Business
FG directs the suspension of NIMC staff involved in extortion of NIN applicants
Minister of Communications has suspended staff members involved in the extortion of applicants at the NIMC Bauchi and Kaduna State offices.
The Federal Government has directed the suspension of staff members involved in the extortion of applicants at the NIMC Bauchi and Kaduna State offices.
This directive was made by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, according to the press statement issued by Kayode Adegoke, the Head of Corporate Communications, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
READ: NIMC unable to produce ID cards despite receiving over N80 billion
Dr Pantami in the statement reiterated that the disgraceful actions of these staff, if allowed to fester and not nipped in the bud by taking stiffer actions against the culprits, have the potency of derailing the SIM-NIN Integration project.
He emphasized that the enrolment for the National Identification Number (NIN) is free of charge and on no occasion should anyone pay to obtain an enrolment form or to have their biometrics captured.
READ: How to link your National Identity Number with your phone number
The Minister tasked all personnel involved in the enrolment and NIN issuance exercise to carry out their respective duties professionally, fairly and with integrity, as the Ministry will continue to maintain its zero-tolerance stance on extortion, bribery and corruption.
READ: FG orders removal of N20 NIN retrieval charge across all networks
What you should know
- A lot of allegations had been lashed out at NIMC staff and key workers at the enrolment centres in recent times on cases of extortions, bribery and intimidation as Nigerians troop out en masse to obtain their National Identification Number, to avoid being blocked by their Network Providers.
- It is important to note that the recent decision of the Minister to suspend workers caught perpetrating these fraudulent activities came on the heels of public outcry that some personnel of NIMC, particularly at some enrolment centers in Bauchi and Kaduna were capitalizing on the rush for NIN by the public.
READ: NIN Registration: NIMC adopts booking system for enrolment from December 30
Going forward
In the light of the recent development across enrolment centers and NIMC offices, the Minister has called on the general public to assist the Government, by sending proof of any nefarious activity within and around the centers.
READ: FG extends deadline for Telcos to block SIMs without NIN to February 2021
Business
Twitter to establish its first African presence in Ghana
Twitter has announced Ghana as headquarter of its operations in Africa.
Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter Inc has announced today in a tweet that the company is establishing a presence in Africa.
“Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you, Ghana and Nana Akufo-Addo,” Dorsey tweeted.
As part of its mission to serve the public conversation, Twitter is making it easier for everyone to join in and provide more relevant experiences for people across the world.
Why Ghana as a choice…
Twitter stated that it chose to expand to Ghana first because the country is an advocate of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet.
In a blog post the company said, “In line with our growth strategy, we’re excited to announce that we are now actively building a team in Ghana. To truly serve the public conversation, we must be more immersed in the rich and vibrant communities that drive the conversations taking place every day across the African continent.”
“Furthermore, Ghana’s recent appointment to host The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area aligns with our overarching goal to establish a presence in the region that will support our efforts to improve and tailor our service across Africa.
“Whenever we enter new markets, we work hard to ensure that we are not just investing in the talent that we hire, but also investing in local communities and the social fabric that supports them. We have already laid foundations through partnerships with Amref Health Africa in Kenya, Afrochella in Ghana, Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) in Nigeria, and The HackLab Foundation in Ghana. As part of our long-term commitment to the region, we’ll continue to explore compelling ways we can use the positive power of Twitter to strengthen our communities through employee engagement, platform activation, and corporate giving,” Twitter stated.
The company is also looking to hire specialists to join several teams to operate in product, design, engineering, marketing and communications.
The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is EXCELLENT news. Gov’t and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country. 1/3 #TwitterInGhana #TwitterGhana https://t.co/HdCqFgXK0x
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) April 12, 2021
Reacting to Dorsey’s announcement, Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, in a tweet said that the government and people of Ghana welcome welcomed the micro-blogging site.
“The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is excellent news. Government and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country,” President Akufo-Addo tweeted.
Business
Youths need critical skills to strengthen Nigerian economy – Bankers Committee’s FITC
Nigerian youths need to embrace adequate skills and create a pool of well-engaged workforce to directly strengthen the nation’s economy.
Bankers Committee’s FITC has called on Nigerian youths to embrace adequate skills and create a pool of well-engaged workforce to directly strengthen the nation’s economy.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director, FITC, Chizor Malize, during the launch of its Future of Work Academy for Youths on Monday.
According to her, the initiative is to continuously bridge the knowledge gap in the country and Africa at large, as it is expected to equip the youths for the peculiar needs of the Future of Work.
It also seeks to solve the prevalent issue of producing university graduates with degrees and skills that have limited practical use in the current global job market, as well as the requirements for the Future of Work.
She said, “The world of work is changing rapidly, and competition for the right talent is fierce. Graduate talents have for decades been primarily identified and employed based on academic excellence, however, in the emerging world of work, creativity, innovation, and work-ready skills have become the non-negotiable indicators for competitive advantage, and to evaluate capabilities.
“It is therefore important for youths to build critical skills, that will equip them for the requirements of the Future of Work in the ever-evolving business landscape. The value FITC FOWA is bringing to corporations at this time cannot be overemphasized. By equipping youths and creating a pool of well-engaged workforce for organizations, FITC FOWA will be directly strengthening the economy and the society in general.”
Malize added that the initiative offers essential courses in Data Science, Data Analytics, Coding, Digital Marketing, Graphics Designs, MS Excel & Analytics, Digital Marketing, Use of PowerPoint, and other key areas that have been strategically packaged to educate, enlighten, and upskill undergraduates and graduates with the vital skills for the Future of Work.
What you should know
Owned by the Bankers Committee (CBN, NDIC and all Nigerian deposit money banks), FITC was established in 1981 as a non-profit organisation limited by guarantee to provide capacity building and serve as a knowledge hub for the Nigerian Financial Services Sector.
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