General News
TETFund Moves to Boost Research Capacity of Poly Lecturers
No fewer than 18 polytechnic lecturers nationwide have successfully completed a training programme on research for impact initiative put in place by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Speaking at the training programme in Abuja, weekend, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono said the initiative organised in collaboration with Innov8 Hub is aimed at promoting innovation and viable research in higher education institutions.
Echono said Nigeria could not afford to be left behind in technological development, saying technological development holds the massive key to overcoming challenges bedeviling the country.
TETFund’s executive secretary said the world has witnessed tremendous transformation with technology at the center stage, transforming lives, creating jobs and impacting nations.
“Most great nations that have developed were able to attain such heights through education, technological evolution as well as revolution, which was all steeped in insatiable quest for knowledge.
“This thirst for better ways of doing things has resulted in innovations which brought about the development of new technologies, new products, transformations in the telecommunication industry and new ways of existence.
” The emergence of the digital age’ has presented the world with no alternative than to adapt to the emerging realities. Consequently, nations and citizens are compelled to either develop, or remain as second-class nations that would continuously depend on and serve other nations that have advanced through learning and impactful research.”
While appreciating Innov8 Hub for its willingness to partner with TETFund to propagate and advance an innovation ecosystem in Nigerian tertiary education sphere, Echono pledged the commitment of the agency to continue to invest in research as the foundation for Nigeria’s emergence as a knowledge-based economy.
“At TETFund, we established a Research and Development/ Centres of Excellence Department to drive the institutionalization of research and development in public tertiary institutions, enhance research capacity, support research-industry, among others.
“The research for impact workshop is one of the programmes aimed at supporting market driven research for national development….
“At this point, it is important to use this opportunity to restate TETFund’s commitment to promote the commercialisation of viable R&D results and patents. This should serve as further incentive to the Teams to take their prototype to the next phase,” he said.
Echono expressed hope that the two weeks of intense research activities undergone by the 18 lecturers would stimulate knowledge sharing, collaboration, growth and excellence among participants and their various colleagues.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, challenged the participants to work as team and also shared knowledge gained with other lecturers in their various institutions.
Bugaje commended TETFund for R4i initiative, describing it as the most important thing that had ever happened in Nigerian polytechnics in the area of research and innovation promotion.
“I have also been told that what we have here in Innov8 Hub, will be replicated in selected polytechnics across the country. This is the best way to go,” Bugaje said.
Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) has warned of possible floods in parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, and Borno states within the next seven days.
According to information posted on NIHSA X handle, the Agency announced medium flood advisory in force for the next 7 days across Adamawa, Bauchi, and 11 other States.
“Localised inundation is forecast along the main channel; named communities below sit on the projected footprint. Stations: Saminara on the Karam river, Waya Dam Site on the Waya river, Amber on the Amber river.
“Adamawa; Lemsa, Lamurde, Numan Exposure: 147 comm. 49 schis 40 hith 6 mkts17 relig. Bauchi-Bauchi, Ningi, Shira. Exposure: 4 comm. Kaduna; Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, Kaura, Kauru, +6 more. Exposure: 1 comm.
“Borno-Gubio, Mobbar. Exposure: 680 comm. 8 schls 6 hith 5 mkts 21 relig. Edo-Akoko-Ed, EtsakoEa, EtsakoWe, Ikpoba-Okha, Orhionmw, OviaNort, OviaSo.. Exposure: 3 comm.
“Imo-Aboh-Mba, Oguta, Ohaji/Eg, Okigwe, Owerri North, Owerri West. Exposure: 3 comm. 7 more states affected and severity LGAs”.
NIHSA advised people in the affected areas to “do NOT cross flooded roads, bridges, or fast-moving water on foot or by vehicle.
“Clear drainage channels and river-mouth blockages; avoid building or living in the floodplain and move people, livestock and valuables from the floodplain to pre-identified higher ground,” NIHSA stated.
General News
First Trustees Advocates Estate Planning as an Essential Tool in Every Wealth Creation Strategy
First Trustees Limited, a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc., and a leading provider of fiduciary and trusteeship services in Nigeria, is encouraging individuals, professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors to view Estate Planning not as an end-of-life exercise, but as a strategic investment tool for protecting, preserving, and transferring wealth across generations.
As more Nigerians focus on wealth creation through businesses, real estate investments, and other income-generating assets, experts are emphasizing that building wealth is only one part of the equation.
Equally important is creating structures that ensure those assets remain protected, properly managed, and seamlessly transferred to succeeding generations in accordance with the asset owner’s wishes. Importantly, Estate Planning is not solely for the wealthy, it is a prudent step for anyone with assets, dependants, or a business to protect, regardless of age, profession, or net worth.
Speaking on the importance of Estate Planning, Ereifemi Akeredolu, Managing Director/CEO, First Trustees Limited, noted that Estate Planning should be considered a core pillar of every long-term financial strategy.
“Many people focus on creating wealth but give litle thought to preserving it. Estate Planning is a wealth protection strategy that helps individuals safeguard their assets, secure their family’s future, and ensure that the value they build today continues to benefit future generations.”
Using tools such as Trusts, Wills, and advanced succession plans, individuals can build structures that support wealth preservation, business continuity, asset protection, and intergenerational wealth transfer.
For entrepreneurs and business owners, Estate Planning serves as a powerful tool for ensuring business sustainability, helping organizations remain stable and operational regardless of unforeseen circumstances.
First Trustees continues to emphasize and educate on the importance of Estate Planning as a comprehensive strategy for proactive planning. It remains one of the most important financial decisions an individual can make: it provides clarity, minimizes uncertainty, and protects assets from unnecessary erosion and disputes. It also creates financial security for loved ones, supports business succession and continuity, and facilitates long-term investment and legacy planning.
General News
Nearpays, Nigerian Fintech Becomes First African Startup to Win UN’s AI for Good Innovation Factory
Nearpays, Nigerian fintech, has won the AI for Good Innovation Factory grand finale — the first African startup ever to take the global title in the competition, which runs as part of the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit.
The competition drew more than 500 startups worldwide, each pitching AI solutions aimed at social and economic challenges.
The summit itself is organised by the UN through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with several UN agencies, convening governments, researchers, startups, and technology companies around AI’s role in development.
Nearpays’ route to the title ran through Johannesburg, where it won the African regional competition, before advancing to the global finals in Geneva.
There, the company progressed through the semi-finals and claimed the grand finale — a first for the continent.
The company describes the win as bigger than a corporate milestone, calling it a victory for African innovation and proof that technology built to solve local problems can compete, and win, on the world stage.
Nearpays was founded to close a stubborn gap in African payments: small and medium-sized businesses that can’t afford or access traditional point-of-sale terminals.
Cost, availability, and deployment hurdles have kept many merchants — particularly in rural and underserved communities — locked out of digital payments.
Its answer is SoftPOS: an AI-powered platform that turns compatible Android smartphones into payment acceptance devices, letting merchants take contactless card payments with nothing more than their phones. AI is embedded across the platform, supporting payment processing, compliance, fraud detection, and business operations.
Crucially, the platform was built for African infrastructure realities — it works both online and offline, so merchants can keep accepting payments even without internet connectivity.
The company credited its team’s years of product development and customer engagement for the result, and thanked the UN, the ITU, and the AI for Good initiative for building a platform where innovators can apply AI to real-world problems.
It also said it hopes the win encourages more African founders to build technology that answers local needs while competing internationally.
For Nearpays, the title closes one chapter and opens another, as the company pushes on with expanding digital financial infrastructure across Afric
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