NGR News
NEMA Distributes Relief Materials To Ogun Flood Victims With Daniel’s Support
Following the intervention of a former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba (Engr.) Gbenga Daniel, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has released relief items for distribution to victims and persons recently ravaged by flood in the Remo and Ijebu areas of Ogun East Senatorial District.
Lawmakers Enhances Security Expertise With Training At DCAF Geneva Centre
As part of efforts towards keeping Nigeria and Nigerians safe, some selected Federal Lawmakers take Lessons on Security Sector Governance at DCAF: Geneva Centre For Security Sector Governance www.dcaf.ch, Switzerland.
Led by distinguished figures such as His Excellency, The Senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, and Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Defence. The delegation aimed to deepen their understanding of governance principles within the security sector.
In a decisive operation Saturday, November 18, 2023, Ogun State Police apprehended two notorious cultists, Oduyiga Seyi Samson and Gbenga Adegoke, members of the Buccaneer and Eiye confraternity.
The police emphasize their commitment to upholding fundamental human rights laws, with strict adherence to protocols that prohibit cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of suspects.
Appeal Court Judgement: Conviction That Hope For True Justice Is Sure-PDP
Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has received the Appeal Court Judgement on Ogun State Governorship election on Friday in Lagos with joy, stating that due to Justice Jane Inyang’s meticulous consideration of the appeal, true justice is certain and the hope of reclaiming the mandate of the good people of Ogun state is drawing nearer.
The Director of Media, Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organization, Mr. Afolabi Orekoya in a statement said Hon. Justice Inyang’s commitment to resolving issues in accordance with the rule of law stands out.
Rite Foods Partners UNILAG, NYSC To Rid Lagos Shoreline Of Plastic Waste
Rite Foods Limited, renowned for its commitment to eco-friendly initiatives, has joined forces with students of the University of Lagos and Nigerian Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in a groundbreaking environmental protection program.
This initiative, a cornerstone of Rite Foods’ award-winning environmental sustainability partnership with Popbeach, RiteontheBeach, aims to combat ocean plastic pollution, improve literacy, and create employment opportunities by facilitating the exchange of waste plastic for education scholarships.
The company’s ongoing dedication to clearing plastic waste from Lagos’ coastal communities aims for a more habitable and greener environment.
Recently, Rite Foods Limited supported the “Residency” environmental project by Lagos Eco-Resort’s Popbeach Club, themed “Future Proof – How do you secure the Future?” The third edition of this year’s “Residency” commenced with a symposium featuring insights from Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, shedding light on the state’s environmental laws and their implications.
Highlighting the significance of the Ilashe clean-up project, Mr. Adedotun Ajibade, Rite Foods Limited’s Media and Insights Manager, emphasised its pivotal role in fostering a healthier environment and preserving Ilashe Beach as a critical tourist destination. He stressed the importance of recycling collected plastics, stating its impact on job creation and preventing these materials from threatening aquatic life in the ocean.
Founder of Popbeach Club, Mr. Akin Disu, highlighted the success of this year’s ‘Residency’ scheme, wherein participants designed beach combing aids from locally available materials for efficient plastic collection. Additionally, the collaboration with the Lekki Bird Club recorded local fish species and birdlife, enriching the project’s ecological impact.
“Through the ‘Residency initiative’, we’ve removed 150,000 PET bottles from Ilashe and Ibeshe beaches, offering jobs and scholarships to locals. This has spurred a community-based cleaning scheme in Tarkwa Bay, furthering our impact,” Mr. Disu explained.
Commending Rite Foods Limited for its beach cleaning and ecological conservation efforts, students and NYSC members praised the company’s customer-centric approach and lauded its steadfast sustainability plan.
Rite Foods Limited, a prominent figure in the food and beverage industry has an unwavering commitment to environmental conservation which remains a top priority alongside its product achievement.
By Lekan Olofinsusi
NOPRIN Condemns Clash Between Police, Army, Calls For Transparent Investigation
The Network On Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) has vehemently condemned the violent altercation that occurred between the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army.
The incident took place on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at the headquarters of the Adamawa State Police Command in Yola.
The NOPRIN Foundation, through a statement signed by its Programme Officer, Precious Osinaku, expressed deep concern over the event, emphasizing that such clashes undermine the foundations of a stable society.
The NOPRIN statement strongly condemns the confrontation, which resulted in a breakdown of law and order, along with the alleged death of a Police Inspector. It highlights the detrimental impact of such incidents on public trust in the nation’s security institutions, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation into the root causes of the clash.
The foundation calls for accountability, urging both the police and military authorities to collaborate transparently in resolving the matter and preventing any recurrence. It stresses the importance of prioritizing the safety and well-being of citizens and emphasizes the need for unity and cooperation among law enforcement agencies, especially in turbulent times.
In the wake of this unfortunate event, NOPRIN Foundation appeals to all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue.
The network, consisting of 53 Civil Society Organizations across Nigeria, is committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights. As advocates for positive change, NOPRIN emphasizes the necessity of finding lasting solutions to prevent similar incidents in the future, underscoring the importance of a cohesive and responsible approach to law enforcement for the overall well-being of the community.
By Fikunmi Sokoya
Zenith Bank Wraps Up 2023 Tech Fair, Rewards Talents With Generous Cash Prizes
The Third Edition of the Zenith Bank Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 3.0”, which was held on November 23-24, 2023, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos has concluded.
From the over 500 contestants that participated in the Zenith Hackathon (Zecathon), Sync, a team collaboration and workflow management platform that provides synergy, enables project management, task planning, messaging, payments, scheduling and people operations, emerged as the overall winner, taking home the grand prize of N20 million.
This is in addition to a mentorship programme with Seedstars, a company dedicated to implementing high-quality capacity-building programmes for entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
The first runner-up, Skill Up With Kahdsole (SUWK), a social-tech startup that provides an end-to-end platform for learning technical and vocational skills to empower young people, won #15 million and a mentorship programme with Seedstars, while the second runner-up, Tribapay, a payment processing gateway that allows for cross-border payments and transactions in Nigeria and Ghana, won #10 million as well as a mentorship programme with Seedstars.
Other finalists who took home #2 million each include Edupoint, Joovlin, Frootify, Izesan Limited, Natal Cares, Plychain.io, and Niteon.
In his welcome address at the Zenith Bank flagship Tech Fair, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, expressed his excitement for this year’s Hackathon, stating that it was indeed the high point of the overall event. According to him, Zenith Bank deliberately kept the best for the last.
“The high point of today’s event is the Hackathon. This is where we have the opportunity to see the immense creativity and talent in our youth as they come up with different innovative ideas. The good thing about the Hackathon is that the pitches you see presented are completely different from the ones we have seen before and we intend to make it far more elaborate as we hope that as we go into the future, we should be able to bring back winners where they can tell the audience their journey and how they have progressed so far.” Dr. Onyeagwu stated.
The two-day Zenith Bank Tech Fair which was described as a huge success by participants, featured presentations on the leading technological innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Contactless Payments, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, FinTech, Data Analytics, Financial Intelligence, and communication technologies, with the keynote address,” “Artificial Intelligence – Application & Bias “, delivered by Chris Lu, the renowned IT Specialist, business strategist and Managing Director for Huawei Technologies, Nigeria.
The event also featured a welcome address by Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman of Body of Banks’ CEOs, Nigeria, and a goodwill messages by the Honourable Minister of Communication, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani and Dr. Doris Anite, Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment (represented by Dr. Femi Adeluyi, National Coordinator for the National Talent Programme).
Other eminent IT practitioners from top global brands who also made presentations include Demola Sanusi, Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services; Temitope Aladenusi, Partner & Leader Cybersecurity, Deloitte; Andrew Uaboi, Vice President/Cluster Head, Visa West Africa; Dr. Blaise Ijebor, Director of Risk Management, CBN; Keelan Singh, Head, UiPath EMEA Banking and Financial Services; Shweta Juneja, Partner, McKinsey Digital; Wole Odeleye, Financial Services Technology Lead, Microsoft; Ope Ajayi, Founder & CEO, Cinemax; Elo Umeh, and Managing Director of Terragon.
The Zenith Tech fair featured two panel sessions. The first panel, which examined “The next frontier: Digital Wallets, Contactless payments and BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later)”, had Chris Lu as the host, with five discussants, including Fey Wong, Country Director, Palmpay; Premier Oiwoh, Managing Director, NIBSS; Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Verve; Ebehijie Momoh, Country Manager, MasterCard, and Managing Director of Network International, Adelola Agbebiyi.
The second panel explored the theme “The intersection of Fintech, eCommerce and SMEs – Collaboration for growth”. It was hosted by John Obidi and had five discussants, including Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, Chief Executive Officer, Konga; Tunde Kehinde, Managing Director, Lydia; Stan Martins, Regional Director, Meta; John Obaro, Chief Executive Officer, Systemspecs, and Seyi Banigbe, Founder of Bland2Glam.
By Augustine Idoje
Union Bank Partners UGEAP To Propel Renewable Energy Market In Nigeria
Luxembourg based Universal Green Energy Access Programme (UGEAP), and Union Bank of Nigeria have formalised the basis for a strategic partnership to catalyse the development of the renewable energy market in Nigeria.
The Third Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, tagged “Future Forward 3.0”, is set to be held on Wednesday, November 22 and Thursday, November 23, 2023, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. daily.
The Two-Day Zenith Tech fair will showcase leading technology innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Contactless Payments, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, FinTech, Data Analytics, Financial Intelligence, and communication technologies. The event will feature pitch sessions to identify innovative startups, panel discussions, masterclasses and exhibitions.
Among the plethora of events lined up, the zenith Tech event will feature a welcome address by Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank and opening remarks by Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman, Body of Banks’ CEOs, Nigeria, and Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, Deputy Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc.
There will also be a goodwill message by the Honourable Minister of Communication, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani and a presentation by Dr. Doris Anite, Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, amongst others. There will be a keynote address, “Artificial Intelligence – Application & Bias “, which will be delivered by Chris Lu, a renowned IT Specialist, business strategist and Managing Director for Huawei Technologies, Nigeria at the ZenithTech Fair.
Other prominent IT practitioners who represent top global brands will make presentations. These include Demola Sanusi, Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services; Temitope Aladenusi, Partner & Leader Cybersecurity, Deloitte; Andrew Uaboi, Vice President/Cluster Head, Visa West Africa; Dr. Blaise Ijebor, Director of Risk Management, CBN; Keelan Singh, Head, UiPath EMEA Banking and Financial Services; Shweta Juneja, Partner, McKinsey Digital; Wole Odeleye, Financial Services Technology Lead, Microsoft; Ope Ajayi, Founder & CEO, Cinemax; Elo Umeh, Managing Director of Terragon.
Zenith Tech fair will also feature two-panel discussions that will holistically explore the growth prospects for digital payments technology in an ever-growing financial landscape. The first panel which will examine “The next frontier: Digital Wallets, Contactless payments and BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later)”, has Chris Lu as the host, with five discussants, including Fey Wong, Country Director, Palmpay; Premier Oiwoh, Managing Director, NIBSS; Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Verve; Ebehijie Momoh, Country Manager, MasterCard, and Managing Director of Network International, Adelola Agbebiyi.
The second panel will explore the theme “The intersection of Fintech, eCommerce and SMEs – Collaboration for growth”. It will be hosted by John Obidi and has five discussants, including Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, Chief Executive Officer, Konga; Tunde Kehinde, Managing Director, Lydia; Stan Martins, Regional Director, Meta; John Obaro, Chief Executive Officer, SystemSpecs, and Seyi Banigbe, Founder of Bland2Glam.
The first edition of the Zenith Tech Fair was held on November 27, 2019, at the Landmark Events Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Tagged ‘Future Forward,’ the fair featured a hackathon that produced ten winners, including Octave Analytics Limited, who won the grand prize of N10m. The second edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, which was held on November 22 and 23, 2022, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme “Future Forward 2.0” also featured a hackathon which produced ten finalists with the 1st place winner, Ecotutu – a cleantech company making cooling affordable and accessible for businesses, carting home N20 million.
To register and participate, visit www.zenithbank.com/techfair. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email. The fair will be live on Zoom for participation and streamed on the bank’s social media pages, including YouTube.
By Fikunmi Sokoya