News
Kaduna to Distribute 5,000 Tablets to Students
The Kaduna State Government has procured 5,000 computer tablets to be distributed to the students, in a bid to enhance teaching and learning in public secondary schools across the state.
Prof. Andrew Nok, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, disclosed this in Kaduna on Monday.
Nok said that the step was to equip the students with Information Technology (IT) skills and integrate them into the IT world.
“The tablets are loaded with all the needed programmes and will be distributed to Senior Secondary School I (SSI) students in all public secondary schools across the state.
“By the time the SSI students move to SSII, the government will procure another set of tablets and distribute to the newly admitted SSI students.
“We will continue this way until all our senior secondary school students have computer tablets and are part of the IT driven world,’’ he said.
The commissioner added that the effort would not only improve teaching and learning but would also make the students computer compliant.
Nok said the state government has equally gone some steps further by setting aside N100 million research grant to solve some environmental, health and security issues in the state.
According to him, the grant is open for any scientist from any institution, who wishes to carry out research, either on health, environment, conflict resolution or other issues confronting the state.
“We are calling on scientists and researchers to use the opportunity and access the grant.
“All they need to do is to send a proposal and if we are convinced it would solve a pressing problem in the state, we will give such a person go ahead,’’ the commissioner said.
EFCC
The African Development Bank Group last week approved an investment of €6.5 million in the Saviu II fund in order to support technology start-ups through their seed phase and first institutional fundraising, mainly in French-speaking Central and West Africa.
The Bank will invest €4.5 million as equity and €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission, under the Boost Africa Programme.
This participation of the Bank Group will enable the Saviu II fund to give priority to companies with a strong technological or digital component.
Saviu II, the second investment vehicle of Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 technology or technology-oriented business-to-business start-ups in the seed phase or carrying out first institutional fundraising.
The Saviu II venture capital fund aims to make at least 60% of its commitments in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa: Côte d ‘Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The fund can also co-invest in promising technology companies in East Africa that have a strong team and business model, and whose strategy includes entering the market in French-speaking West African countries and establishing a strong presence there.
In addition, the fund will devote a dedicated envelope to pre-seed investments, focusing on minority equity investments, usually in co-investment with studios, incubators or other ecosystem partners.
Nigerian Government has signed a $1.3 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) via the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to fund an alumina refinery, national geoscience mapping, and a strategic investment vehicle for mining growth.
Special Assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the refinery will process one million tonnes of bauxite yearly using a modern Bayer process, powered by an on-site gas-fired cogeneration plant.
Minister Dele Alake called it a transformative milestone boosting GDP, aligning with reforms that improve investment climate, regulations, and licensing to attract private capital. He directed agencies to fast-track permits.
The 20-year project at 95% utilization eyes 19 million tonnes total output, $1.2 billion annual GDP addition, $25 billion economic impact, and $8 billion forex earnings, per feasibility studies.
SMDF Executive Secretary Fatima Shinkafi termed it the agency’s biggest funding deal, supporting value-addition policy.
The partnership extends to geoscience mapping for mineral data, de-risking exploration, and a joint vehicle for mining assets.
Permanent Secretary Engr. Farouk Yabo praised the reforms. Shinkafi signed for government; AFC’s Franklin Edochie for the corporation, witnessed by AFC CEO Samaila Zubairu.
Tomori positioned it as Nigeria’s largest private mining investment and FDI magnet.
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