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2018 UTME: JAMB Plans New Registration Mode

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The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB),  Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, says the board may introduce a new mode of registration in 2018 to checkmate fraudsters.
Oloyede, who made the remarks at a news conference in Lagos, recently also said any Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, defrauded by con men, deserved no sympathy.
The registrar said the board would continue to introduce measures to beat examination malpractice, adding that next year’s examination might have a new registration mode.
“Among the malpractices discovered this year was a case of two different persons having fingerprints for a candidate.
“In this case, it is the impersonator and the person being impersonated conniving with some other persons at the CBT centres.
“However, as they are coming up with all these tricks, we are putting modalities on ground to be ahead of them.
“I want to assure that next year’s examination might not use the current method we used in the examination process.
“People are being criminally innovative, but that will not stop us from moving ahead and protecting the sanctity and integrity of our examination,” Oloyede said.
According to him, those candidates, who might have been defrauded deserve no sympathy because they were looking for ways to circumvent the integrity of the UTME.
“Even parents besiege examination centres, looking for means to `corner’ impersonators to hire in order to help their children pass the examination.
“In this case, it is widely observed that family values have been eroded and it is indeed painful.” Oloyede said.
The registrar said  some `mushroom’ computer based testing (CBT) centres had derailed from the set rules.
“They do not deserve to be assisted as some of them, connive to defraud the innocent public as they do anything possible to make money.
“They even create VIP rooms in their centres by extending JAMB cables into a private room, where they write the examination for candidates for a fee.
Oloyede, however, exonerated some centres, saying they had perfected the vision of JAMB.
He added that the board was encouraging such upcoming and prospective CBT centres to key into the board’s vision.
Assessing the conduct of the examination so far, the registrar said the conduct of the examination could be adjudged “free and fair” in spite of few hitches in some centres.
“So far, 1,648,429 candidates have written the  CBT mode examination,”
Oloyede said he was in Lagos for an on the spot assessment of some centres in the state.
“I must say that some of these centres did not really meet our standards nor abide by our rules.
“Some of these `mushroom’ centres broke the rules by conniving with some candidates to compromise the integrity of the examination.
“It is indeed sad and painful that parents and even the candidates allow themselves to be defrauded and used by the owners of some of these centres.
“However, so far, it has been good even though we have seen how clever and wise our people can be, having tried to deploy all kinds of shady means to cheat,” he said.
The Tide  reports that 1.7 million candidates registered for the 2017 examination.

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NCC Assures Safe, Accessible Digital Space

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has assured Nigerians of accessible, resilient and safe digital space in the nation’s digital economy.
The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Rimini Makama, gave the assurance at the NCC’s Digital Economy Sensitisation Forum, with the theme, “Leaving No One Behind: Digital Access, Equity and Empowerment” in Abuja.
Makama said that the commission remained committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s national telecommunications infrastructure remained resilient, accessible and secure.
“Digital empoScientists Advocate Shared Responsibility To Boost Food Securitywerment must be inclusive. Without inclusion and equity, the benefits of the digital economy will remain unevenly distributed.
“The commission, through its Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and other initiatives, is actively extending digital opportunities to the unserved, underserved, physically challenged and vulnerable groups through several impactful programmes,” he said.
The Publicity Expert for the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr Nihinlola Fefa, said that the association had been an advocate of cyber security awareness and sensitisation over the years.
“ATCON has been a very key stakeholder in the ICT and telecom industry. We have always advocated for cybersecurity awareness and sensitisation.
“We have been giving our own input over the years. We interface with all the telecom companies. We do a lot of studies, and we also give our contributions in so many ways,” she said.
She commended the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, for deploying technology into rural communities.
According to her, though Nigeria is doing well in the area of cybersecurity, there is room for improvement.
“We are in a good position right now and we can do better from the government side,” she said.
Also speaking, the Head, IT and Cybersecurity, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Olorunisomo Isola, said that the commission had rolled out the necessary framework.

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Expert Tasks Nigerians On AI

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An economist, Dr Chinedu Amadi, has urged Nigerians to leverage the opportunities inherent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become competitive in the global business and social spaces.
Amadi, who is also the President, Organisation of Youth in International Trade and Commerce (OY-ITC), gave the urge during an interview with newsmen , in Abuja, Monday.
Amadi noted that humanity has always advanced by expanding its intelligence and capabilities through technology across different eras pointing out that AI now drives economic systems, social interactions and competitive advantage among nations globally.
“The world is entering a phase where humans and intelligent machines will share cognitive functions, so Nigeria should innovate or risk being sidelined in the emerging global digital order.
“The next frontier extends beyond AI tools to a deeper relationship between human consciousness and machine intelligence. This phase has the dawn of shared human machine cognition shaping future innovation and development worldwide,” he said.
Amadi noted that countries like the U.S., Japan and China already integrated AI into national planning, logistics and defence operations.
He warned that a deeper wave of collaboration between humans and intelligent systems is rapidly emerging
urging Nigeria and other African nations not to remain passive observers in this technological transition.
“Nigeria must innovate urgently or risk missing another major industrial revolution. Future global leadership will favour nations that create, regulate and ethically manage advanced technologies,” he added.
He said that the youthful population is viewed as a potential cognitive economy capable of driving digital creativity.
He advised policymakers and institutions to develop indigenous technologies, reflecting national priorities and moral values.
The president, however, noted that energy and agricultural sector can gain efficiency through predictive AI and advanced computation, adding that governance can also benefit from digital systems that strengthen transparency and curb corruption.
While noting that neural interfaces and quantum processing would soon merge human thought with computationAmadi said that the evolution demands ethical guidance, empathy and deeper human conscience in education system.
According to him, nations worldwide are racing to regulate AI and Nigeria also needs to define its strategic position.
“The future beyond AI will favour societies that balance innovation with wisdom and uphold human dignity,” he said.

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NIGCOMSAT Expands Nigeria’s Digital Broadcast Subsector By 35%

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The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited says the country’s digital broadcast subsector  has expanded by 35 per cent to 75 per cent utilisation in two years.
This, it said, represented a milestone in the country’s digital transformation drive.
The Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, made the remark  at a retreat with the theme: ‘Aligning for the Future: Innovation, Collaboration, and Sustainable Growth”, in Abuja, Monday.
According to her the theme reflects NIGCOMSAT’s commitment to driving Nigeria’s digital transformation and positioning itself as a global satellite industry leader.
She said one of the notable achievements in its broadcast segment was the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project, describing it as not just a technical milestone but also a national service.
“This growth is a testament to the organization’s improved service delivery and stronger engagement with partners and clients.
“The DSO project, a collaborative effort with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is a key milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“NIGCOMSAT’s contribution to the project is enabling digital broadcasting penetration across the federation, cementing the organisation’s position at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” she said.
Egerton-Idehen said the achievements were expected to drive revenue growth, with target of three billion naira in annual revenue and eight billion naira in revenue within three years adding that the organisation’s expansion of broadband services and private sector partnership was key to achieving the goals.
“We cannot move boldly into the future without addressing the weight of the past. Our debt profile — both financial and operational — is a reality we must confront with strategy, discipline, and creativity.
“These are our headwinds. We acknowledge them openly because honesty is the first step toward transformation.,” Egerton-Idehen said.
She said in spite of challenges such as economic barriers and competition, the organisation remained optimistic about the future.
“We must out-innovate the market, deepen partnerships, and build a culture of solution-focused, profit-driven, and people-centered excellence.”
“The key initiatives include transitioning to software-defined satellites, expanding broadband services, and the NIGCOMSAT Accelerator for the Space Ecosystem.
“The organisation is prioritising public-private partnerships, branding, and communication, as well as investing in its people,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Data Science Nigeria, Olubayo Adekanbi, said satellite-based economy could revolutionise key sectors such as agriculture, health, and education, creating new job opportunities and increasing productivity.
“By providing internet access to remote areas, satellite technology can bridge the digital divide and ensure no one is left behind.

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