Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has underscored the importance of effective resource management, emphasizing the Agency’s responsibility in administering public funds for the benefit of Nigeria.

L-R: Coordinating Director, Engineering Infrastructure Directorate, NASENI, Prof Bagudu Gwandangaji; Support Officer/NASEN Desk Officer, OAGF, Mr. Mustapha Marafa; Deputy Programme Manager, System Support and Sustainability Directorate, OAGF, Mr. Jeremiah Asanato; Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu; Coordinating Director, Finance and Accounts, NASENI, Alh Ibrahim Baba Dauda; Coordinating Director, Science Infrastructure Directorate, NASENI, Prof Umaru Gaya during a one-day sensitization workshop on Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) policy and guidelines for financial managers organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation held at NASENI Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

The EVC stated this while declaring open one-day sensitization workshop on Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) policy and guidelines for financial managers of NASENI in collaboration with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) held at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

The workshop was aimed at enhancing financial management practices for NASENI principal officers, directors, managing directors and accounting officers system-wide.

Urging the participants to take the workshop with all sense of purpose, the EVC/CEO called for accurate financial record-keeping and the adoption of innovative processes which remain integral in the GIFMIS policy. He stressed the significance of staff training and capacity development to ensure the discharge of duties to make NASENI a preferred public sector employer in Nigeria.

While warning staff on classified documents, Mr. Halilu said confidentiality in financial management is a crucial aspect and called for strict adherence to public service regulations regarding the integrity of official information.

He further emphasized the Agency’s 3Cs initiative of Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialization as NASENI’s core operating principles, expressing confidence in achieving the Agency’s goals in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Deputy Programme Manager, System Support and Sustainability Directorate, OAGF, Mr. Jeremiah Asanato, giving overview of the GIFMIS, said it is aimed at integrating budgeting and government expenditure. He emphasized that the policy will help to address irregularities, corruption, and other fraudulent activities in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

In his vote of thanks, Coordinating Director,Finance and Accounts, NASENI, Alh. Ibrahim Baba Dauda, appreciated all Finance and Accounts Directorate staff from across NASENI centres system-wide for attending the workshop. He challenged them to start thinking of making NASENI an independent revenue-generating agency.

Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is to host the 10th edition of the prestigious Network of African Data Protection Authorities’ (NADPA-RADPA) Conference and Annual General Meeting.

This significant decision was made during the 9th NADPA Annual General Meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, where Nigeria, through NDPC under the exemplary leadership of the National Commissioner/CEO, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, emerged as the successful bidder to host this prestigious event.

The Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA-RAPDP), founded in Ouagadougou in September 2016, consists of 23 (Twenty-Three) Data Protection Authorities across Africa. Its primary objective is to establish a platform for exchanges and cooperation among its members while amplifying Africa’s voice in global partnerships.

Nigeria joined the network in 2022 and has been actively engaged since then, including taking on the role of coordinator for the Regulatory Harmonization working group during the recently concluded annual general meeting in 2024.

The 9th NADPA–RADPA Conference and Annual General Meeting, hosted by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Nairobi, Kenya, was marked by an impressive turnout, with over 1500 individuals and organizations in attendance.

Noteworthy participants included multinational corporations such as Google, Amazon Web Services, EY and Microsoft, as well as development partners which included the European Union, German Corporation, GIZ, and Digital Transformation Center among others.

The 2025 edition will serve as a pivotal platform for Data Protection Authorities from across Africa to convene, collaborate, and share insights on emerging trends, challenges, and best practices within the data protection and privacy ecosystem.

Furthermore, it will bolster Nigeria’s economic growth by attracting Foreign Direct Investments and contribute to the enhancement of the country’s tourism sector by providing delegates with opportunities to explore its offerings.

Moreover, hosting such a prestigious event will elevate Nigeria’s reputation as a hub for innovation, research, and academic excellence, thereby attracting additional investment and talent, while serving as a prime opportunity to showcase the country’s diverse industries, products, and services to a global audience.

Additionally, the conference will facilitate capacity building and skill development in digital technologies, empowering individuals and organizations with the knowledge and tools required to thrive in the current global digital economy.

As the host country, Nigeria is deeply honored to welcome esteemed delegates and participants to this significant gathering. The conference serves as more than just a platform for sharing insights, it highlights Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to advancing data protection principles and fostering international cooperation in this crucial field.

Collaborating with various Government Agencies, Multinational Corporations, and Development Partners, NDPC is poised to co-host this event. With its multifaceted agenda, the conference promises to ignite growth, foster collaboration, and drive advancement within the data protection landscape and beyond.

Google I/O 2024 showcased Google’s commitment to transforming the search experience through AI innovations. Here’s a breakdown of the key announcements:

1. Gemini 1.5 Pro and Gemini 1.5 Flash: Google announced the general availability of Gemini 1.5 Pro, a powerful AI model with a 1 million token context window, enabling it to process vast amounts of information like an hour of video or 1,500 pages of a PDF and respond to complex queries about this source material. Gemini 1.5 pro will also be available in more than 35 languages starting today – providing access to the latest technical advances, including deep analysis of data files like spreadsheets, enhanced image understanding and a greatly expanded context window, starting at 1 million tokens.

Additionally, Google also introduced Gemini 1.5 Flash, a more cost-efficient model built based on user feedback, with lower latencies; and Project Astra, Google’s vision for the next generation of AI assistants, a responsive agent that can understand and react to the context of conversations. [Blog Post] [Visual assets]

2. Generative AI in Search: Google is integrating Gemini into Search, enhancing its ability to understand and respond to complex queries. Blog Post, [Visual assets]

This includes features like:

• AI Overview – designed for advanced multi-step reasoning, planning, and multimodal capabilities. This enhancement ensures that people can ask intricate, multi-step questions, tailor their search outcomes, and interact using videos for an enriched query experience. This is set to launch soon, starting in the US before expanding globally.

• Multi-step reasoning: which breaks down complex questions into smaller parts, synthesising the most relevant information and stitching it all together into a comprehensive AI Answer.

• Search with video: which allows users to ask questions about video content by taking a quick video and get AI-powered answers in response. This feature will be available beginning with the US and rolling out to other regions over time.

• 

3. Gemini for Android: Gemini is being integrated into Android to power new features like:

   • “Circle to Search,” which allows users to search for anything they see on their screen. This feature is expanding to more surfaces like Chrome desktop and tablets.

   • TalkBack: Gemini Nano will enhance TalkBack, Android’s screen reader, with new features that make it easier for people with visual impairments to navigate their devices and access information. This feature will come first to Pixel devices later in the year.

   • Live scam detection: Gemini Nano will be used to detect scam phone calls in real-time, providing users with warnings and helping them avoid falling victim to fraud. This feature will come first to Pixel devices later in the year.

   • Gemini as an Assistant on Android: An AI assistant providing contextual suggestions and anticipating user actions based on the current app screen. This feature will be available where the Gemini app is already available and requires Android 10+ and 2GB+ RAM. The new overlay features announced at I/O will roll out over the coming months.[Blog Post] [Visual asset]

4. Gemini for Workspace: helps businesses and everyday users get more out of their Google apps — from drafting emails in Gmail to organising project plans in Sheets. Over the last year, more than a million people and tens of thousands of companies have used generative AI in Workspace when they need an extra hand or dose of inspiration. Today, Google announced more updates across Gemini for Workspace, including new Gemini in Gmail features on mobile and additional language support. [Blog Post] [Visual assets]

   • Gemini in the Workspace side panel: Now using the Gemini 1.5 Pro model, it is available for Workspace Labs and Gemini for Workspace Alpha users and will be generally available next month to Gemini for Workspace customers and Google One AI Premium subscribers. It has a longer context window and more advanced reasoning to give you more insightful responses. Plus, it’s easy to get started with proactive summaries, suggested prompts and more.

   • Gemini Advanced subscribers will also soon get access to Live, a new mobile conversational experience. With Live, you can talk to Gemini and choose from different natural-sounding voices. You can speak at your own pace and even interrupt with questions, making conversations more intuitive. [Blog Post]

   • New Gemini features in the Gmail mobile app:

     1. See more detailed suggested replies: Gemini will automatically provide draft email responses that you can edit, or simply send. This will be available to Workspace Labs users on mobile and web in the coming months, and to Gemini for Workspace customers and Google One AI Premium subscribers later this year.

     2. Get summaries: Gemini can analyse email threads and provide a summarised view directly in the Gmail app. Summaries will be available to Workspace Labs users this week, and to all Gemini for Workspace customers and Google One AI Premium subscribers next month.

     3. Chat with Gemini: Soon, Gemini in Gmail will offer helpful features, like “summarise this email,” “list the next steps,” or “suggest a reply,” when you click the Gemini icon in the mobile app. These features will be available to Workspace Labs users in the coming weeks, and to Gemini for Workspace customers and Google One AI Premium subscribers in the coming months.

   • Use Help me write in more languages: Starting today, Help me write in Gmail and Docs is supported in Spanish and Portuguese.

5. Ask Photos: Google Photos is getting a new feature called “Ask Photos,” which uses Gemini to answer questions about photos and videos, such as finding specific images or recalling past events. This feature will be available beginning with the US and rolling out to other countries soon. [Blog Post] [Visual assets]

6. Imagen 3: Imagen 3, Google’s latest text-to-image model, is now available to select creators in private preview. It generates high-quality images with incredible detail, high-quality lighting, fewer distracting artefacts, and significant improvements in their ability to render text. It will be available in three model variants: one optimised for speed, one balancing speed and quality, and one prioritising the highest quality images with the best text alignment. Upgrades to image-generation in Workspace and the Gemini app and web experience are coming soon. Imagen 3 will be available where Vertex AI and ImageFX are available, via waitlist. [Blog Post], [Visual assets]

7. Veo: Veo is Google’s most capable video generation model, capable of creating high-quality 1080p videos up to a minute or more long. Veo closely follows user prompts and offers unprecedented creative control, accurately following directions like quick zooming or slow-motion crane shots. It captures the nuance and emotional tone of prompts in various visual styles, from photorealism to animation, and maintains consistency across complex details. Veo builds upon years of generative video model work and combines architecture, scaling laws, and novel techniques to improve latency and output resolution. Starting today, Veo is available to select creators in private preview in VideoFX by joining the waitlist. In the future, Veo’s capabilities will be included in YouTube Shorts and other products.[Blog Post] [Visual assets]

8. Music AI tools: Our collaborations with the music community: Google is collaborating with musicians, songwriters, and producers, in partnership with YouTube, to better understand the role of AI in music creation. They are developing a suite of music AI tools that can create instrumental sections, transfer styles between tracks, and more. These collaborations inform the development of generative music technologies like Lyria, Google’s most advanced family of models for AI music generation. New experimental music created with these tools by Grammy winner Wyclef Jean, electronic musician Marc Rebillet, songwriter Justin Tranter, and others was released on their respective YouTube channels at I/O.[Blog Post].

9. SynthID for text and video: Google is extending SynthID to text and video, allowing for watermarking of AI-generated content. SynthID can now embed a digital watermark directly into the pixels of an image or video, making it imperceptible to the human eye but detectable for identification. This technology will be integrated into Gemini and Search’s creative queries. [Blog Post]

10. AI Test Kitchen: AI Test Kitchen is expanding its reach, now available in over 100 countries and territories, including several in Sub-Saharan Africa like Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and more. Users can now experience and provide feedback on Google’s latest AI technologies, like ImageFX and MusicFX, in 37 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.