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Intel Partners USAID on Kano Teachers’ IT-Assisted Learning
To remarkably improve the standard of primary education in the country, Intel Nigeria and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have jointly organized a first of its kind training for teachers in Kano and donated a fully equipped computer centre.
Intel Nigeria in conjunction with the Community Participation for Action in The Social Sector (Compass), a USAID-sponsored organization jointly coordinated a five-day training program for lecturers of Saadatu Rimi College of Education on the use of information technology for teaching and also donated 20 sets of computers to the department of Primary Education Studies of the college to kick off its computer centre.
Speaking on the initiative, Bunmi Ekundare, Corporate Affairs Manager, Intel West Africa, expressed the company’s commitment to equip teachers with necessary IT skills and tools to ease knowledge transfer chain and boost the overall learning process.
Ekundare said the partnership was borne out of a good understanding between the partners and a genuine desire to offer skills which can improve teaching and learning real time. The college is the first of its kind to receive this training in Nigeria.
“For Intel, this is a significant launch of the pre service training for teachers. Hitherto, Intel has been running programs for in service teaching but this is first for pre service section. This whole model forms a strong integral of the Intel Teach program, a sub unit of the Intel World Ahead scheme designed to enhance accessibility, connectivity, education and contents” he stated.
The Intel representative restated that, “Our goal in Intel is to see this training inculcated into the curriculum for the college. This ensures that the teachers while in still school would have acquired some skills usually after school. This gets them better prepared for the challenge and this will no doubt ease teaching and make learning more exciting and interactive. We have trained 50 teachers who will train the students who are teachers to be and also the other teachers. We have also trained technology champions who can handle basic troubleshooting of the computers should there be any”.
He said: “The donated computers have been upgraded and tailor-made to cater for specific needs. The five-day training is an intensive getting started program. Within the five days, a teacher who has never touched a computer before can now use the PC easily in his discipline be it for preparing lesson notes or assignments for students. For continuity, the program has been designed in a train the trainer cascading system order requesting that a trained teacher trains ten others for a minimum. This has been gaining momentum gradually even with the Federal Government through the Universal Provision Fund (USPF), an arm of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). It has just commissioned about 550 schools for such service though it’s for the in service”.
Ayo Oladini, Senior Education Advisor and a coordinator for Compass expressed strong optimism on the partnership which according to him was for improving education and development in Nigeria. He stated that the organization was reputed for providing stakeholders involvement in education more so grassroots adding that it is a public private partnership that can impact lives.
“The FG has reiterated quality assurance but how can it ever come true without training and retraining for teachers who transfer knowledge. There are challenges for teachers to teach the usually large number of students in the classrooms which looks unrealistic but with the aid of IT tools and skills it becomes easy. That is a noble cause that we are dedicated to”, he remarked.
He noted that: “the partnership was borne of the MoU that exists between the two organisations as concerned parties who are ready to make meaningful contributions. It is not only about donation of computer, it is also about the skills. There is no way to improve quality of education without equipping teachers. This donation is the first here but would be scaled up. The participants can teach better, more interactively and easily. We are committed to in service and pre service training and infrastructural grants and instructional materials”.
Participants at the training also commented on their experience. Salihu Gigiyun, Head, Department of Primary Education Studies said the training was very educating and would be passed down to the remaining over 200 lecturers of the college. He added that “it is much easier to teach exclusively with the PC and it makes teaching highly interactive. We are delighted to be the first college of education in the country to benefit from this. It makes teaching simple, easy, scientific and offer students opportunities to go back to class lectures on their own”.
Mohd Umar, a lecturer and participant said he has worked for 13 years and lectured for 3 years but has never touched a computer. He expressed joy at the opportunity of using the computer adding that it makes him very relevant. He said nowadays everything is going online and if you are computer illiterate you will miss out.
Hakama sidi Alli, another lecturer and participant commended the organizing partners. “For me, this is exceptionally good. It makes you lure the students into learning without them realizing it. It helps especially the shy students by offering a two way flow, faster and easier learning, graphical and pictorial presentations. This is a good PC assisted learning I enjoy having lectured for 5 years´.
George Akume, secretary to the Government of the Federation, has raised alarm over the activities of a criminal syndicate allegedly cloning his voice and using it to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians with promises of Federal Government appointments.
George Akume, SGF
In a statement issued by Yomi Odunuga, his special adviser on Media and Publicity, on Thursday, Akume said the fraudsters have impersonated him in audio calls and text messages, targeting high-profile individuals and soliciting payments ranging from ₦5 million to ₦15 million in exchange for phantom political positions.
“From information available to the office, the fraudsters cloned the voice of the SGF, using it to solicit money in return for federal appointments,” the statement read.
The SGF further revealed that the scammers not only cloned his voice but also spoofed the phone numbers of other high-profile individuals to give credibility to their fraudulent scheme.
“These scammers attach bank account details to messages sent to victims and request them to send their CVs to cloned emails,” Odunuga added.
The statement noted that the fraudsters have been operating through both traditional bank accounts and fintech mobile wallets, complicating efforts to trace the financial trails.
Distancing himself from the illicit scheme, Akume stressed that appointments to Federal Government boards and parastatals are transparent and not for sale under any guise.
The statement noted, “Senator Akume emphasized that the appointment processes for Nigerians into boards and parastatals are transparent and verifiable, urging individuals not to pay any money in expectation of securing a position.”
The Office of the SGF confirmed that it has notified relevant security agencies, urging members of the public to report suspicious calls or messages to law enforcement.
“The Office of the SGF strongly advises Nigerians to report the activities of these fraudulent people to the authorities while taking all precautionary steps necessary to avoid being victims of th
Ola Olukoyede, executive chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has denied claims that he compelled Bayo Ojulari, group chief executive officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to step down from his role.
Bayo Ojulari,
The allegations stemmed from an August 2, 2025, online publication which alleged that Olukoyede and Adeola Ajayi, director general, Department of State Services (DSS), pressured Ojulari into signing a resignation letter during a closed-door meeting in Abuja.
The report also suggested that Ojulari was interrogated over his purported links to Olatimbo Ayinde, British-Nigerian oil mogul, who is reportedly close to key figures in the present administration.
In a follow-up story, the news outlet further claimed Ojulari was later invited to the Presidential Villa, where First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu reportedly opposed his resignation.
Responding to the allegations, Dele Oyewale, spokesman, EFCC< issued a statement on Wednesday on behalf of the Commission, noting that Olukoyede, through his legal counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), described the publications as defamatory and injurious to his integrity.
“The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity,” the statement quoted.
Olukoyede denied any suggestion that he was acting at the behest of Ayinde or that his actions were influenced by external political figures.
A letter addressed to the editor of the publication, signed by Olumide-Fusika, reiterated the gravity of the claims and insisted on corrective measures.
“He, therefore, demanded that the medium acknowledge your wrongdoing, expressly admit that what you published and imputed against my client are false, apologise for it unreservedly and retract and pull down the stories from your newspaper website and social media handles,” the statement added.
Olukoyede said the story portrayed him as “someone that has betrayed and subverted public trust by submitting the authority of his public office and trust as Chairman of the EFCC to the dictates and directives of one Olatimbo Ayinde.”
Labelling the report as entirely fabricated, Olukoyede demanded an official apology and complete removal of the story from the outlet’s digital platforms within 48 hours.
PalmPay reinforced its commitment to data protection and youth empowerment with a ground-breaking partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to launch the Youth Data Protection Awareness and Training (YDPAT) Program, which is targeted at equipping over 1,000,000 Nigerian youths digitally over 3 years.
The training program, commissioned last week at the Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua Centre in Abuja, will focus on providing youths with the right knowledge and skills required to navigate the digital landscape safely. With over 70% of the Nigerian population consisting of youths, this is an important move to foster trust, security and youth-focused innovation.
Speaking at the launch, the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, commended PalmPay’s partnership in the actualisation of the program and described YDPAT as a bold step toward building a digitally literate and security-conscious generation.
In his words, “This is about building a privacy-first generation, one that is inclusive, future-facing, and globally competitive.” He also emphasised the low awareness of the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA), 2023 and the critical shortage of certified Data Protection Officers (DPOs), despite over 500,000 data controllers operating in the country.
This position was equally supported by PalmPay’s Managing Director, Mr Chika Nwosu, who stated how data protection is as important as innovation in tech. He noted that PalmPay integrates privacy into every stage of its product development, ensuring that user information is safe.
Beyond ensuring data protection, PalmPay is committed to empowering young Nigerians with real opportunities for growth, with mentorship and internship placements for top-performing participants. It has led several youth-oriented initiatives, including the Purple Woman campaign, and Passing the Baton CSR for thousands of youths and women in urban and rural communities.
With a drive to achieve nationwide digital literacy, PalmPay is championing campaigns in Northern Nigeria, with more activations planned across various states.
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