News
Distinguished Speakers as NCS Int’l Conference “Akure 2015” Begins Today
The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has scheduled prominent IT/ICT experts as speakers at the 12th International Conference “Akure 2015.
The Conference which starts today is intended to provide a forum for Policy Makers, Public and Private Sector, Information Technology Practitioners and the Academia to keep up-to-date with technology trends and to discover opportunities for the private sector in the process of inclusive development and avenues for public-private partnerships towards realizing the IT objectives within the context of Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
The Conference will provide opportunities for the delegates to exchange new ideas, establish business or research relations, and find global partners for future collaborations.
However, confirmed speakers made of up of crème de crème of experts to make presentations on the topics and sub-topics include:
Dr. Anu A. Gokhale – USA
Anu has completed twenty years of university teaching and is currently a professor and coordinator of the computer systems technology program at Illinois State University.
She is Associate Director of the Center for Applied Information Sciences and Technology.
Originally from India, she has a master’s degree in physics‒electronics from the College of William & Mary, and a doctorate from Iowa State University.
Dr. Gokhale presents and publishes her peer-reviewed research, and pursues multi-year projects funded by agencies like the US Department of Education, US Department of State, and National Science Foundation.
The current NSF funded project is in Computing Education for the 21st century.
Dr. Gokhale recently authored a second edition of her book Introduction to Telecommunications, which also has an international edition in Chinese.
She was a Fulbright Scholar in 2001, and was recently honored with the 2011 University Outstanding Researcher Award.
Dr. Gokhale has been invited to speak at various conferences like the 7th International Conference on Information Technology held in Amman, Jordan in May 2015, 2014 International Conference on Control, Robotics, and Cybernetics in Singapore, 2013 International Conference on Advanced Computer Theory and Engineering in Maldives, 2012 International Conference on e-Education, e-Learning, e-Business and e-Technology in Mumbai, 2011 3rd International Conference on Information and Multimedia Technology in Dubai, and 2010 International Conference on Education, Technology and Computer in Shanghai.
She consults for businesses and industries and has delivered multiple workshops and training seminars.
Dr. Gokhale is an active volunteer in IEEE having served in various roles like R4 Educational Activities Chair, Women in Engineering Coordinator, Conference Chair of International Electro / Information Technology 2010 Conference, and MGA representative to the Educational Activities Board.
Her service was honored with the IEEE Third Millennium Medal.
Martin Eigbike – Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP)
Martin is currently the Accenture Development Partnership (ADP) Global Programs Lead for Nigeria & West Africa.
ADP represents a unique model through which Accenture provides its capabilities to support social impact projects in developing countries on a not-for-profit basis.
He is an experienced consultant with extensive international development and public sector experience. Martin’s experience spans health, agri-business, food and nutrition security, financial inclusion and public safety for developing economies.
He has functional expertise in organisational effectiveness for public institutions and has security and has worked on transformation and reform projects at government entities such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), the National Planning Commission, (NPC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He has served on the planning committee of the annual Nigeria Economic Summit (NES) for the past three years.
In addition to his development and public sector experience, he has also advised businesses and institutions across energy, financial services and manufacturing on business strategy development and execution.
Austin Okere – Founder, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG)
Austin is the Founder & CEO, CWG Plc and Entrepreneur in Residence, Columbia Business School, New York.
He is a member of the World Economic Forum Business Council on Global Growth Companies, as well as Business Council on Innovation and Intrapreneurship.
He serves on the Board of the National Competiveness Council of Nigeria and Initiative for Global Development, a Washington based nonprofit organization that drives poverty reduction by catalyzing business growth and investment in the developing world.
Austin Okere was named ICT Personality of the year 2014 by the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS, of which he is a Fellow), ICT Man of the Decade by ICT Watch Africa Digital Network in 2012; ICT Personality of the year by Technology Africa in 2010; and most outstanding ICT Personality of the Decade by ICT Watch Africa in 2010. His interests include mentoring and inspiring young people to achieve their full potential.
His Company CWG Plc is a Pan-African Multination Systems Integrator with operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon with annual turnover of about $130m and 650 employees across the Group.
The company provides technology solutions that enable growth with aspiration to be the number one platform service provider in Africa by 2020.
Tope S. Aladenusi – Partner, Deloitte Nigeria
Tope is currently a Partner at Deloitte Nigeria and has provided technology assurance and advisory services to over 30% of the companies quoted on The Nigerian Stock Exchange and 85% of the commercial banks in Nigeria.
He has served 75% of the GSM companies in Nigeria, several multinational manufacturing, oil and gas companies as well as government institutions.
He has worked in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, South Africa and the UK and has also serviced clients in 16 countries.
Tope currently leads the largest team of cyber security consultants in Nigeria.
He is the President of Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA) Lagos Nigeria, the local arm of ISACA which is established in over 80 countries.
Tope has published several technical papers on IT Governance and Cyber Security in the dailies and also delivered keynote addresses in 6 countries.
Dr. Johnson Iyilade – Canada
Johnson is a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada where he specializes in User Modeling and Personalization using Big Data and Predictive Analytics.
He is also the founder and CEO of Glomacs IT Solutions and Services Inc., a Canada-based IT Research and Development Corporation whose goal is to develop innovative data-driven software products and offer technical consulting services which empower individuals, businesses, organizations and government to leverage and generate value from Big Data and Cloud technologies.
Dr Iyilade obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria.
He also had a PhD in Computer Science with specialization in Cloud-based Services Provisioning from University of Zululand, South Africa.
Currently, he is rounding up a second Ph.D programme in the area of Big Data and Predictive Analytics at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
He is a sought-after speaker, technical contributor and consultant to businesses in North America in the areas of Big Data, User Modeling, Personalization, Business Intelligence, Predictive Analytics, Web Search, Online Recommendation, Cloud Computing and Data Privacy.
He currently resides in Canada with his wife and children.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) have initiated coordinated measures to strengthen cybersecurity following recent concerns affecting aspects of CAC’s digital systems.
Both agencies said they have activated response and assurance mechanisms in line with national cybersecurity frameworks to safeguard critical infrastructure and maintain service integrity.
NITDA reiterated that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must adopt proactive cybersecurity measures in compliance with the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2021.
The agency directed all MDAs to immediately review and reinforce their cybersecurity architecture to address emerging threats targeting government systems and sensitive data.
As part of the directive, MDAs are required to conduct comprehensive security assessments, remediate identified vulnerabilities, and strengthen access controls across critical platforms.
They are also expected to enhance data protection mechanisms, maintain effective backup and disaster recovery systems, and improve monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to suspicious activities.
In addition, there is the need for functional incident response frameworks, including prompt reporting of cybersecurity breaches for coordinated intervention.
Detailed cybersecurity guidelines have already been issued to MDAs for implementation as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen resilience across public sector digital infrastructure.
The measures are aimed at improving the overall security posture of government institutions and ensuring the continued protection of national digital assets.
NITDA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting government agencies in safeguarding digital systems and advancing cybersecurity best practices across the public sector.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has rolled out an artificial intelligence (AI) driven capacity-building programme to improve revenue generation and reconciliation across its operations.
The initiative, unveiled during a three-day training event in Abuja, aims to transition the agency toward data-driven administration as Nigeria seeks to boost non-oil revenue.
The adoption of AI will enable the service to better manage complex trade systems, detect anomalies and reduce revenue leakages, says Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, comptroller-general of the NCS.
AI-powered tools are already being integrated into risk management and cargo scanning systems to allow for real-time analysis of trade patterns.
The technology marks a transition from manual, reactive processes to predictive and automated decision-making, Adeniyi adds.
The programme also reflects a shift in the relationship between the NCS and the National Assembly toward a collaborative framework focused on transparency and efficiency.
The training is a strategic intervention to address persistent gaps in revenue management, says Kikelomo Adeola, deputy comptroller-general of the NCS.
AI applications, ranging from automated data analysis to predictive intelligence, will significantly enhance the integrity of public financial systems, she says.
The initiative aligns with broader efforts to modernise governance and improve compliance across revenue-generating agencies, says Bamidele Salam, chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee.
Lawmakers and fiscal authorities at the event underscored the urgency of adopting advanced technologies amid rising budgetary pressures.
This move comes as the federal government increases scrutiny over revenue leakages and audit discrepancies.
The partnership between the NCS and the legislature is critical to strengthening fiscal discipline and ensuring all revenue due to the federation is accurately captured, Adeniyi concludes.
Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen its social protection framework with a fresh push to update the state’s Single Social Register.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor, Lagos
This was contained in a press statement on the government’s Facebook page on Wednesday.
The initiative, led by the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, formed the focus of a strategic engagement held on Monday with Community-Based Targeting teams, local government coordinators and field enumerators across the state’s 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas.
The meeting, themed “Closing the Gap: Accelerating Lagos State Single Social Register Update,” took place at the Radio Lagos Multipurpose Hall in Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Officials said the exercise is aimed at improving the accuracy and reach of the register, which serves as a critical tool for planning and delivering targeted social interventions, including financial support, healthcare and education services.
Speaking at the session, Ope George, commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, commended field workers for their commitment while urging them to scale up their efforts.
He called on participants to be “more intentional by intensifying their commitment,” reaffirming the government’s resolve to “continuously strengthen and refine the Register to reflect evolving realities.”
Also speaking, Olayinka Ojo, permanent secretary in the ministry, described the register as central to effective governance and service delivery.
She said “it remains a cornerstone for effective planning and delivery of social intervention programmes,” adding that the ongoing update is designed to “further enhance data reliability, coordination, and service delivery outcomes.”
Ojo noted that sensitisation efforts would be expanded across all councils to ensure wider inclusion of residents, stating that “the advocacy and sensitisation will scale throughout the 57 LGAs and LCDA to give more to Lagos residents.”
According to the government, the updated register is expected to expand access to social protection programmes and improve the targeting of interventions for the most vulnerable populations.
The engagement also provided a platform for stakeholders to strengthen collaboration, improve data quality and reinforce transparency in grassroots data collection.
The state government reiterated its commitment to leveraging accurate data and partnerships to drive inclusive development, reduce vulnerability and improve living standards across Lagos.
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