal norms and values are the standards of conduct and the levels of behaviour to which people aspire. Nigerian leaders, families, communities, religions, public and private corporate organisations have internalised incompetence, fraud and luck as the way to success. This is who we are.
This is Nigeria. Don’t catch Betta Edu slippin’ now/ Betta just wanna party/ Party just for Betta/ Money just for Betta/ Party just for free/ Dance and shake the frame/ Betta just wanna party (yeah). Apologies to Childish Gambinos “This is America”. The Hidden Meanings Behind Childish Gambinos “This Is America” speaks to Betta Edo and Nigerias value system.
In all these and lest we become guilty of what we accuse others of doing, we need to commend President Tinubu for acting swiftly in his decision to suspend Betta Edu and allowing her to be investigated.
To get things right, we need to understand that we have a historical and even systemic problem of corruption, value and incompetence to deal with but unlike others I argue that if we want a society that works, we all need to look at the Bettagate mirror and opt for deciding to consciously change things, for we cannot continue to sin and expect for grace to abound.
Let us be very clear, the change must start from leadership not followership. There needs to be a new elite consensus that agrees that for our system to work for most, diversification and separation are needed in our values, recognition and reward system.
We must pragmatically agree that those that go into business should be the ones to be known as rich, this as their reward for creating wealth and jobs, those who dedicate themselves and their talents to ideas, arts and science should be the ones to get respect as reward for the solutions, knowledge, and joy they give to society, those that go into politics should gain fame and power for keeping the society safe and making sure everyone can learn, trade, love and pray without fear or need to beg, bribe or prostitute their body or mind.
It is important we understand and agree that a system wherein public power, fame, respect and money are or can be concentrated in the hands of any group, be it political, ethnical, professional or religious is a system prone to abuse and oppression.
Yes, we must investigate Betta Edu and similar characters as much as possible, yes, we need to recover as much looted funds as possible but to build a sustainable society we need to look at ourselves in the mirror called Bettagate, such look should make us realise that merchants and thieves will continue to rule if politics gives access to money.
We need to understand that for merchants and thieves to get their way into power, they will buy votes and bribe regulators for what matters to them is money not fairness.
