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Leading Intellectuals, Policymakers, Technocrats to Gather in Abuja for Reawakening the African Renaissance

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Leading Intellectuals, Policymakers, Technocrats to Gather in Abuja for Reawakening the African Renaissance

By: Michael Mike

Leading intellectuals, policymakers, technocrats, and changemakers would be gathered in Abuja to engage in stimulating discussions and showcase bold ideas and disruptive solutions that can propel Africa towards a future of inclusive prosperity and sustainable development.

The gathering is organized by the School of Politics, Policy & Governance (SPPG) in partnership with Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, named “Big Ideas Platform”

The first edition under the broad theme of “Reawakening the African Renaissance: Pathways to Inclusive Growth and Development”, debuted in 2023 and had five dynamic citizens of Africa whose ideas illuminated bold solutions that can enhance the quality of life in African communities shared a platform to tell a diverse audience the story of their big idea.

According to a statement on Monday, this year’s edition is also a collaboration of the School of Politics, Policy & Governance (SPPG) and Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, taking place on May 25th, 2024, will explore the theme “Information Technology and Behavioural Change”.

The statement added that this thought leadership initiative event will gather leading intellectuals, policymakers, technocrats, and changemakers to engage in stimulating discussions and showcase bold ideas and disruptive solutions that can propel Africa towards a future of inclusive prosperity and sustainable development.

The statement further revealed that @The Big Ideas Platform” is an intellectual convergence of concepts, a marketplace of ideas, where exceptional African minds convene to engage in robust conversations. The platform will facilitate the sharing, generation and collaboration of fresh ideas, innovative solutions and implementation strategies to address Africa’s plethora of challenges.

Speaking on the event, the CEO of SPPG,
Alero Ayida-Otobo, said: “The Big Ideas Platform is a thought leadership initiative that serves as a platform for launching new thinking, spotlighting visionary individuals, and illuminating bold ideas that have the potential to improve the lives of African communities”

According to her, the Big Ideas Platform will serve as a catalyst for change, fostering a community of forward-thinking individuals committed to translating ideas into impactful actions that shape the continent’s future.

She disclosed that the Big Ideas Platform 2024 focuses on the crucial role of information technology and behavioural change in propelling Africa towards a better future.

Dr Amina, Faculty of SPPG, said, “We must remember that technology is a tool, and for a sustainable and enduring African Renaissance, we must reconsider how technology is harnessed to drive system change that benefits everyone, helping to shift behaviour from damaging to managing our scarce resources.”

Key areas of focus at Big Ideas Platform 2024, according to the statement, will include: Blockchain technology: This is premised on immutable records to protect legal tender such as academic certificates and to earn revenue; Virtual Reality: A four-dimensional visual experience of hard-to-reach places such as conflict zones to build awareness and empathy and inform accurate urgent action; Artificial intelligence: Non-animate machines trained to think and act like humans for humans, for example, identifying fake news; Environmental Awareness: Child-centred learning tools to shift children’s understanding of waste and its management to secure wealth and the environment.

The lineup of panellists for this year’s edition include: Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, EdTech professional and Founder of Passnownow.com; Oluseun Badejo, Team Lead of SPPG Blockchain project; Mrs. Sian (Shan) Cuffy Young, Founder of Siel (Sigh-el) Environmental; and Ahmad Salkida, Investigative Reporter.

According to the statement, the event is opened to the public, and registration is free. It will be a great opportunity to learn from thought leaders and professionals, who have the requisite knowledge about improving Africa’s economy and enhancing its development.

The event is scheduled for May 25, 2024 between 9:00 AM – 12 PM WAT (GMT+1) at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre and would be zoomed live, interested members of the public are advised to register
on thesppg.org/bip2024 website and stay up to date with event updates.

Leading Intellectuals, Policymakers, Technocrats to Gather in Abuja for Reawakening the African Renaissance

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Zulum Dissolves Borno State Executive Council

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Zulum Dissolves Borno State Executive Council

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the immediate dissolution of the State Executive Council.

The decision is to provide an enabling environment for any member of the council who may wish to contest elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.

The Governor has therefore directed all Commissioners to hand over the affairs of their respective ministries to the Permanent Secretaries on or before Friday, April 3, 2026.

Governor Zulum expressed his profound appreciation to the outgoing Commissioners for their dedication, commitment, and invaluable contributions to the development and service of the people of Borno State.

Zulum Dissolves Borno State Executive Council

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How corp member Samuel Orji bowed to humanity at the recent Monday market tragedy

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Late Sam Orji before his demise

How corp member Samuel Orji bowed to humanity at the recent Monday market tragedy

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Corp member Samuel Orji is not new to Monday market because he was raised in a restaurant right in front of the place as a kid because his mother used to be a food vendor to the traders within the vicinity.

Till the day of his death, he had friends and associates along the popular Ahmadu Bello way right down to Ali Kotoko Street where traders used to patronize his mother’s buka food.

But his mother have since left the town for Abuja leaving him and his brother Steve because he was still a student attending Ramat Polytechnic where he studied Electrical engineering when she left.

Having grown up in Maiduguri, he already knew that Improvised explosive devices IED could explode at any time during the day but never knew a semblance of the worse days could return to the city of yerwa.

For people who grew up in Maiduguri, the worse days are really over when everyone goes home before six pm so he was obviously rounding off his hustling that night when the explosion went off on Ahmadu Bello way which hit his legs and brought him down.

Though we all share a common humanity, living in the north east war theatre of hadin kai, we all go out each day for our daily bread not knowing what the end of the day will be like but taking each day as it comes.

Likewise, when corp member Samuel Orji left the house of his next of kin in Maduganari that fateful black Monday, he never planned not to return home, but as fate would have it, he was one of the victims that got hit by the suicide bomb explosion in front of the Monday market.

After being called up to the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) with number NYSC/RPM/25/185709, the young Orji was still serving at the engineering department of the Nigerian television authority (NTA) Potiskum in Yobe state when he lost his life.

Orji with YB/25B/1003 now serving in Damaturu found himself in Maiduguri the weekend before that black Monday because he had taken a pass to spend the public holiday with his brother and next of kin Stephen Orji who lives in Maduganari a suburban area of Maiduguri.

Speaking with this reporter after the tragedy, Borno State coordinator of the NYSC Bashir Nasir said the entire tragedy was a shock to him after a long spell of calmness in the city.

As soon as the incident happened, he was contacted by his headquarters (HQ) in Abuja to conduct a census of his Corp members to ensure all was well and report back to them.

It was in the process that he realized that his team was fine and that the fellow that died was indeed a Corp member but was serving the nation from Damaturu and that he had died as a result of the Monday blast on Ahmadu Bello way at the entrance of the market place.

“I quickly went into action by visiting all the places I know my corp members are based. And I was sure the fellow was not serving here in Borno after the roll call.

” Later a call came from his next of kin Steve to one of our staff in Yobe who indeed linked up with us here and that was when it was ascertained that Samuel Orji was a corp member serving in Yobe.

” I then went to the home of his next of kin Stephen Orji at Maduganari and that was how we took charge by handling all the preliminary expenses to ensure he is taken home for burial.

” The Yobe axis arranged for an ambulance and staff to convey his corpse to Enugu on Monday last week for burial.

” As a result of that triple blast I had to halt routine activities of corp members in the state except the medical officers among them who were released to assist in the hospitals on the condition that management will release ambulances from them to go and return safely to their bases. ” Said the state coordinator.

Challenges of the Corp in Borno state

The main challenge is obviously tied to their security which is why they are using the Arabic Teachers secondary school as a temporary location for now.

The original location has been tendered not usable after idps used it from 2012 to 3021

However, the governor in his magnanimity has given them a new camp of one km by one Km at Auno in the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile the coordinator who would be one year next month since he assumed duty hinted that 506 Corp members of the batch A stream one of 2005 will pass out this week on the 31st of March.

Another bold set of Corp members of the batch A stream one of 2026 will however be sworn in on the 22nd April.

How corp member Samuel Orji bowed to humanity at the recent Monday market tragedy

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Tension in jos north council area as government slams curfew over sunday’s killings in Plateau

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Tension in jos north council area as government slams curfew over sunday’s killings in Plateau

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Reports coming from Jos North council area of plateau State indicates that there is palpable tension in the city as suspected gunmen on motorcycle allegedly opened fire on some residents of Angwan Rukubu area Sunday evening.

The unprovoked shooting of innocent citizens caused serious pandemonium in the area forcing many residents to flee from the scene and avoided the general area until late at night when the government resultantly slammed a curfew in the area.

Residents were advised to avoid wandering around the general area from tomorrow in view of the incident so as not to fall victim of possible reprisals by young residents of the area.

‎PLATEAU STATE GOVERNMENT ORDERS 48 HOURS CURFEW IN JOS NORTH COUNCIL AREA

‎Reacting to the situation, the government has placed a 48 hour curfew on the area which is highly tensed according to eye witnesses for now.

A release signed by the Commissioner of information Joyce Ramnap stated that “‎Following the tragic security incident that occurred at Gari Ya Waye community Angwan Rukuba today Sunday 29th March 2028 resulting in the loss of lives, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

‎”The Plateau State Government in conjunction with security agencies wishes to inform the general public of the imposition of a 48 hour curfew within Jos North Local government Area with immediate effect, commencing from 12 midnight of 29th March, to 1st April, 2026.


“‎The government under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang strongly condemns this barbaric and unprovoked attack on innocent citizens and assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.


“‎Citizens are urged to remain calm, stay vigilant, and cooperate fully with security agencies by providing any useful information that may aid ongoing investigations.” Noted the release.

Tension in jos north council area as government slams curfew over sunday’s killings in Plateau

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