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Nigeria Secures N2.8bn Google Grant To Boost AI Talent Development

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The Nigerian government has announced a significant boost to its Artificial Intelligence (AI) talent development efforts, securing a N2.8 billion support grant from Google to equip a new generation of AI experts in the country.

The announcement was made by ‘Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, at an event in Abuja, organized in collaboration with Google on Thursday.

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The minister revealed that the funding is part of Google’s broader $5.8 million commitment to digital skills initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa.

He emphasized that this support will help bridge Nigeria’s unemployment gap and address economic challenges by enhancing AI expertise among its youth.

“This support from Google is a testament to our commitment to positioning Nigeria as a leader in AI innovation,” Tijani said.

“By leveraging Google’s expertise and resources, we are creating opportunities to equip Nigerians with the skills they need to thrive in the global digital economy. This is a major step forward in our journey towards a more inclusive and innovative future for all Nigerians.”

According to Matt Brittin, President of Google EMEA, the grant will contribute to Nigeria’s 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) program, aiming to equip 20,000 Nigerians with AI skills.

Brittin explained that the partnership will provide 125,000 educators with training, further impacting over 125,000 young learners in AI fundamentals.

“I’m pleased to announce that Google.org is providing N2.8 billion (or approximately $1.7 million) in funding to the Data Scientists Network Foundation, supporting the Honourable Minister’s vision for AI growth in Nigeria,” Brittin said.

He highlighted that Google will empower 10 emerging Nigerian AI startups with a funding package of N100 million, along with $3.5 million in Google Cloud Credits, mentorship, and technical support.

The Experience AI Program, developed with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, will also play a vital role, targeting Nigerian educators to inspire and educate young learners in AI.

Through these initiatives, the Nigerian government and Google aim to build a skilled AI workforce that can contribute to the digital economy, pushing Nigeria closer to its ambition of becoming an AI innovation hub in Africa.

 

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‘Dem Dey Use Stick Dey Flog Women’ — Nigerians in India Camp Cry Out

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Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.

The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.

Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.

SEE ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case

“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.

Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”

“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.

The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.

Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”

The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.

“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.

The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.

They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.

“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.

“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”

The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.

Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.

No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.

 

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‘Military Gets Huge Budgets, Yet Air Crashes Persist’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Military Conducts Mass Burial For Slain Soldiers In Niger Ambush, Air Crash

Rights activist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of The Dialogue, Shehu Muhammad, has questioned the continued occurrence of military aircraft crashes despite the huge budgetary allocations to the country’s defence and security sector.

Muhammad spoke while reacting to the recent Nigerian Navy aircraft crash in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

Describing the incident as “one incident too many,” he recalled that Nigeria had recorded several military aircraft crashes involving the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army over the years.

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He said the recurring incidents had raised concerns among members of the public about the condition of military aircraft and the process through which military hardware is procured.

“People have begun to cast aspersions as to the honesty, sincerity, and openness in the purchase of military hardware, including airplanes,” Muhammad said.

According to him, the concerns are heightened by the substantial funds allocated to the military and other security agencies over the years.

“There are insinuations by the public that, after all, the military receive the highest amount of money from the budget year in, year out,” he said.

Muhammad also questioned the transparency of defence procurement, particularly the process of selecting contractors for the supply of military equipment.

He argued that the repeated crashes should prompt authorities to examine military aviation operations, aircraft procurement and the management of defence resources.

The latest crash occurred in Irele, Ondo State, with recovery efforts reportedly complicated by the difficult terrain around the crash site.

Muhammad said the latest incident should not be treated in isolation, but should lead to broader questions about military aviation safety and the management of resources allocated to the defence sector.

He called for greater transparency and accountability in the procurement and management of military hardware to restore public confidence.

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‘NYSC Has Outlived Its Usefulness, Should Be Scrapped’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Gombe NYSC Prioritises Safety of Corps Members

Rights activist and public affairs analyst, Shehu Mohammed, has called for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the scheme has outlived its usefulness amid growing security concerns across the country.

Shehu made the call on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, while reacting to the kidnapping of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in Akwa Ibom and Anambra states.

He described the incident as “one incident too many,” noting that kidnapping, maiming and the detention of victims in kidnappers’ camps had become frequent in several parts of the country.

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“I think it is just a case of one incident too many. There are more unreported cases of kidnapping and maiming and detention in kidnappers’ den, almost all over the country, especially in the northern part of the country: the Middle North West, North East, and North Central. It’s a daily, daily happening,” Sani said.

He said the security situation had made him question the continued relevance of the NYSC scheme, which was established to promote national unity.

“When Bukola was saying that she objects to the scrapping of NYSC, I tend to take a different view. My view is that the entire NYSC was meant to unite Nigeria, but if in uniting Nigeria you lose your daughter, you lose your son, you lose your uncle, you lose your sister, you lose your neighbour, then it’s not worth the trouble,” he said.

Shehu argued that corps members should instead be allowed to serve in their respective states, eliminating the need for young Nigerians to travel long distances to orientation camps.

“This NYSC issue should be scrapped, removed from the constitution, allow each and every corps member to serve in his own state, traveling with all the dangers, with all the costs,” he said.

He also highlighted the financial burden placed on families when corps members are posted far from their home states.

“If a child is going from Katsina to Anambra State to report to the camp, minimum that you give him is three hundred thousand naira for transfer cost, three hundred. How many parents have three hundred thousand naira to give their wards?” Sani asked.

He said the financial burden was only one aspect of the problem, with corps members also facing security risks and possible trauma during interstate travel.

“Minus all the dangers, the consequences, the uncertainties, the traumas involved. If your child has to go through a trauma, through uncertainty, through pain, through kidnapping, through raping, eventually through killing, why do you have to go for NYSC?” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, the NYSC project has outlived its usefulness. It should be scrapped.”

Shehu also warned that kidnapping in Nigeria was taking a new dimension, with criminal groups increasingly targeting vulnerable groups.

“Corps members are vulnerable groups. Travelers for commercial purposes all over the country are vulnerable groups. Therefore they are now going for soft targets,” he said.

According to him, kidnappers also use abductions to blackmail victims’ families and government authorities into paying ransom.

“The next one is blackmailing either the parents or blackmailing government to collect money,” he said.
Sani alleged that ransom payments were subsequently used to finance criminal activities.

“So they can finance their arm purchase. They can finance their purchase of hard drugs to enable them operate without pity and compassion, and to send permanent fear into the community,” he said.

He added that the kidnappers were using their activities to create fear within communities, despite being relatively few in number.

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