Category: General

Ethiopian Space Science Society stated that it has been contributing its part in promoting the awareness about space science and enhancing professionals in the field.

The Ethiopian Space Science Society held its 18th General Assembly today in the presence of board members and administrative bodies from various universities.

Board Chairperson of the Society Mesenbet Shenkute explained about the 18 years journey of the society and presented scientific explanations.

The Chairperson also discussed about the performance of the society during the current fiscal year including the encouraging achievements and challenges.

In her explanations, she pointed out that the society is working focusing on education and capacity building activities to create awareness in the field of space science.

Mesenbet also said that efforts are being made to enhance the understanding of the field by providing aerospace related training in order to enhance scientific excellence.

The chairperson mentioned that the society is also working to improve the country’s human resources in the field space science by facilitating scholarship opportunities abroad.

According to Mesenbet, the society will exert efforts to create a prosperous space science community that will shape the future of Ethiopia through space technology development.

Manager of the Ethiopian Space Science Society, Biruk Terefe, said on his part that efforts are being made to promote space science and technology in the country.

Training is being provided to increase the awareness of space science and technology, in particular, he said.

Ethiopian space science society was established in 2004, with 47 founding members.

It is a non-profitable organization constitute of members from Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Science and technology, and the related field of professionals as well as individual , and institutional members interested in the above fields.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The French government is committed to be partner of the Ethiopian government for the implementation of the Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Rémi Maréchaux said.

It is to be recalled that the government of Ethiopia officially launched Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) this week with the view to overcoming climate change related challenges.

The overarching objective of Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS strategy is to help the government of Ethiopia pursue a green growth pathway by keeping its carbon emissions target to net zero by 2050 entailing an increased climate resilience and delivery of multiple economic and social benefits.

The strategy is a key tool in bridging Ethiopia’s sustainable development and climate mitigation and adaptation objective, following a holistic long term planning approach, it is indicated.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Rémi Maréchaux said we have supported the drafting of this strategy and now we intent to be partner of the Ethiopian government for the implementation of the strategy.

He added that the efforts of the Ethiopian government are very important and we are pleased and proud to be able to support the launch of this LD-LEDS strategy that was conducted by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI ) with the funding of French government.

“Soon after the Paris conference on climate change and the Paris agreement, Ethiopia was one of the first countries in the world to adopt its national determined contributions strategy. It is important now to develop in detail this strategy though different scenarios and different priorities,” he said.

According to the ambassador, the priority of this study is critical regarding the continuation of the effort to reforestation, so that is one aspect and also the development of electricity for many uses to substitute other sources of energy and then improvement of the efficiency of agriculture sector.

“What is important today is just to acknowledge that Ethiopia is one of the least emission countries with a good energy mix and a lot of renewable energy. It doesn’t mean that in the future, they can be risk depending on the development strategy to see carbon dioxide emissions.”

He noted that the strategy is clear and it is important to have engagement of all for its implementation.

The strategy outlines the priorities for attracting international and private sector financing for green, low-carbon and climate-resilient projects over the near and long term.

The Ethiopian LT-LEDS development process was led by the ministry of planning and development.

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an international, intergovernmental organization championing the causes of climate change. Green growth and inclusive development provided technical assistance with the fund secured from the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD).

Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS is well aligned with the national long term development objectives and initiatives including the10 year prospective development plans of the country.

When the LT-LEDS is fully implemented, Ethiopia’s GDP will increase by 66 percent compared to the current growth in the coming 35 years.

For Ethiopia, reaching the net-zero emission targets in 2050, the total investment requirements of the LT-LEDS actions is estimated to be at least around 157 billion USD, Ministry of Finance Said.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

An Economist, Dr Biodun Adedipe, has urged the incoming administration to pay more attention to agriculture being the largest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Adedipe, who is a Chief Consultant at B. Adedipe Associates Ltd, made the call on Friday at a virtual conference organised by CMC Connect LLP.

The National Policy Dialogue with the theme: “Setting a Fiscal Policy Agenda For the Bola Tinubu Administration”, was moderated by Mr Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, the Lead Partner at CMC Connect.

He said the incoming administration needed to provide incentives for infrastructure development to encourage all year farming.

According to him, the new administration should encourage large scale farming and linkage with smallholder farmers, adding that agricultural research and development was essential to boost the economy.

Adedipe also advised the incoming president not to come up with a big framework but accommodate the 12 pillars of productivity which included market size, labour market, business dynamism and innovation capability.

Others are: health, product market, ICT adoption, institution, skills, infrastructure, macro economic stability and financial system.

“In improving the ranking and performance of the economy, the incoming administration should also look into payment of taxes, training across borders, enforcing contracts, and protecting minority interests among others.

“We need to aggressively promote export to African countries and also strengthen domestic manufacturing which interrogates the nexus between import and export,” he said.

The chief consultant urged them to look at imported products that could be produced locally, stressing that this would be beneficial for the economy.

Adedipe, however, decried the state of the country’s economy occasioned by poor policy coordination, misplaced priorities, fiscal inefficiency and revenue leakages which discourages productivity.

He said with the inflation rate persistently trending upwards, the Central Bank of Nigeria had to raise the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR).

“Yet the economy was desperate for growth and the big number in Nigeria is food inflation which was at 24.35 per cent in March 2023 rising from 24.13 per cent in December.

“Food security should, therefore, come big in Nigeria’s economic development agenda,” he said.

On education, Adedipe said the incoming government should revamp the school curriculum to support future works in the 21st century and embark on massive capacity building of teachers.

He said that it was necessary to increase funding to improve infrastructure in the educational sector.

Similarly, on universal health care and enhancing life expectancy, he urged the government to redesign the integrated healthcare model and address brain drain in the sector.

“In the financial system, government needs to totally revamp the financial ecosystem, reset system regulation and supervision and accelerate capital market development.

“On Information Communication and Technology (ICT), they should offer incentives for ICT investors and align policies on ICT with the needs of the 21st century digital economy,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has appealed to the Federal Government to withdraw the controversial National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) bill, before the National Assembly.

It is recalled that the 2007 NITDA Act is currently awaiting passage, following its amendment at the National Assembly.

President of the NCS, Prof. Adesina Sodiya, at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday said the bill lacked stakeholders’ input and was hurriedly put together by vested interests.

According to him, some stakeholders had condemned the bill for attempting to arrogate the powers of other government agencies to NITDA.

“Unfortunately, we got to know from the social media that the bill was being proposed and it had gotten to the advanced stage by the time we got our information.

“We saw that the bill was not good for us as a nation, we called on NITDA to arrange for stakeholders meeting.

“The meeting was held in some cities, but all our inputs, as stakeholders were not considered.

“We have asked questions, if the new bill is for all of us, we are all part of government.

“Even the operators in the digital space must make contributions, but we discovered our position was not considered by NITDA,” Sodiya said.

He said there was public hearing about two weeks ago on the matter, saying what the social media said concerning the bill remained the same.

Sodiya said even if the bill was to be upgraded, there was need to consider all stakeholders.

He noted with concerns, that the bill, if passed into law, would lead to multiple regulations for telecom operators and other service providers in the ICT sector.

Sodiya urged NITDA to focus on its core mandate of Information Technology development in Nigeria.

He said having NITDA as another regulator in the telecom sector would send wrong signals to investors, as they would be subjected to multiple regulations and fees, if they invest in the industry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NITDA Act 2007, which established the agency, says its main objective was to use ICT as a tool in tertiary institutions, to drive the mechanism of the education sector in the country.

“As the agency of the Federal Government, responsible for developing Information Technology in Nigeria, NITDA is empowered by its enabling Act to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardisation, application, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of IT practices, activities, and systems in Nigeria”.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Egypt has indicated interest in Ogun’s Agro Processing Zone (APZ), Gov. Dapo Abiodun said in Abeokuta on Saturday.

The APZ is located at the Gateway International Agro Cargo Airport in Iperu-Ilishan in the Remo part of the state.

Abiodun told executive officers of the Ogun chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), at an interactive session that Egypt planned to have farm plantations in the zone.

He said the North African country planned to plant crops, process the harvest and export finished products to Egypt.

He added that representatives of the Egyptian government would visit Ogun soon to finalise details of the investment.

“I met with the National President of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria in Abuja. He is working with a team of farmers sent by the Egyptian government.

“Egypt has a food security programme and has identified Ogun as one of the states to partner with.

“Representatives of the Egyptian government in agriculture will be coming to Ogun on May 16.

“They have done their research and were convinced that Ogun is one of the states strategically located to invest in; to farm in; to process in and to export from,’’ Abiodun said.

He assured that his administration was determined to encourage foreign and local investors in agriculture.

He also assured AFAN that government would look into its proposal to start a state-owned Anchor Borrowers Programme.

The core of the programme is to provide loans in kind and in cash for smallholder farmers to boost agricultural production, create jobs, and reduce food import bills.

Abiodun also promised to also look into the possibility of appointing AFAN members into agriculture-related government agencies.

Earlier, AFAN Vice-President, Mr Segun Dasaolu, said there were lots of opportunities and grants available for Ogun to exploit for the commencement of its own Anchor Borrowers Programme.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the Solicitor General of the Federation says only a small fraction of cybercrimes is actually prosecuted and adjudicated.

Jedy-Agba said this at the closing ceremony of the ‘Training of Trainers on Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence for Judges and Prosecutors in Abuja.

The event was under the Global Extended Action on Cybercrime (GLACY+) in Nigeria, West African Response on Cybersecurity and Fight against Cybercrime (OCWAR-C), both EU funded projects in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice.

She noted that Nigeria acceded to the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention on Cybercrime ETS No. 185 in July 2022 which is the most relevant close-to-global existing legal framework on cybercrime and one of the benefits for member states is capacity building in the area of cybercrime.

“It goes without saying that digital transformation has essentially redefined life, particularly in the post-covid era and while it has benefits, there are resulting challenges which include the increase in cybercrimes.

“Since accession to the convention, this is the first national activity under GLACY+ in Nigeria and it is a great idea to have it partner with OCWAR-C.

“Nigeria appreciates this partnership and support to create a national pool of trainers on cybercrimes and electronic evidence for Judges and Prosecutors.

She said that the global nature of this menace sometimes described as “phenomenon without borders” makes it imperative for countries to seek to build capacity to be able to effectively combat it.

“Hence, the efforts of the international organisations in cyber capacity building cannot be over-emphasised.

“The increasing reliance on electronic evidence not only for cybercrimes but even traditional crimes which may not be located in the territory where the case is investigated makes it even more imperative to build capacity on its use.

“Therefore, the continuous need to train and re-train criminal justice sector authorities cannot be overrated as it will enhance their ability to effectively apply cybercrime legislation and respond to the challenges it poses”, she said.

She said that as a commitment to the fight against cybercrimes and the capacity building of the criminal justice authority, the Minister of Justice inaugurated the Reconstituted Global Action on Cybercrime Extended (GLACY+) National Co-ordination Team with membership from key stakeholders.

She commended the Justices of the Federal High Court who took out time to be participants at the training and also the prosecutors from the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

“This training will fundamentally be beneficial to the dispensation of justice in Nigeria.

“I urge participants to pass on the knowledge acquired to other legal practitioners as national trainers on cybercrime and electronic evidence”, she added.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FCT) Justice John Tsoho, represented by Justice Inyang Ekwo, expressed his delight at the training aimed at effective justice delivery in the country.

“When I received the invitation to nominate 10 judges, I was challenged and sceptical as approving ten judges to leave their respective desks for one week for fear that they might be affected bearing in mind the tight doctrine of the court.

“However, upon noting that the program is based on the global action on cybercrime and electronic evidence, I did not hesitate to

send the number of judges requested.

“I had taken out some time to go through the program and acknowledge that the judges have benefited greatly in the training and acquired the capacity to demonstrate the knowledge

gained in judicial proceedings and impart this knowledge to others”.

Tsoho noted that cybercrime is a global issue and he is convinced that building effective repositioning of knowledge will bring about skilled prosecution and effective judicial proceedings.

“I commend the organizers and participants of this programme and I am satisfied that the programme ran its course successfully.

“I also request for follow-ups for this programme as I believe that the interactions in the course of the programme were fruitful.

“I therefore salute everyone for a successful programme, and declare it closed”.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

At least two Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded on the fourth consecutive day of Israeli bombardment on the besieged Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials have said.

One of the people killed in Friday’s air raid on an apartment was a senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group (PIJ), local media reported. It brought the total number of Palestinians killed in this week’s bombardment to at least 33, including several children, with more than 110 also wounded.

Hundreds of rockets have also been launched from the Strip towards Israel, with a 70-year-old killed in central Israel.

Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed, reporting from central Gaza, said the latest attack targeted a six-storey building in the ‘densely populated’ al-Nasr neighbourhood.

Israel ‘targeted a residential apartment’ which destroyed at least three floors of the building, she said.

‘These people were not warned to get out of their homes, there was no warning missile fired prior to this targeting,’ El Sayed added.

Salameh Maarouf, head of Gaza’s government information office, said the enclave has been ‘reeling from the bombardment’.

‘The international community is turning a blind eye to our plight,’ he told reporters in Gaza.

Source: Somali National News Agency

The Turkish air defense system, SIPER, hit a long-distance target in the final test on Friday before its official launch.

Ismail Demir, the head of Turkish Defense Industries Presidency (SSB), said that SIPER, the protector of Turkish skies, passed the test with a direct hit.

The SIPER project is led by Trkiye’s defense giants Aselsan and Roketsan.

Besides SIPER, which is expected to rival Russia’s S-400, Trkiye has also developed the Korkut, Sungur and Hisar air defense systems.

SIPER, which can engage manually or automatically on targets, is able to assume missions under harsh conditions.

It has multi-target and multi-radar fusion features and it can identify friend and foe.

Source: Somali National News Agency