News

‘How Nigeria Can Achieve N10 Trillion Revenue From Knowledge Assets’

Published

4 weeks ago

March 29, 2024

Stakeholders, including government officials and experts, have outlined a bold vision for Nigeria’s economic future, aiming to achieve N10 trillion in revenue from knowledge assets.

At the end of a summit convened by Research for Impact, Knowledge-Economy, and Sustainable Development (RIKE-SD), and organized by the West and Central Africa Research and Education Network (WACREN) in Abuja on Thursday, discussions centred on the pivotal role of research, development, and innovation in driving economic growth and prosperity.

Abike Dabiri, Chairperson of the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), emphasized the importance of leveraging Nigeria’s intellectual capital.

She said, “Without data, without research, without developments, we cannot grow. Mr. President himself has stressed the need for research, development, and innovation.

“You need to grow, and you cannot grow without research and innovation. We have a wealth of talent, and what we aim to do with this group is to collaborate with the diaspora community to harness that talent and the enormous resources we possess as Nigerians.

“Our greatest asset is not even the oil, but the talent and resources we have at our disposal.”

Similarly, Prof. Elias Bogoro, former Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), highlighted the centrality of research in a knowledge economy, pointing out Nigeria’s robust government support for fostering research and innovation.

He stated, “When we talk about a knowledge economy, research is at the core. Nigeria is no exception. The government recognizes this and demonstrates strong involvement, facilitation, and support through the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, as well as the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.”

Former Director General of the Defence Research and Development Bureau, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Jomo Osahor (retd), emphasized the importance of creativity and independence in research, stating, “Research and development are essential for the growth of every nation because it requires creativity and innovation. Relying solely on foreign ideas is not necessary.”

Mustapha Popoola, Executive Director of RIKE-SD, emphasized the significance of institutionalizing research, development, and innovation across sectors.

He outlined plans to launch a coordination platform for Research, Development, and Innovation in Nigeria.

He explained, “Just like what happens in other countries when there are presidential pronouncements, it is not a matter of waiting to be asked to act.

“Mr. President, in his wisdom, has emphasized the need for us to institutionalize research, development, and innovation across the board.

“Therefore, our primary goal is to effectively utilize the development innovation toolkit to analyze the presidential priority areas, which amount to eight key focus areas.

“When we engage think tanks, they analyze the situation scientifically and socially, using various methods to determine the optimal solution.

“So, when we discuss generating an additional N10 trillion in revenue for Nigeria through knowledge assets, research outcomes, innovation, and foreign direct investment facilitated by RDI platforms that we are collaboratively developing.”

The summit, supported by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), UK, aimed to strategize on leveraging Nigeria’s intellectual capital for economic growth.

News

LG Poll: Voter Apathy As Makinde Votes In Ibadan

Published

25 mins ago

April 27, 2024

Editor

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Saturday, urged residents of the state to come out en-masse to perform their civic responsibility in the ongoing Local Government election.

Our correspondent, who monitored the election, observed that eligible voters refused to come out to participate in the ongoing election.

The governor made this appeal while speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote at Ward 1, Unit 11 in the Ibadan North East Local Government Area of the state.

Makinde reminded them of the need to take part in choosing their leaders.

He, therefore, appealed to residents to come out to exercise their civic responsibilities.

The ongoing local government election is expected to end by 3:pm.

Details later…

News

Late Actor, Junior Pope’s Funeral Arrangement Released

Published

34 mins ago

April 27, 2024

Editor

The funeral arrangement of late actor, Junior Pope has been released.

Recall that the actor drowned on April 10 along with four crew members, while travelling by water for filmmaker Adanma Luke’s film “The Other Side of Life”.

According to Junior Pope’s family, the actor will be buried on May 17th at his hometown in Nsukka, Enugu state.

News

Yahaya Bello: Abuja American School Refunds $760,000 To EFCC

Published

2 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confirmed the receipt of the refund of $760,000 paid as advanced school fees by a former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello for his children at the American International School, Abuja.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the development to our correspondent in Abuja on Friday.

“The school has refunded the entire $ 760, 000 to the EFCC’s recovery account,” he said.

Earlier, the American International School of Abuja had asked the EFCC to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the former governor.

Bello allegedly paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.

The children are in Grade Levels 2 to 8 at the school.

On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

While the operatives were at the house, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.

In a letter addressed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date.”

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

It added, “Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 in tuition and other fees have been deposited into our bank account.

“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84.

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

The school said it would draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there were any further deposits by the Bello family.

In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said, “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School.”

The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, had earlier revealed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.
Olukoyede revealed this during an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.

“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”