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Akwa Ibom: An Emerging Miracle State –Ekeh, Zinox Boss

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Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman, Zinox Group
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Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman, Zinox Group has described Akwa Ibom as a miracle state, even as he heaped praises on the current administration of Gov. Udom Emmanuel.

 

Ekeh made this disclosure while addressing guests at the 1st Akwa Ibom Education Summit and Exhibitions hosted by the state government.

 

The two-day event was hosted at the MbohoMkparawa Ibibio Hall, Uyo on September 5th and 6th, 2019.

 

Ekeh affirmed that the unique peculiarities of the state and the leadership records of Gov. Emmanuel were solid distinguishing factors.

 

“Akwa Ibom is a unique state. It is rare to find a state blessed with so much natural and human resources and on top of it, you have a governor who has seen it all in the corporate sector.

 

“Furthermore, the quality of the men and women that make up the State Executive Council is further proof of this.

 

“Indeed, the appointment of sound technocrats like the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, by the governor further demonstrates his courage and confidence in the direction he wishes to take the state.

 

“If you consider the various indices, it is fair to say that Akwa Ibom is an emerging miracle state.

 

“The average Akwa Ibom native is a humble, service-oriented person. These qualities make the state a fertile ground for potential investors and other customer-facing organizations and business units.

 

The serial digital entrepreneur, who spoke on the topic – Impact of Technology on Education – urged the governor to set up a digital resource centre that will re-train teachers and fresh graduates.

 

“You need to build a digital culture but you cannot teach what you do not know. The first process in digital education is to empower those who can deliver it to do so.

 

“This resource centre will double as a finishing school that will equip beneficiaries for the 21st Century. With this in place, I can get superior brains to deliver sessions from their various locations around the world via Telepresence at no cost to the state government. The people need to see the global picture,” he enthused.

Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom State and other dignitaries at the event

 

Additionally, Ekeh announced a special programme for Akwa Ibom indigenes. The programme will run from Monday September 23rd till Friday, October 4th 2019 and will afford participants a rare opportunity to acquire various digital tools and devices at highly subsidized rates.

 

Meanwhile, Ekeh showered encomiums on the Akwa Ibom governor, Emmanuel. The governor was at the venue of the event right from commencement at 10am until 6pm when the day’s event came to an end on Thursday.

 

“This demonstrates the hunger, stamina and capacity of the governor and his determination to get things right. With a man like Udom in charge, Akwa Ibom does not need the Federal Government to survive.

 

“When you have a man that is humble, willing to work and spiritually close to God, the results will be a resounding success.

 

“Also, I see sanity in the state, even on my way to the venue. There is also the neatness that the state is famous. However, these ideals must be sustained.”

 

Also speaking at the event, Governor Udom Emmanuel expressed gratitude to Ekeh for his attendance at the event.

 

He disclosed that he would work closely with the Zinox boss on the recruitment drive which the latter had revealed he would undertake in the state.

 

With the theme – Human Capacity Development for Sustainable Transformation of Persons and Society – the well-attended summit attracted corporate egg-heads, dignitaries from the public service and stakeholders from the educational sector.

 

The event sought to provide a platform for teachers, principals, policy-makers, education officials, parents and students to consider how to move the educational system closer to the ideal of giving every Akwa Ibom child an equal chance to succeed.

 

Further, the summit provided opportunities for networking, sharing of ideas and collaborations on how to address localized issues and concerns.

 

Among the dignitaries in attendance was the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Nse Essien; Executive Vice-Chairman, Exxon Mobil PLC, UdomInoyo; Managing Director, Cyber-Space Ltd., Engr. Joe Onwubuya; Vice-Chancellor, RITMAN University, Ikot-Ekpene, Prof. Celestine Ntuen; Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Maria Ikorok; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), RootHub Innovation, Mr. Tony Onuk, among many others.

 

 

 

 

 


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Trump Threatens More Strikes in Nigeria

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President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could carry out further military strikes in Nigeria if Christians continue to be killed, reigniting a sensitive debate over religious violence and foreign intervention in Africa’s most populous nation.

Trump Threatens More Strikes in Nigeria

President Donald Trump

Trump made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times, published on Thursday, while responding to questions about a US military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day.

At the time, the US military said the operation targeted Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria and was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.

Nigeria, however, described the operation as a joint counterterrorism effort, stressing that it was aimed at armed groups designated as terrorists and “had nothing to do with a particular religion”.

“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump was quoted as saying. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”

Pressed on comments by his own Africa adviser that extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims but insisted that Christians were being targeted disproportionately.

“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly raised alarms about the safety of Christians in Nigeria, beginning in late October when he warned that Christianity faced what he described as an “existential threat” in the country. He has accused Nigerian authorities of failing to adequately protect Christian communities and has openly threatened US military intervention if the violence continues.

Nigeria has firmly rejected claims of systematic persecution of Christians. The government maintains that the country’s security challenges are complex and largely driven by insurgency, banditry and criminal violence rather than religious targeting.

With a population of more than 230 million people, Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Christians, who are concentrated mainly in the south, and Muslims, who predominate in the north. Islamist insurgencies, particularly Boko Haram and its offshoots, have plagued parts of northern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands and displacing millions.

Nigerian authorities have repeatedly pointed out that militant attacks have claimed the lives of both Muslims and Christians, arguing that framing the violence along religious lines oversimplifies the crisis and risks inflaming tensions.

Following Trump’s earlier threats, the Nigerian government said it was willing to continue cooperating with Washington in combating terrorism but rejected language suggesting that Christians alone were under threat.

The latest comments are likely to strain diplomatic relations further, as Nigeria balances its partnership with the United States against concerns over sovereignty, security cooperation and the portrayal of its internal conflicts on the global stage.


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OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health

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OpenAI maker of ChatGPT is rolling out a health-focused feature to the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that’s used by nearly a billion users.

Named ChatGPT Health, the new feature aims to provide users with health and wellness information. This, as health is one of the most common ways people use ChatGPT, according to OpenAI.

In a blog post, Microsoft-backed OpenAI says de-identified analysis of conversations show that over 230 million people globally ask health and wellness-related questions on ChatGPT every week.

ChatGPT Health will also “securely” connect medical records and wellness apps to ground conversations with a user’s own health information, making responses more relevant and useful.

“Designed in close collaboration with physicians, ChatGPT Health helps people take a more active role in understanding and managing their health and wellness – while supporting, not replacing, care from clinicians.”

According to OpenAI, health information is often scattered across portals, apps, wearables, PDFs, and medical notes making it hard to see the full picture, and people are left to navigate a complex healthcare system on their own.

“ChatGPT Health builds on these so responses are informed by your health information and context. You can now securely connect medical records and wellness apps – like Apple Health, Function, and MyFitnessPal – so ChatGPT can help you understand recent test results, prepare for appointments with your doctor, get advice on how to approach your diet and workout routine, or understand the trade-offs of different insurance options based on your healthcare patterns.”

According to the company, ChatGPT Health is designed to support, not replace, medical care, adding that it is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. “Instead, it helps you navigate everyday questions and understand patterns over time – not just moments of illness – so you can feel more informed and prepared for important medical conversations.

“To keep your health information protected and secure, Health operates as a separate space with enhanced privacy to protect sensitive data. Conversations in Health are not used to train our foundation models. If you start a health-related conversation in ChatGPT, we’ll suggest moving into Health for these additional protections.”

OpenAI adds that access to ChatGPT Health has started with a small group of early users to learn and continue refining the experience, adding that users with ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans outside of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK are eligible.

“As we make improvements, we plan to expand access and make Health available to all users on web and iOS in the coming weeks.

“Medical record integrations and some apps are available in the US only, and connecting Apple Health requires iOS.”


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Kaspersky Shares AI Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026

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Kaspersky experts outline how the rapid development of AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape in 2026, both for individual users and for businesses. Large language models (LLMs) are influencing defensive capabilities while simultaneously expanding opportunities for threat actors.

Deepfakes are becoming a mainstream technology, and awareness will continue to grow. Companies are increasingly discussing the risks of synthetic content and training employees to reduce the likelihood of falling victim to it. As the volume of deepfakes grows, so does the range of formats in which they appear.

At the same time, awareness is rising not only within organisations but also among regular users: end consumers encounter fake content more often and better understand the nature of such threats. As a result, deepfakes are becoming a stable element of the security agenda, requiring a systematic approach to training and internal policies.

Deepfake quality will improve through better audio and a lowering barrier to entry. The visual quality of deepfakes is already high, while realistic audio remains the main area for future growth.

At the same time, content generation tools are becoming easier to use: even non-experts can now create a mid-quality deepfake in just a few clicks. As a result, the average quality continues to rise, creation becomes accessible to a far broader audience, and these capabilities will inevitably continue to be leveraged by cybercriminals.

Online deepfakes will continue to evolve but remain tools for advanced users. Real-time face and voice swapping technologies are improving, but their setup still requires more advanced technical skills. Wide adoption is unlikely, yet the risks in targeted scenarios will grow: increasing realism and the ability to manipulate video through virtual cameras make such attacks more convincing.

Efforts to develop a reliable system for labelling AI-generated content will continue. There are still no unified criteria for reliably identifying synthetic content, and current labels are easy to bypass or remove, especially when working with open-source models. For this reason, new technical and regulatory initiatives aimed at addressing the problem are likely to emerge.

Open-weight models will approach top closed models in many cybersecurity-related tasks, which create more opportunities for misuse. Closed models still offer stricter control mechanisms and safeguards, limiting abuse.

However, open-source systems are rapidly catching up in functionality and circulate without comparable restrictions. This blurs the difference between proprietary models and open-source models both of which can be used efficiently for undesired or malicious purposes.

The line between legitimate and fraudulent AI-generated content will become increasingly blurred. AI can already produce well-crafted scam emails, convincing visual identities, and high-quality phishing pages.

At the same time, major brands are adopting synthetic materials in advertising, making AI-generated content look familiar and visually “normal.” As a result, distinguishing real from fake will become even more challenging, both for users and for automated detection systems.

AI will become a cross-chain tool in cyberattacks and be used across most stages of the kill chain. Threat actors already employ LLMs to write code, build infrastructure, and automate operational tasks.

Further advances will reinforce this trend: AI will increasingly support multiple stages of an attack, from preparation and communication to assembling malicious components, probing for vulnerabilities and deploying tools. Attackers will also work to hide signs of AI involvement, making such operations harder to analyse.

“While AI tools are being used in cyberattacks, they are also becoming a more common tool in security analysis and influence how SOC teams work. Agent-based systems will be able to continuously scan infrastructure, identify vulnerabilities, and gather contextual information for investigations, reducing the amount of manual routine work.

“As a result, specialists will shift from manually searching for data to making decisions based on already-prepared context. In parallel, security tools will transition to natural-language interfaces, enabling prompts instead of complex technical queries,” adds Vladislav Tushkanov, Research Development Group Manager at Kaspersky.

 


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