The committee is led by the chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande.

The minister, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, announced that the constitution of the committee was on the directive of Mr. President that he put in place a committee that would work to coordinate computer security centres in the Information and Communication Technology, ICT, industry in collaboration with other relevant institutions towards intercepting potential cyber-attacks.

He said with the increased role of ICT in online activities, and its crucial role in the conduct of the 2023 general elections, in line with the Electoral Act, as amended, the job of the committee would assist the nation in conducting free, fair and credible elections.

He directed the committee, to which he also belongs alongside the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, and the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Abdullahi, among other CEOs in the ministry, to work round-the-clock from Friday, February 24, 2023 till the morning of Monday, February 27, 2023.

He said the committee would also ensure it received complaints around any attacks to critical infrastructure and ensure such complaints were escalated to relevant institutions, public or private, for necessary remedial actions.

The CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Mohammad Abubakar, and the Special Assistant to the Minister on Digital Economy, Prof Aminu Ahmad, are members of the committee, including key directors in the agencies.

“Our main responsibilities in this committee are more of advisory, firstly, when it comes to intercepting potential attacks that may come to our cyberspace. The committee will coordinate the NCC’s Computer Security Incident Response Team at NCC; the Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team at the National Information Technology development Agency, NITDA, and the Galaxy Backbone’ National Cybersecurity Centre.

“These three centres must work together, complement each other and ensure they intercept any potential attacks on our cyberspace particularly on our Critical Infrastructure during the election so that we could either take action or provide necessary advice to the government,” Pantami said.

He said the committee would work closely with institutions such as the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA; the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN; the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; Mobile Network Operators, MNOs, among others, to collectively safeguard the Nigeria’s cyberspace from potential attacks or cases of vandalism and fibre cuts during the election.

“The challenges of protecting our cyberspace is a collective national responsibility; it is a national assignment. As a sector, we would play our own responsibility objectively and professionally. We would work collectively rather than working individually as agencies since we are in the same sector,” he added.

Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Prof. Adeolu Akande, expressed gratitude to the minister for finding him and others worthy to be saddled with the national assignment, and assured him of the readiness of the committee to work hard towards delivering on its mandates of ensuring, in advisory capacity to the federal government and other relevant institutions, the protection of the nation’s cyberspace and ICT infrastructure during the elections.

“The committee members will do everything in their capacity to deliver on their Terms of Reference,” he said.

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The open indicative rate closed at N420.26 to the dollar on Thursday.

An exchange rate of N444.00 to the dollar was the highest rate recorded within the day’s trading before it settled at N422.50.

The Naira sold for as low as N413 to the dollar within the day’s trading.

A total of 153.71 million dollars was traded in foreign exchange at the official Investors and Exporters window on Thursday.

Source: NAN

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Ope-Davies is the Director, Centre for Digital Humanities, University of Lagos, CEDHUL.

The award, tenable at the University of Hamburg, Germany will enable him to conduct a research project on Digital Political Multilingualism in Nigeria.

This study will contribute to his ongoing national project on the use of digital technologies in Nigeria’s democracy sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund.

The visiting research fellowship was awarded under the aegis of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Alumni Sponsorship and Network programmes supported by the Federal Republic of Germany.

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The secretary general, on Tuesday, at the inauguration of the flash appeal said rockets had been “raining down” on Ukraine’s cities and hundreds of people had been killed or injured since the Russian military offensive began.

Guterres comments came as latest UN data indicated that 677,000 people have fled Ukraine since February 24.

“United Nations agencies and our partners are now working 24/7 to assess humanitarian needs and scale up aid, particularly to women, children, older people and those with disabilities.’’

Guterres however, thanked Member States that have kept their borders open to people fleeing the violence.

“We must help Ukrainians help each other through this terrible time,” the UN chief insisted, adding that electricity and water supplies had been disrupted, roads had been “damaged or destroyed by bombs” and food and medicine were in short supply in some areas.

In Geneva, UN emergency relief chief, Martin Griffiths, explained that the purpose of the call for immediate humanitarian funding was to help people inside Ukraine – including those internally displaced – as well as those seeking shelter beyond its borders.

An estimated $1.1 billion dollars is needed for the response inside Ukraine for three months, to help six million of the most vulnerable in Ukraine, as the escalating conflict had triggered an immediate and steep rise in demand for lifesaving aid.

But essential supplies and services are being disrupted, as civilians flee for their lives.

At the end of the launch event in Geneva,  Griffiths announced that $1.5 billion dollars had been pledged for the humanitarian appeals.

The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, welcomed the “outpouring of support” speaking to journalists in New York.

“This is among the fastest and most generous responses a humanitarian flash appeal has ever received,” he said.

Also briefing journalists, High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, appealed for $550 million for the refugee agency and 12 partner agencies.

He noted that 520,000 people were estimated to have been displaced by the Ukraine crisis just last night.

Grandi said that that had already risen sharply, in the space of just a few hours.

“677,000 refugees have now fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in the past six days,” he said. “That is 150,000 more, in less than 24 hours.”

The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than four million refugees may need protection and assistance in neighbouring countries in the coming months.

Reacting to reports that third-country refugees have been ill-treated at border crossings and inside Ukraine as they try to seek shelter, the UN refugee chief insisted that “there should be absolutely no discrimination between Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians.

“Europeans and non-Europeans. Everybody is fleeing from the same risks.”

While the European Union is discussing the possibility of giving temporary protection status to refugees from Ukraine, the tragedy is “likely to introduce a new dimension to the many years of debate on asylum status, responsibility sharing and so forth,” Grandi said.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has already received more than 40 million dollars in private contributions from individuals or companies, an “unprecedented” feat, he added.

“I’ve never seen it and I think it’s positive”.

Source: NAN

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Okowa made the remarks as he felicitated with the foremost accountant who turned 100 years on August 9.

He congratulated the doyen of accounting profession and Africa’s first chartered accountant for his pioneering role in the profession, and extolled him for the honours and pride he brought to Nigeria and Africa.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba on Saturday, the governor noted the centenarian’s outstanding contributions to the growth and vibrancy of accountancy in Nigeria and Africa.

He commended him for blazing the trail in establishing legacy institutions that had continued to play significant roles in the nation’s economy.

Said Okowa:  “Your untiring efforts as one of the first professionals in Africa distinguished you as a thoroughbred professional, seasoned administrator and consummate entrepreneur.

“Your contributions as founding member and the first President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and how you championed the establishment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 1960 remained commendable and worthy of emulation.

“Nigerians are indeed, proud of your great accomplishments, and you will remain an institution and a model as you have remained a respectable voice in bridge-building across the country.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I heartily rejoice with a legendary leader and elder statesman, a man of utmost integrity and outstanding professionalism, Chief Akintola Williams, as he celebrates his centenary birth anniversary.

“I am pleased to join your family, professional colleagues and other well-wishers in thanking God for blessing you with the strength and wisdom to live a fulfilling life of service and great accomplishments.

“It is our prayer that God will continue to protect you and grant you good health to render more services to mankind.”

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The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Council, Mr. Daniel Adidas, confirmed the development in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Jalingo.

Adi alleged that gunmen in Army camouflage attacked Rafinkada and set several houses ablaze.

The chairman disclosed that a soldier injured in the attack was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Wukari.

He said that the deployment of soldiers to the area had brought the situation under control.

DSP David Missal, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state police command, confirmed the incident, but said only one person was killed.

“The report I have indicated that armed militia youth crossed from Benue State and attacked a community in Wukari local government area and one person was killed and some houses burnt,” the PPRO said.

It would be recalled that the crisis between the Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups especially on the border villages between Benue and Taraba States has lingered since March 2019.

The rift had claimed hundreds of lives and led to the destruction of several property worth billions of naira.

Source:  NAN

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