The Network of Advocates for Digital Reporting (NADIR) and PRNigeria has enjoined media practitioners on the need to incorporate the application of artificial intelligence (AI tools in order to boost efficiency and improve performance across their newsroom.

The Executive Secretary of NADIR and head of Innovation at PRNigeria, Mohammed Dahiru Lawal, who is the convener disclosed this during a one-day roundtable discussion with journalists in Kano State.

The maiden dialogue with the theme “Localising Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Newsrooms and Digital Media” was aimed at bringing together local journalists, media professionals, and AI experts to explore the potential and challenges of localising AI in the media landscape.

He emphasised that AI tools have the capacity to enhance the journalism profession when deployed appropriately, especially in today’s media landscape where digitization and automation are taking the lead.

“The time is ripe for journalists and reporters to embrace and learn how to manipulate AI tools effectively in order to enhance their job and improve performance towards achieving the targeted organisational goals.” Mr. Lawal added.

While making a presentation, an AI and communication expert, Malam Isah Ali Muhammad, noted that the need to incorporate AI tools across various work landscapes can never be overemphasised.

The facilitator harped on the need to localise AI tools across the newsroom while still paying attention to the conceptof ethics and responsible journalism.

On the other hand, the participants described this kind of discussion as timely and very apt, especially when there is concern about AI having the potential to displace many people from their jobs due to its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reduced time consumption.

Having judiciously analysed the challenges and prospects of AI tools, the participants strongly advocated for their application and sought a series of capacity-building trainings in order to equip journalists with the requisite knowledge of their proper application.

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In a move to bolster the cybersecurity landscape in West Africa, a leading digital literacy organization, the Network of Advocates for Digital Reporting (NADIR), has called on Nigerian youths to apply for the Economic Community of West Africa’s (ECOWAS) cybersecurity hackathon.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) recently announced that the Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, organized by ECOWAS and hosted by Nigeria, is a collaborative effort involving the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

The “Capture the Flag” (CTF) competition presents a phenomenal opportunity for young Nigerians to develop in-demand cybersecurity skills, network with regional professionals, and contribute to a safer digital landscape for West Africa.

In a press statement, the Executive Secretary of NADIR, Mohammed Dahiru Lawal, urged all eligible Nigerian youths, from beginners to seasoned professionals, to seize this chance to sharpen their cybersecurity skills through the CTF, which provides a fun and engaging vista and allows for continuous learning through valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity.

He said the event would equip participants to stay ahead of the curve and network with other talented individuals from across the region, fostering a vibrant cybersecurity community. “Participating in the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Hackathon is an investment in the nation, the future of our youth, and the upcoming generation, which hold the potential to open doors towards excellent job prospects and collaborative projects,” Lawal emphasized.

NADIR is committed to empowering Nigerians with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the digital age. The organization advocates for responsible digital practices, promotes digital inclusion, and bridges the digital divide. “We therefore encourage all eligible Nigerians to register for the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Hackathon so that together, we can build a more secure and prosperous digital future for our nation and continent,” Lawal added.

NITDA highlighted the event as an excellent opportunity for both beginners and seasoned professionals to immerse themselves in the world of cybersecurity, acquire new skills, and network with fellow enthusiasts.

In its post on the hackathon’s website, ECOWAS invited talented individuals and teams to join the exhilarating competition to demonstrate their expertise, collaborate with peers, and push the boundaries of cybersecurity. “Be part of the talent pool driving the security of cyberspace for your country and West Africa as a whole,” ECOWAS stated.

The Cybersecurity Hackathon aims to foster a platform for young technology enthusiasts, ultimately enhancing the cyber workforce in the region. ECOWAS has urged member states to participate and showcase their brightest minds in this competition.

The registration for the competition opened on July 18 and is expected to close on August 5, 2024. ECOWAS has outlined the following eligibility criteria for participants:

Participants are expected to be citizens of ECOWAS member countries, while travel tickets would be provided for those residing within the region.

Each team must consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of four members, with at least one (1) female participant. They must be between seventeen (17) and thirty-five (35) years of age.

Despite the steady increase in cyberattacks, Nigeria currently has one of the lowest numbers of cybersecurity experts in the world. According to a recent report by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), there is now a global gap of four million cybersecurity jobs to be filled, with Nigeria and South Africa having more gaps compared to other countries.

To address this talent shortage, the Nigerian government has launched the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which aims to train 3 million Nigerians in technical skills, including cybersecurity.

The ECOWAS Cybersecurity Hackathon presents an opportunity for Nigerian youths to showcase their skills, network with industry professionals, and contribute to strengthening the cybersecurity landscape in West Africa.

By participating in this competition, young Nigerians can not only enhance their own capabilities but also play a crucial role in securing the digital future of their country and the region.

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TECHDIGEST – The Network of Advocates for Digital Reporting (NADIR) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the nomination of renowned tech expert, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, as minister.

Tunji-Ojo, a lawmaker from the Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State, is among the first batch of 28 ministerial nominees whose names were read out by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Thursday.

NADIR, a formidable network of digital-savvy editors, publishers and other practitioners and registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), in a statement by it Executive Director, Dahiru Lawal said that President Tinubu’s choice of Tunji-Ojo shows his desire to put round pegs in round holes as part of measures to advance the country’s digital economy.

“Born in 1982, Tunji-Ojo studied Electronics and Communication Engineering at the University of North London (now London Metropolitan University) and graduated in 2005. He obtained a master’s degree in Digital Communication and Networking from the same institution in 2006.

“He holds certifications in eighteen professional qualifications in ICT including the prestigious title of being one of the first set of certified ethical hackers from Royal Britannia IT Training Academy in the United Kingdom before he turned 24 years.

“NADIR is therefore not only proud of Tunji-Ojo’s achievements in the global digital space, we are also grateful to Mr President for finding one of Nigeria’s best youngsters worthy of appointment into his cabinet,” the statement read in part.

The Network described his nomination as a testament to President Tinubu’s commitment to choose the best for Nigeria on the basis of competence, merit and pedigree, and not ethno-relugious sentiments.

“It is on this note that we condemn the call by Computer Guild of Nigeria (CGN) that the next Minister of Communication and Digital Economy must be a Christian.

“We condemn in totality the resort to religious propaganda by a group of political jobbers who are seeking to blackmail the Tinubu administration to do their narrow and selfish bidding.

“Religion should never serve as a criterion for appointing individuals into offices and we find it shocking that rabble rousers and religious bigots choose to push through their divisive agenda under a name that should naturally evoke professionalism and decency.

“Even more ridiculous is the claim by the CGN that Nigerian Christians have a huge number of competent hands that can take the Communications Ministry to greater heights. Who told them that Nigerian Muslims, traditional worshippers, free thinkers and aethists do not also have some of the best brains among them who can fit perfectly as Minister in the Communications Ministry?

“We are surprised that groups of political hustlers who campaigned vigorously against the election of President Tinubu are now seeking to blackmail the President to do their bidding.

READ ALSO: NITDA Boss Tasks Youth On Technological Disruption 

NADIR similarly condemned the call by a similar group for the removal of the ‘hardworking’ Director-General of the National Information Technological Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa.

The group argued that NITDA’s contributions to the global tech space have been commendable under the guidance of Inuwa as the agency’s strides in promoting technological innovation and digitalisation have been remarkable.

According to the Network, interrupting the progress being made by NITDA at the moment will not serve the interest of the country’s digital economy.

The Network mentioned the achievements of NITDA under Inuwa as follows:

“In 2021, the NITDA under Inuwa unveiled its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021 – 2024), which is anchored on seven strategic pillars to support the achievement of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) objectives. The ongoing implementation of the 64 strategic initiatives of SRAP has significantly contributed to the impact of ICT on the economy. In addition, the Agency’s strategic engagement with critical stakeholders in the ecosystem and implementation of the SRAP initiatives have made Nigeria the leading destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to startups in Africa, attracting about US$3.8billion which constitutes about 35% of all FDI into African startups from 2019.

“Through the Agency’s implementation of strategic initiatives and interventions, many jobs were created for Nigerians. For instance, the Agency set up the Tech4COVID Committee, which developed strategies to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative led to the retention of over 100,000 ICT jobs and created additional 30,000 jobs in the post-COVID-19 era. Similarly, the NDPR compliance drive created 7,680 jobs and a market valued at ₦1.2 billion.

“Furthermore, the implementation of the Agency’s National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) initiative has thus far engaged nine hundred (900) farmers and created over five thousand (5,000) direct and indirect jobs. The initiative targets the engagement of ten (10) million farmers across the agricultural value chain by 2030. The Agency developed the National Outsourcing Strategy to deliver one (1) million jobs by 2025, contributing to the employment of 16,540 Nigerians. The Business Process Outsourcing market is estimated at US$286.8 million, as reported by Africa Global Business Services (GBS).

“To promote emerging technologies in Nigeria, the Agency under Inuwa established the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR). The NCAIR has trained 1,250 youths across Nigeria on high-end cutting-edge technologies. The Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) was created as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to help incubate ideas and develop an enabling environment for startups to thrive.

“Through the ONDI, the Agency supported 143 startups through; Facilitation of ₦50 million grant each to 6 startups’; Facilitation of US$15,000 each to 3 startups; Seed funding support to 12 startups; Sponsorship of 51 startups to GITEX global event, LEAP Tech Conference, Intra-African Trade Fair, and 40 Nigerian startups to local events; Acceleration of 30 startups through the Bridge to MassChallenge (B2MC) Nigeria programme; Incubation of 16 startups through the iHatch Incubation programme; Training of 20 startups through the North-East Start-up Training (NEST) programme; Training of 74 innovators to build viable tech businesses through the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support (TIES) Scheme; Acceleration of 3 Nigerian startups through the NINJA Acceleration Programme in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); and Training of 300 secondary school students on digital innovation and entrepreneurship.

“In terms of digital talent development, Inuwa’s NITDA has committed to the conduct of an IT Talent Gap Assessment among Nigeria’s youth population for tech talent acceleration and position Nigeria as a global IT Talent Factory. In line with the FG’s initiative on social investment, the Agency launched the one (1) million software developer initiative, and thus far, 215,524 Nigerians have completed or are undergoing related capacity-building programmes. In addition, various multi-sectorial capacity-building programmes were launched to promote digital literacy, and 823,814 Nigerians have been trained so far.”

The Network urged the President to ignore the call for Inuwa’s removal from office.

“Yet, this is the same action man some unpatriotic elements want President Tinubu to remove from office.

“There has to be a limit to political charlatanism. We are calling on President Tinubu to ignore these group of individuals who do not mean well for his administration and Nigeria in general,” the statement concluded.

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TECHDIGEST – PRNigeria’s Head of Fact-Checking and Special Investigations, Dahiru Lawal Mohammed has bagged the Professor Ali Pantami Prize for the Best Graduating Student in Digital Economy in Information and Media Studies, while another graduate, Muhammad Salisu Danmande bagged Professor Muhammad Bashir Ali prize for best graduating student in Public Relations in Mass Communication.

The awards were conferred on them at the Grand Finale of the 37th Convocation of Bayero University Kano for the 2019/2020 academic session.

Other Awardees are Professor Balarabe Maikaba Prize for best graduating student in mass media research won by Fatima Idris; Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero Prize for the best graduating student in Broadcasting in Mass Communication won by Yakubu bn Adam.

READ ALSO: Two Nigerian Startups Win $300,000 At LEAP’s Competition in Riyadh

Other included Professor Musa Muhammad Borodo Prize for the best graduating student in MBBS won by Aminu Salisu Haruna; L&Z integrated farmers prize for the best graduating student in Animal Science won by Hauwa Yusuf Ibrahim and BUK Sassakawa African Fund Prize in Agricultural Extension won by Idris Yakubu Ya’u.

Similarly, Engr Ibrahim Khalil Inuwa Prize for the best graduating student in medical engineering is won by Jamilu Danjuma; Intergraph Consultants Prize for the best graduating student in Architecture won by Abdulrahman Isa among other prize winners of the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 academic session.

Reacting, Mr Dahiru appreciated his lecturers for their mentorship and supports and vowed to continue breaking new grounds in Digital Media Economy.

Meanwhile, the convocation also witnessed the investiture of the 4th Chancellor of the University, His Majesty, Oba Ewuare 11, Oba of Benin who was conferred with an Award of of Doctor of Law Honoris Kausa.

While speaking, the Oba commended the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas for his untiring effort in sustaining BUK as one of the top universities in Nigeria.

Oba Ewuare 11 proposed the establishment of the council of university chancellors to interface with the Federal Government in order to promote industrial harmony and prevent incessant strikes.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas congratulated all graduates and prize winners, urging them to represent the university well in making positive difference in their respective communities.

Prof Abbas has established world class digital TV and radio broadcasting station among other achievements.

He also announced that the university would soon acquire broadband infrastructure for unlimited internet connectivity on the campuses.

At the 36th/37th combined convocation, 16,581 bachelor’s degrees from 16 faculties were awarded while 8,771 higher degrees and Post Graduate Diplomas were also awarded to graduates.

By PRNigeria

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