News
ABU Commends MTN Foundation
Top academics and principal officers of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, have showered encomiums on the MTN Foundation, the vehicle for MTN’s corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Prof. B.A. Raji, dean of Students’ Affairs and Prof. Zakari Mohammed, the institution’s librarian, both commended the Foundation’s UniversitiesConnect project, which is facilitating students’ access to research resources around the world.
The two university dons gave the commendation recently while speaking at an interactive forum organised by the MTN Foundation to enrich the knowledge of the students of ABU on telecommunication services and equip them with the skills that they require to fully utilize the digital library it had donated to the institution.
They also noted that the digital library has provided a platform for the students of the institution and their lecturers to compete favourably with their peers in other parts of the world in academic research.
ABU Zaria is one of the three beneficiaries of digital libraries, each equipped with 128 networked computers, broadband internet access, three servers, two high capacity printers and a 100KVA generating set. The digital library is linked to over 5,500 virtual libraries across the globe and cover courses from Arts to Law, Medicine, Architecture and Education, among other fields.
The two other institutions, which have benefitted from the UniversityConnect project, are the University of Lagos and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Efforts are ongoing to incorporate other universities into the project.
“We owe a lot of gratitude to the MTN Foundation for this laudable initiative,” said Professor Raji, who urged the students and lecturers to get the best out of the facilities.
Professor Muhammed said the facilities will help develop research skills among students and lecturers especially in view of the dearth of physical books in most of the country’s institutions, while urging more corporate bodies to take interest in the future of Nigerian youths and contribute their quota to ensuring that they turn out well.
Hundreds of students attended the interactive session with many of whom made numerous enquiries from members of MTN staff present and expressed their gratitude for the facilities provided by the company.
“I think this is a very laudable programme by MTN and one that can significantly change the course of one’s life positively. I mean, I can just stay within this digital library and source for relevant information from across the world for any academic work that I am doing. I think that is really cool,” said Ghandu Praise, a final year student of the Department of Sociology.
He urged the company to take the programme to other institutions so that more Nigerian youths can benefit.
“The future of our youths should be our concern because it is invariably the future of our nation,” says Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, Corporate Services executive, MTN Nigeria. “We are happy to contribute to building a greater nation through the education and careful nurturing of our youth.”
News
Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
News
President Tinubu Appoints Jim Ovia as Student Loan Fund Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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