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Authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) are investigating how an awaiting-trial inmate Osita Thomas escaped from court premises in Auchi Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Thomas 28 was being held at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Auchi pending trial.

He was reportedly taken to court last week for his trial but the court declined to grant him bail.

Sources said Thomas seized the opportunity after the court sitting to escape.

The sources added that the correctional officer who escorted him and other inmates to court could not pursue him for fear that the remaining inmates might also escape.

An NCoS official attributed the incident to a personnel shortage

The official said more than 1000 correctional officers were expected to retire this year adding that the service had no plans to recruit new personnel to fill the anticipated vacancies.

A statement by the spokesman of the Edo Command of the NSC Aminu Suleman said Osita escaped during his court appearance for trial on charges of Conspiracy and Stealing.

According to the statement ‘The Service solicits the cooperation of the general public to recapture the fugitive. Anyone with useful information about his whereabouts should contact the nearest Custodial Centre or Police Station or call 08038075882 or 08039243704.

‘The Controller of Corrections Edo State Command assures the general public that no effort will be spared to recapture the fugitive while security of all inmates in custody has been strengthened.’

Osita faces seven years’ imprisonment without parole if re-arrested.

The Forum of CEOs of Federal Parastatals in Nigeria (FORCEPA) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid announcing the mobilisation of over 100000 supporters for Saturday’s official kick-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna.

The Forum comprising chief executives of federal government agencies and parastatals declared that President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima deserved another four years in office to consolidate the administration’s economic reforms and accelerate national development.

Addressing a world press conference in Abuja on Thursday FORCEPA Chairman and Director-General of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) Dr Kazeem Kolawole Raji said members of the Forum had already been deployed to Kaduna to coordinate mobilisation engage stakeholders and ensure massive participation in the campaign flag-off.

Raji who described the Forum as a coalition of public-sector leaders committed to national development said its members had resolved to deploy their professional networks institutional experience and grassroots influence towards securing another term for the Tinubu-Shettima administration.

He maintained that the President had demonstrated sufficient courage in confronting Nigeria’s longstanding structural and economic challenges arguing that continuity was necessary to translate the ongoing reforms into sustainable prosperity.

According to him the Forum’s decision to support Tinubu’s re-election reflected its assessment of the administration’s economic policies institutional reforms and development programmes.

‘FORCEPA stands firmly for purposeful leadership institutional excellence national development and the consolidation of the Renewed Hope Agenda. We are proud to contribute our organisational capacity and collective commitment to the success of the Kaduna campaign kick-off.

‘Our mobilisation of over 100000 supporters reflects the seriousness with which we approach this responsibility and our belief that leadership must be supported by informed citizens effective communication and sustained engagement.

‘We commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his courage in pursuing difficult economic reforms and believe that continuity consolidation and improved delivery offer Nigeria a pathway to greater prosperity.

‘We are determined to ensure that the contributions of Federal Government institutions are better understood by Nigerians and that the aspirations of our people remain central to the national development agenda’ he said.

Raji explained that FORCEPA was established to harness the leadership experience institutional knowledge and professional networks of federal agency chief executives to improve governance public enlightenment and citizen engagement.

He said the Forum recognised the need to bridge the communication gap between government policies and ordinary Nigerians particularly on employment economic opportunities security social welfare entrepreneurship and improved service delivery.

The chairman acknowledged that despite the administration’s achievements implementation challenges remained stressing that the next phase of the Renewed Hope Agenda must focus on translating economic stabilisation into improvements in citizens’ living conditions.

He said public confidence in government could be sustained only through accountability transparency measurable results and responsiveness to legitimate public concerns.

Raji nevertheless insisted that the administration had laid the foundation for long-term economic transformation and deserved the opportunity to complete its programmes.

‘The Forum’s position is clear: one good term deserves another. Where leadership demonstrates the courage to confront structural challenges and lays the foundations for a stronger economy continuity offers an opportunity to deepen reforms strengthen institutions and accelerate development’ he declared.

Speaking during the interactive session the Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) and Chairman of FORCEPA’s Media and Publicity Committee Otunba Biodun Ajiboye described Tinubu’s emergence as President as a blessing to Nigeria.

Ajiboye drew parallels between the President’s current economic transformation agenda and his eight-year administration as Governor of Lagos State arguing that the developmental initiatives introduced during that period provided evidence of his capacity for long-term planning.

He recalled that Tinubu commissioned a long-term development strategy for Lagos during his governorship maintaining that the policy direction established under his leadership contributed significantly to the state’s subsequent economic growth and infrastructural transformation.

He said Nigerians should recognise the difference between leaders who merely occupy political offices and those with the vision to drive lasting development.

Also speaking the Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Dr Abisoye Fagade urged Nigerians to change their attitudes towards the country and demonstrate greater confidence in its economic recovery.

Fagade maintained that the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians stemmed from decades of structural deficiencies that could not realistically be corrected within three years.

He expressed confidence that the administration’s reforms were beginning to deliver results citing improvements in the prices of essential commodities particularly rice.

‘The hard time is over’ he declared arguing that Nigerians should give the President enough time to complete the economic transformation he initiated.

Fagade also commended Tinubu’s emphasis on strengthening government institutions saying the collaboration being promoted among federal agencies would improve policy coordination and service delivery.

He said bringing together agency chief executives under FORCEPA gave institutional leaders an opportunity to compare experiences exchange ideas and develop strategies to improve government performance.

‘A country that has been degenerated for almost 60 years cannot be fixed in three years. We should not rock the boat. We should do the right thing and allow this man to complete what he has started’ he said.

In his contribution the Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso said the administration’s industrialisation agenda offered a pathway towards reducing unemployment increasing incomes and strengthening Nigeria’s productive capacity.

Ike-Muonso identified the continued export of unprocessed raw materials as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s industrial development arguing that the country had failed for decades to derive maximum economic value from its abundant natural resources.

He cited cocoa production as an example claiming Nigeria retained less than five per cent of the commodity’s potential value because of inadequate domestic processing.

According to him Tinubu had challenged relevant government institutions to develop policies that would encourage local processing of raw materials promote manufacturing and create employment opportunities.

The RMRDC boss said the President had pushed for a policy requiring at least 30 per cent domestic value addition to raw materials before export as part of efforts to stimulate resource-based industrialisation.

He explained that the National Assembly had considered a legislative proposal addressing the issue and forwarded it to the President who then referred it to the Federal Ministry of Justice for further examination.

Ike-Muonso said the ministry returned the proposal to the National Assembly after its review explaining that the objective was to establish an appropriate legal framework for domestic value addition across different categories of raw materials.

He added that the administration was equally concerned about Nigeria’s continued importation of industrial raw materials that are already available locally in substantial quantities.

The professor maintained that expanding domestic processing capacity would help create jobs boost industrial production raise household incomes and improve the country’s economic competitiveness.

The Forum’s endorsement comes ahead of the APC’s scheduled presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday October 24 as the ruling party intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Senator Abdulaziz Yari had earlier announced Kaduna as the starting point of the party’s nationwide presidential campaign activities.

FORCEPA said its mobilisation efforts would complement the party’s broader grassroots engagement strategy while its members would continue to promote public understanding of government policies and programmes.

The Forum also urged its supporters and stakeholders to remain peaceful disciplined and united throughout the electioneering period insisting that continuity in leadership would allow it to consolidate the administration’s economic and institutional reforms.

Actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has shared relationship advice with her fans urging them not to lose themselves in the pursuit of love.

The award-winning actress known for sharing motivational and life lessons on social media took to her verified X handle on Thursday to reflect on hard work success and distractions.

In her post Akindele spoke about building something meaningful from scratch highlighting the sleepless nights sacrifices and hard work that come with it.

She noted that after putting in the work and recognition begins to come distractions will surface in different forms including love.

The mother of two stressed that nothing is wrong with falling in love but cautioned that individuals must stay grounded know their self-worth and prioritise self-love.

She said staying focused is key to sustaining success and avoiding losing one’s identity in a relationship.

She wrote ‘You work so hard sleepless nights sacrifices building something from scratch. Then come the accolades! But distractions will come in different forms sometimes even as love. Nothing wrong with falling in love oh! Just don’t lose yourself. Know your worth stay focused and love yourself first. I’m preaching to myself too!’

Akindele who has built a formidable career in the Nigerian film industry over two decades is regarded as one of Nollywood’s most successful filmmakers with multiple box-office records to her name.

Beyond her career achievements the actress has often used her platform to encourage women young creatives and entrepreneurs to stay resilient focused and confident on their journey.

The Southwest House of Representatives Caucus has described the late leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Pa Reuben Fasoranti as a selfless leader who sought the best for the Yoruba and Nigeria at large.

In a statement by the Caucus leader James Abiodun Faleke lawmakers representing Southwest federal constituencies said the political titan’s exit has created a vacuum.

Faleke said the late octogenarian would be remembered for championing unity justice and fair play during his tenure as Afenifere leader.

The statement read ‘Pa Fasoranti will be missed not only by the Yoruba whom he led with dedication and forthrightness. He led without bias. His tenure was peaceful remarkable and memorable.

‘Pa Fasoranti rallied the race; he led under one united umbrella. He was not controversial. He was forthright in his dealings with his followers and he earned their respect.

‘Baba will be missed not only by his immediate Yoruba race but his absence will also be felt by the entire country.

‘Our condolences go to his immediate family the Yoruba race and the government and people of Ondo State’ Faleke said in the statement.

The Nigerian Navy is planning to establish a research institute and research and development cells across its commands to develop indigenous technologies reduce operational costs and strengthen its combat capabilities.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Idi Abbas disclosed this on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the Nigerian Navy’s 2026 Research and Development Seminar held at the Naval Headquarters Abuja.

Abbas said the initiatives were designed to institutionalise innovation harness naval personnel’s ingenuity and translate research into practical affordable solutions to operational challenges.

He said the Navy needed to embrace emerging technologies to counter increasingly sophisticated maritime threats protect critical national infrastructure and improve its contribution to national security.

‘The objective is not to simply acquire more technology but to achieve greater operational effect with the resources available at our disposal’ the CNS said.

He noted that criminal networks were increasingly exploiting technology to evade detection and threaten critical national assets requiring improved intelligence gathering accurate surveillance and more effective deployment of military resources.

Abbas said technology-enabled maritime surveillance had improved the Navy’s awareness of activities within Nigeria’s maritime domain and helped direct patrols towards identified threats.

According to him the intelligence-led approach also enabled the service to deploy its limited assets more efficiently reduce fuel and maintenance costs and improve operational response.

The naval chief said surveillance of offshore installations and other critical infrastructure had strengthened efforts to combat crude oil theft and related economic crimes helping to create a more secure environment for oil production.

He added that emerging technologies offer opportunities to extend surveillance to creeks and adjoining coastal areas to monitor and protect pipelines.

Abbas said the Navy’s progress in indigenous shipbuilding and maintenance through its dockyard and shipyard demonstrated the service’s growing capacity to develop and sustain operational capabilities locally.

He said the increasing deployment of naval personnel including Marines and Special Forces in joint counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations had heightened the need for improved intelligence gathering unmanned surveillance secure communications and battlefield awareness.

He said the proposed research institute and command-level research and development cells would help meet these requirements by turning research into equipment and systems operational units could deploy.

Abbas however stressed that developing effective military technology required collaboration with universities research institutions and indigenous industries.

He said ‘It is important to note that meaningful innovation cannot be achieved through isolated efforts. It requires purposeful collaboration with universities research institutions and indigenous industries with emphasis on developing testing and deploying solutions that meet operational needs.

‘I therefore expect this seminar to identify specific capability gaps recommend viable research partnerships and establish practical pathways for translating promising innovations into equipment and systems that can be employed by our operational units.’

He urged participants at the seminar themed ‘Deepening the Application of Emerging Technologies for Operational Effectiveness’ to identify capability gaps recommend viable research partnerships and establish practical ways to translate promising innovations into operational solutions.

He said the initiative’s success would be measured by the capabilities developed resources saved and operational results achieved.

The CNS commended President Bola Tinubu for his continued support in strengthening the Navy’s operational capabilities. He also praised the Naval Transformation and Innovation Branch for organising the seminar.

The Chief of Transformation and Innovation Rear Admiral Chijioke Oyenmobi said the seminar was designed to harness emerging technologies and intensify research efforts in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s vision to enhance operational capabilities and promote indigenous solutions.

He said developing local technological capacity was essential to improving the service’s operational readiness and achieving self-reliance.

Oyenmobi said emerging technologies including unmanned systems artificial intelligence advanced sensors and additive manufacturing are reshaping naval operations fleet maintenance and sustainment.

He said rising costs for imported platforms and spare parts coupled with long supply lead times make it imperative for the Navy to strengthen its domestic research and technological capabilities.

‘A navy that depends entirely on others for its technology cannot fully control its own readiness’ he said.

He described research and development as the link between emerging technologies and the Navy’s operational requirements as well as a pathway towards reducing external dependence.

Lagos State motorists could obtain renewed driver’s licences in 10 minutes and new licences in 30 minutes under an automated system scheduled for launch in 2027 the state government has said.

The Permanent Secretary of the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) Rasheed Muri-Okunola disclosed this at the 2026 media parley organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation adding that testing was underway ahead of the planned rollout. He said the system would allow applicants to begin the process from home before visiting designated centres for biometric capture and other required procedures.

The initiative is expected to address persistent delays in driver’s licence issuance with some applicants waiting months or years after payment to receive their licences.

The permanent secretary said the state had signed a concession agreement with a consultant to support the automation of the agency’s operations. The programme will also cover vehicle documentation and number plate processing allowing motorists to handle more administrative procedures without repeated visits to government offices.

The announcement was one of several updates presented by agencies at the parley which covered rail expansion water transportation parking management and preparations for increased traffic during the December festive season.

The Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Engr. Abimbola Akinajo said three additional stations on the Blue Line at Alakija Festac and Trade Fair were expected to become operational by the end of February 2027. She said the expansion would extend the line beyond its current Mile 2 terminus with the long-term plan to take it to Okokomaiko.

Akinajo also said three eight car train sets were expected to be added to the Red Line fleet in November allowing daily services to increase from nine to 20 initially and then to 28 before the end of 2027.

She added that four major quality bus corridors including their terminals and depots were expected to be ready by February 2027.

On water transportation officials said the five-year Omi Eko project which began in 2026 was expected to deliver 25 terminals and jetties and about 78 electric ferries. The first ferries are expected to arrive in Lagos around 2028 with full operations projected for 2031 after the completion of supporting infrastructure.

The Lagos State Parking Authority also announced plans to expand its operations and introduce technology driven parking payments including cashless options and mobile phone payments.

Meanwhile the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said more than 2000 personnel would be deployed to major traffic corridors and commercial centres during the December rush supported by recovery vehicles and overnight operations.

He said more than 365 traffic incidents were recorded between January and September on the Toll Gate to Kara Bridge corridor resulting in about 15 deaths. More than 860 incidents were also recorded on the Coastal Road during the period under review with about 17 lives lost.

The President of the Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN) Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo led a delegation from the organisation on a visit to Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa ahead of its 11th General Assembly scheduled for November 15.

The delegation comprised Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti Deputy President I; Alhaji Wale Sonaike Deputy President II; Prof. Wole Abbas Executive Secretary; Professor Muibi Opeloye Executive Secretary of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC); other senior MUSWEN officials; leaders of the Ondo State Muslim Community; and clerics among others.

During the visit Alhaji Oladejo sought the governor’s support to successfully host the MUSWEN General Assembly at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque Hall.

He also appealed to the state government to support the establishment of a Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) chapter in Ondo State to strengthen interfaith dialogue and promote peaceful coexistence.

Oladejo also the Deputy President-General (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) said the proposed NIREC chapter would give Muslim and Christian leaders a platform to address misunderstandings prevent religious conflicts and promote mutual understanding at the grassroots.

He explained that NIREC comprises 60 members with equal representation from the Muslim and Christian communities and is co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto who is President-General of the NSCIA and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

According to him one of the priorities of the council’s newly appointed Executive Secretary Professor Muibi Opeloye is to establish chapters across the states of the federation to strengthen interfaith engagement at the community level.

The proposed Ondo State chapter would comprise 14 members with seven representatives each from the Muslim and Christian communities.

Oladejo appealed to Aiyedatiwa to facilitate the chapter’s establishment through appropriate administrative arrangements and provide an enabling environment for its activities.

He said the initiative would complement existing religious organisations and government institutions by providing a structured platform for dialogue early intervention in potential disputes and conflict prevention.

The MUSWEN president added that establishing the chapter would demonstrate the state government’s commitment to religious freedom inclusion and peaceful coexistence.

At the forthcoming General Assembly Oladejo described the event as a major gathering of Muslim leaders Islamic scholars and community representatives from across the South-West to deliberate on issues affecting Muslims and wider society.

He said the assembly would strengthen unity among Muslims deepen cooperation among constituent organisations and develop practical responses to challenges such as economic hardship insecurity and youth unemployment.

He therefore sought the Ondo State Government’s goodwill and support to successfully host the event while expressing hope that the governor would participate in activities surrounding the assembly as his schedule permitted.

Oladejo also called for sustained collaboration between the state government and the Muslim community in education youth empowerment healthcare poverty reduction and economic inclusion.

He stressed that regular consultations between government officials and Muslim leaders would help address community concerns and enable religious organisations to contribute to public policy and development.

The MUSWEN president said investing in education vocational training and skills acquisition is essential to preparing young people for productive lives while partnerships among government religious organisations and the private sector could expand opportunities for youth.

He added that policies aimed at improving healthcare creating employment and protecting vulnerable citizens would strengthen public confidence and social stability.

Oladejo commended Aiyedatiwa for his administration’s intervention in resolving the crisis that had affected the Ikare-Akoko Muslim community for more than three years and led to the closure of its central mosque.

He said MUSWEN’s Mediation and Reconciliation Committee visited Ikare to mediate the dispute before the state government intervened and ended the crisis.

According to him the Commissioner for Local Government and the Chairman of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board also assisted the committee during its mediation efforts.

He described the dispute’s resolution as evidence of the importance of cooperation between government and religious institutions in addressing communal conflicts.

Oladejo reaffirmed MUSWEN’s readiness to work with the Ondo State Government NIREC the Christian community and other stakeholders to promote religious harmony peace and development.

He expressed hope that the governor would favourably consider the request to establish the NIREC chapter and continue supporting the Muslim community in the state.

Responding Governor Aiyedatiwa thanked MUSWEN for the visit. He promised support for the group’s forthcoming General Assembly and said his administration would favourably consider establishing the state chapter of NIREC as requested.

The governor also used the opportunity to commend the Ondo State Muslim community for their peaceful coexistence with their counterparts of other faiths.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has begun training 10000 officers on election security ahead of the 2027 general elections with Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu warning personnel against partisanship voter intimidation and other forms of electoral misconduct.

Disu who gave the directive at the opening of a five-day training programme on Thursday at the Nigeria Police Resource Centre Jabi Abuja said officers deployed for election duties must remain neutral professional and accountable.

He warned that any officer found compromising the neutrality of the Force would be held responsible stressing that the police must protect voters electoral officials and the integrity of the electoral process without fear or favour.

The training organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) is being conducted at designated centres across 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory as part of preparations for the 2027 elections.

The programme covers election security management crowd control conflict prevention rules of engagement human rights intelligence gathering and lawful responses to election-related incidents.

The IGP also directed police commands to strengthen intelligence gathering operational planning and collaboration with other security agencies particularly in areas affected by terrorism banditry kidnapping and communal violence.

He warned political actors and their supporters against violence voter intimidation ballot-box snatching vote-buying and other electoral offences adding that offenders would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

To promote accountability Disu announced plans to establish a dedicated 24-hour complaints line through which members of the public could report misconduct by officers deployed for election duties.

He urged political parties candidates and their supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns while calling on the media and civil society organisations to verify information before disseminating it to prevent the spread of misinformation capable of triggering violence.

The Force Public Relations Officer CSP Ani Iniedu disclosed these details in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.

The statement quoted the IGP as emphasising the need for disciplined and impartial policing noting that the credibility of elections depends partly on the ability of security personnel to provide a safe environment for voters to exercise their rights.

Speaking at the event the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Alhaji Mohammed Sheidu reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to strengthening police preparedness through training provision of operational equipment and improved mobility.

He said the initiative was designed to produce disciplined impartial and responsive officers capable of managing election-related security challenges.

The ceremony was attended by Rear Admiral Sadiq Malaja (rtd.) representing the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association Mr Afam O. Okeke; and representatives of the Chief of Army Staff Chief of Air Staff and Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Members of the Force Management Team and other senior police officers also attended the event.

The Federal Government is seeking collaboration with stakeholders including the academia to build a formidable industry that will produce home-grown tech solutions to develop the economy.

The government through the National Agency for Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said that as technology is adopted across the country people need to build trust using our cyber security our privacy and so on.

Its Director-General Mallam Kashifu Inuwa stressed the importance of developing home-grown solutions.

‘And how do we govern technology? So what we want to understand as the policy makers and regulators we don’t want to be using armchair theory developing policies and regulations.

‘But we want our policies to be a response to the evidence we are getting from this research and the insight we are going to get from you.

‘Then we are also going to look at our compute our cloud our platforms because these are the infrastructure we need to build the digital offerings.

‘Do we have them in our country? How are we leveraging them to accelerate adoption and growth across sectors? Then we are also going to look at how we can use this insight to promote adoption across sectors’ he said his welcome address at the Tech Outlook Summit 2026 held at Oriental Hotel Lagos.

He stressed the need to also look at access which he said is different from adoption and adoption is different from productivity.

‘Based on the insight we have from the report especially in healthcare where we interviewed more than 2000 Nigerians more than 80per cent said they want to use digital telemedicine services. But less than 20per cent have ever used telemedicine services in Nigeria.

‘So this is a kind of insight that investors innovators like you need so that you can see opportunity and invest without difficulties. And also for innovators to build real-life solutions that will solve problems for us. And this we interviewed people from more than 539 healthcare services.

‘You all need these solutions. But who are the people building it? What kind of policies do we need to have in place to build it and so on? So we believe at the end of this summit we’ll have insight around that.

‘And also we need insight on how these services what these technologies can be used in sectors like the government services and so on and also the geopolitics and digital sovereignty.

‘As a nation we need to decide. We need to build our own capacity for our digital self-determination. Are we relying on foreign technologies building solutions for our healthcare systems for our financial system and so on? Or are we building it locally? So these are the kinds of things we want to achieve with the Tech Outlook Summit’ Inuwa said.

According to him at the end what NITDA wants to achieve is to be able to have document intelligence which it can use it to make decisions. ‘Because without intelligence we cannot be able to make policy and investment decisions that will help build a globally competitive ecosystem. At the end also we want to see how we can achieve synergy between academia and industry.

‘Today mostly we have good people in academia doing research but the research ends on the shelf catching dust. How can we bring them together so that our research will inform industries we are going to build as a nation? And how can we get insight so that our investors will easily identify opportunities where they can invest and build? And our innovators also can easily see problems that need solutions. So this is what we are trying to achieve and we believe this report will help all of us.

‘For the government it will help us when it comes to policy and regulation. For you industry it will help you to understand where we need interventions. Which emerging technologies can we deploy in our country in which sector? For investors it will make it easy for them to make decisions on which technology which sector can they invest to scale.

‘For innovators also they will get insight on what problems what solutions can they build. So thank you very much for coming and we look forward to getting more insight from you on how to make it better because what we believe no one can succeed in isolation. And to build an ecosystem we need everyone.

‘Everybody has his own role to play. As a government there are things we can do and you the private sector cannot do it. And there are things you the private sector can do and the government cannot do it’ he said adding: ‘But together we can do greater things.’

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a man Ali Shaban Hamma (who claimed to be a father of 10) to 10 years imprisonment for giving protection to members of Boko Haram terrorists in his Borno community.

Justice Binta Nyako convicted and sentenced Hamma on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to the terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

The convict admitted knowing the Boko Haram members in his village and that he unknowingly refused to report them to the federal troops for arrest and prosecution.

The defendant confessed that he had been associating with the terrorists since they arrived his village to unleash criminal activities on the people.

Following the defendant’s guilty plea the AGF Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) who led the prosecuting team urged the judge to sentence Hamma to a minimum of 20 years in view of the gravity of the offence of terrorism.

Fagbemi argued that the terrorists would have been brought to book if the convict had not rendered protection to them.

Justice Nyako in her judgment sentenced Hamma to 10 years imprisonment and ordered that the sentence should commence from 2012 when the convict was arrested and kept in custody.