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NOUN to Benefit from NCC’s Education Grants
The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) says the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) will benefit from its education grants for tertiary institutions in the country.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC gave the assurance in Abuja on Thursday when a delegation from NOUN visited him in his office to explore ways of collaborating with the commission.
Mr Ephraim Nwokenneya, Director, Research and Development, NCC, who represented the Executive Vice Chairman, said the grants were part of the commission’s strategy to encourage Nigerian students in their studies.
He said about 11 universities from various parts of the country would benefit from the education research grants.
“Even though there are researchers in those universities who are conducting the research, the grants are given to the universities so that they can be able to moderate what happens.
“It underscores the current focus of NCC which is setting up framework to collaborate with the academia and seeing how we can deepen growth in the industry.
“NOUN is going to tap from the rich knowledge resource the commission has on ICT, they will also get possible research grants on some issues that will be of mutual benefit to NCC and NOUN as well as the Nigerian public.
“This is because the commission recognises the need that we can deepen growth, facilitate innovations in the industry through research and because there are a lot of resources that abound in tertiary institutions in the country.
“So, what we have done is to facilitate research with the academia. We have received a lot of proposals from the universities; we have evaluated and selected for grants those that are of paramount interest to our current focus.
“Each of those research proposals has got a prototype from which we can work to commercialise them for the benefit of the industry,” Danbatta said.
NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, who was represented by Prof. Nebath Tanglang, said the university was working to enhance learning through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
This, the VC said, would be achieved through the World Bank funded African Centre of Excellence and Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL). He also said that plans have been concluded to ensure women participated in the programme.
“This is a World Bank sponsored project and World Bank is always interested in issue of gender particularly in this programme, and one of the things we try to do is to ensure that each of the programme we run whether on research or other programmes, there must be space for women.
“We realised that what they do at NCC is almost what we do at NOUN and the purpose of our coming is to collaborate with them.
“At the African Centre of Excellence and Technology Enhanced Learning, we are going to run post graduate programmes on artificial intelligence, cloud computing as well as research.
“We are glad that even at NCC, there are component of research and we are going to leverage on that especially in the area of telecom research.
“We are glad that they are willing to collaborate with us and by the time we finish the arrangement of the collaboration, I know that the programme will take off in full,” Prof. Adamu said.
Prof. Grace Jokthan, Director ACETEL, explained that NOUN cannot make programme in using technology to deliver education without working with NCC.
She noted that ACETEL was deploying education using multimedia format and conferencing, to ensure students have access to things that otherwise they would not be able to do.
“We want to use the ICT sector to be able to engage in the education service delivery,” she added.
By Oluwole Alao
Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has pledged the Agency’s full support for the Corporate Affairs Commission’s (CAC) artificial intelligence–driven transformation as the Commission marked its 35th anniversary in Abuja.
Delivering a goodwill message at the celebration, which was held at the Ladi Kwali hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel, Inuwa commended CAC for its uncommon consistency and resilience, noting that while many organisations rise and fall after initial success, CAC has continued on a steady growth trajectory.
“We know organisations go up and come down, but some will keep thriving, thriving, and thriving, and today, this is what we are witnessing for CAC,” he said.
Reflecting on his early engagement with the Commission, the NITDA boss recalled that the Registrar General made organisational transformation a priority from the very start of his leadership, particularly in embracing digital innovation.
According to Inuwa, the current era demands more than basic digitisation, stressing that meaningful transformation can only be achieved through the integration of artificial intelligence into core operations.
“We are in the AI era, and the only way to transform today is to embrace and integrate AI into your operations. This is exactly what the Registrar General is doing,” he stated.
He assured CAC of NITDA’s commitment to working closely with the Commission to embed AI across its numerous processes, explaining that the technology would infuse intelligence into workflows, simplify company registration and business management, and strengthen cybersecurity.
“We will make sure you integrate AI into CAC processes. With AI, it will infuse intelligence in everything you do and make things easy for Nigerians to register companies and manage businesses,” Inuwa averred.
The NITDA DG added that deploying advanced AI tools would help CAC staff stay ahead of fraudsters and curb hacking and fraudulent alterations of company records, while also safeguarding the system through responsible deployment.
“At NITDA, we will make sure you deploy ethical and responsible AI in your operations, with the right guardrails in place,” he assured.
He further described CAC’s digital reforms as bold and impactful, noting that the Commission has reduced company registration timelines from several months to as little as 24 hours. He added that further integration of AI would enhance name search and reservation, automate filings, improve corporate governance, and significantly reduce fraud.
He also highlighted NITDA’s ongoing role in reviewing CAC’s digital and AI transformation roadmaps, providing guidelines, standards, training support, and safeguards to ensure sustainable, people-centred, and secure digital services.
The NITDA DG congratulated CAC management, staff, and members of the National Assembly for their support, expressing confidence that the partnership would further strengthen Nigeria’s digital business environment in the years ahead.
The United States has warned Nigerians that overstaying their visas could jeopardise travel opportunities for other citizens seeking to visit the US for education, business, or family purposes.
The warning came amid ongoing immigration crackdowns and tighter travel restrictions under the administration of President Donald Trump.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, Feb. 9, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria stressed that compliance with visa rules is essential to protecting access for Nigerians who travel responsibly.
“Visa overstays by Nigerian travellers can affect opportunities for their fellow citizens,” the Mission said. “Strengthening compliance helps protect access for students, business travellers and families who travel responsibly.”
The Mission also urged Nigerians to report cases of visa fraud to [email protected] or [email protected]
Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has urged creation of a unified national beneficial ownership register to bolster anti-corruption efforts and corporate transparency.
CAC
CAC Registrar-General highlighted how fragmented sectoral registers breed duplication, inconsistencies, and regulatory gaps during the Commission’s 35th anniversary Anti-Corruption Day in Abuja.
ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Aliyu, via representative Demola Bakare, praised CAC’s role in fostering accountable business environments that drive sustainable growth.
Global evidence links transparent institutions to stronger economies, with clear rules, accessible data, and open operations as key pillars.
CAC’s oversight on company registration, disclosure, and compliance directly builds investor trust and national integrity, closing avenues for illicit financial flows.
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