Day: June 10, 2024

Quantexa Debuts Q Assist, New Context Aware Generative AI Technology Suite

New AI advancements are helping industry leaders get data ready for AI and make impact

Q Assist, New Context Aware Generative AI Technology Suite from Quantexa
Q Assist, a context aware generative AI technology suite to help organizations augment trusted decision-making across teams of front-line and information workers
  • HSBC is among several industry leaders participating in Quantexa’s Lighthouse Program for early adopters
  • HSBC anticipates that streamlining of analysis and acceleration of processes could lead to significant productivity gains within the first year of deployment
  • Q Assist combines Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform and Generative AI to augment decisions for sales, customer service, and compliance teams in financial services, TMT, and government agencies

LONDON, June 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This Monday, on the Centre Stage at London Tech Week 2024, Quantexa, the global leader in Decision Intelligence (DI) solutions for the public and private sectors debuted Q Assist, a context aware generative AI technology suite to help organizations augment trusted decision-making across teams of frontline and information workers. The announcement demonstrates progress against the company’s platform innovation roadmap and comes nearly a year after Quantexa detailed a significant investment in the global artificial intelligence (AI) industry and previewed Q Assist as a stand-alone LLM agnostic copilot.

With the new Q Assist Technology Suite, Quantexa customers will be able to operationalize generative AI for transformational gains without significant investment in infrastructure, tooling, and additional skilled resources.

Frontline and information workers can leverage the power of copilots, linked data, Quantexa’s knowledge graph capability, and other Decision Intelligence Platform features to enhance the accuracy and reliability of generative AI models that interact with all data (structured and unstructured), context, and insight across their organization. Combining LLMs with the rich context within Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform enables a better understanding of data, safely grounds responses, increases performance and trust, and ensures teams have the most accurate, up-to-date information in a single place.

Q Assist, a context aware generative AI technology suite to help organizations augment trusted decision-making across teams of front-line and information workersFind out what Q Assist is and how it works with Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform.
View the full video

Helping Customers Succeed in the Era of AI
HSBC is one of the organizations currently participating in the Lighthouse Program for early adopters. Each organization in the program envisions using Q Assist in several ways, including:

  • Streamlining analysis, investigation, and reporting tasks for information and knowledge workers to achieve greater efficiency.
  • Reducing the reliance on data science and operations teams for ad-hoc data requests, giving them time to focus on more strategic tasks.
  • Empowering customer facing teams with access to enriched data and insights they need to increase revenue and enhance customer experiences.
  • Enabling teams across an organization to consistently make trusted decisions that are traceable and accelerate operational process improvement.

BNY Mellon is currently evaluating joining HSBC in Lighthouse effort. Quantexa worked with Lighthouse Program participants to project one-, three-, and five-year benefits from deploying Q Assist within their customer facing, data science, and investigative teams. It found an almost immediate productivity gain across three core areas: time saving and efficiency, new opportunity identification, and increased conversion rates.

HSBC anticipates that democratizing analytics and accelerating processes across these areas could lead to productivity gains within the first year of deployment. The company also expects to free up employee’s time, allowing them to refocus on other strategic tasks.

David Rice, Global Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Banking at HSBC, said: “This new solution has the potential to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of complex tasks such as anti-money laundering investigations and sales strategies by providing trusted data and contextual analytics. The introduction of contextual analytics and innovation will enable HSBC to concentrate our resources more productively and ultimately help our customers.”

Quantexa estimates that a tier one global financial institution with three levels of defense in financial crime and fraud compliance efforts, generating approximately 15k alerts a month, could realize significant efficiencies and cost savings by deploying the Q Assist Generative AI Technology Suite:

  • Over £17M in savings enabled annually by enhancing and automating investigating and reporting processes across financial crime and fraud.

Quantexa’s CTO, Jamie Hutton, said: “Quantexa’s engineering principle of shaping solutions to deliver maximum customer value has allowed our clients to play an integral role in helping to shape the product requirements for Q Assist. Through the company’s Lighthouse Program for early adopters, we have the benefit of working with industry leaders that provide valuable feedback throughout our roadmap process.”

Eric Hirschhorn, Chief Data Officer, BNY Mellon, said: “We are excited to see this continued innovation from Quantexa. Our multi-year collaboration has helped us to break down data silos and unify our data with unprecedented accuracy. The next phase in our innovation efforts will see us exploring the potential of enabling frontline workers across the bank to use Gen AI to act on the data insights confidently and reach new levels of efficiency in the process.”

How the New Q Assist Generative AI Technology Suite Works
Quantexa’s new generative AI technology suite will combine Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform and Generative AI through a new data integration layer, prompt builder, and copilot that accelerates the ability of teams to make critical business decisions.

Q Assist delivers trusted, extensible AI anchored by Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform. This lets non-technical teams benefit from Quantexa’s critical platform capabilities including a connected data foundation, graph analytics, modeling, and scoring to augment and automate decision making. The Q Assist Technology Suite is comprised of three components:

  • Q Assist Integration Layer: the nerve center of Q Assist. It is a framework of tools, connectors, and APIs designed to securely link Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform with LLMs and conversational AI systems right out-of-the-box.
  • Q Assist Prompt Builder: an extensible prompt management and sharing capability that easily integrates with external prompt engineering tools and frameworks, such as Microsoft’s Azure Prompt Flow, Semantic Kernel or AutoGen, to put the power in the hands of administrators to define and control prompts and responses that are grounded in contextual data generated by Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform.
  • Q Assist Copilot: allows users to query large and disparate data via a natural language interface, understand and summarize data, insights, and findings in real-time, and automate research, investigation, and reporting tasks.

Today, the company is making Q Assist Generative AI Technology Suite capabilities available to a limited set of customers, with wider public availability planned for early 2025.

To learn more about how Quantexa is helping organizations get their data ready for AI, or to download the Total Economic Impact™ of Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform by Forrester and start measuring the ROI of Decision Intelligence investments, please visit https://www.quantexa.com/discover/ai/.

About Quantexa
Quantexa is a global AI, data and analytics software company pioneering Decision Intelligence to empower organizations to make trusted operational decisions with data in context. Using the latest advancements in AI, Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence platform helps organizations uncover hidden risk and new opportunities by unifying siloed data and turning it into the most trusted, reusable resource. It solves major challenges across data management, customer intelligence, KYC, financial crime, risk, fraud, and security, throughout the customer lifecycle.

The Quantexa Decision Intelligence Platform enhances operational performance with over 90% more accuracy and 60 times faster analytical model resolution than traditional approaches. An independently commissioned Forrester TEI study on Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform found that customers saw a three-year 228% ROI. Founded in 2016, Quantexa now has more than 700 employees and thousands of platform users working with billions of transactions and data points across the world.

Media Enquiries
C: Stephanie Crisp, Fight or Flight
E: Quantexa@fightorflight.com
OR
C: Adam Jaffe, SVP of Corporate Marketing
T : +1 609 502 6889
E : adamjaffe@quantexa.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc615273-9f23-4d50-b6ec-62d59146a0e7

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000965413

e& lidera como a melhor marca empregadora no setor de telecomunicações no Employer Brand Index 2024

  • e& EAU é a principal marca empregadora no setor de telecomunicações no ranking de Brand Finance
  • e& ficou em 16º lugar entre as 20 principais marcas empregadoras em todas as categorias em 16 países
  • A realização reflete a reputação mais ampla dos Emirados Árabes Unidos como um centro global de talentos

LONDRES, June 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — e&, o grupo global de tecnologia, alcançou a posição mais alta no primeiro Employer Brand Report 2024 da Brand Finance, com sua unidade dos Emirados Árabes Unidos classificada como a maior empregadora global do setor de telecomunicações.

O grupo também garantiu o 16º lugar entre as 20 principais marcas empregadoras entre as que foram avaliadas nos setores de serviços financeiros, telecomunicações, mídia e tecnologia (TMT), petróleo, gás e energia, serviços profissionais, varejo, automotivo e bens de consumo rápido (FMCG) na África, Ásia, Europa e Estados Unidos.

Ali Al Mansoori, Diretor de Pessoal do Grupo, e&, disse: “Esse reconhecimento como empregador preferencial reflete a incrível dedicação e paixão de nosso pessoal, que é nosso maior patrimônio. Ele também reafirma nosso compromisso de cultivar uma cultura empresarial unificada, na qual todos os colaboradores têm autonomia para pensar de forma diferente, experimentar sem medo e inovar continuamente. No atual cenário em rápida evolução, é mais importante do que nunca contar com uma força de trabalho talentosa.”

David Haigh, CEO da Brand Finance, disse: “As marcas de telecomunicações do Oriente Médio vêm ultrapassando cada vez mais a concorrência europeia e americana como lugares desejáveis para se trabalhar. Isso se deve às oportunidades de carreira e aos empolgantes desenvolvimentos tecnológicos criados pelos investimentos consistentes e de alta qualidade no Oriente Médio.”

Na vanguarda em termos de marca empregadora e desenvolvimento de talentos nos Emirados Árabes Unidos, o grupo alcançou uma pontuação alta em vários quesitos, inclusive como “marca de prestígio”, “visão inspiradora”, “trabalho agradável e gratificante” e “empresa bem administrada e dirigida”. A conquista da e& reflete a reputação geral dos Emirados Árabes Unidos como um centro global de talentos e o destino preferido para pessoas que buscam construir um futuro próspero.

“Na e&, temos o compromisso de equipar nosso pessoal com as habilidades necessárias para transitar e prosperar na era digital. Nossa visão não consiste apenas em acompanhar o ritmo das mudanças, mas em liderá-las. Estamos constituindo uma força de trabalho resiliente e com visão de futuro, capaz de levar nossa empresa e nossa comunidade a patamares mais elevados. Nossa estratégia inclui programas de treinamento completos, parcerias com instituições de ensino e um ambiente que premia a criatividade e o pensamento arrojado. Estamos comprometidos com a criação de oportunidades de crescimento profissional e com o apoio à nossa equipe enquanto ela desenvolve as habilidades tecnológicas e a mentalidade essenciais para o futuro”, acrescentou Al Mansoori.

O primeiro relatório do “Employer Brand Index” apresenta as principais marcas do mundo com tabelas de classificação globais e regionais. O estudo baseado em pesquisa é o primeiro do gênero, medindo as percepções internas e externas das marcas empregadoras de 16 países. O Índice é calculado com base nas respostas de uma pesquisa anônima com o público de vários setores, realizada por meio de painéis on-line independentes.

O Employer Brand Index 2024 da Brand Finance ocorre após a divulgação, em janeiro, da classificação global de marcas, na qual a e& EAU foi classificada como a marca de telecomunicações mais forte do mundo (classificação AAA) e a marca mais forte do Oriente Médio e da África (MEA) em todas as categorias.

A Brand Finance é a principal consultoria mundial de avaliação de marcas. Há mais de 25 anos, a empresa vem preenchendo a lacuna entre marketing e finanças, avaliando a força das marcas e mensurando seu valor financeiro para ajudar empresas de todos os tipos a tomar decisões estratégicas. Todos os anos, a Brand Finance realiza mais de 5.000 avaliações de marcas, respaldadas por pesquisas de mercado originais, e publica mais de 100 relatórios que classificam as marcas em todos os setores e países.

Uma foto que acompanha este anúncio está disponível em http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5ab3f4e1-ad68-4a1f-b513-0f6dd6ce45d1

Contato:
Nancy Sudheer
nsudheer@eand.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000965380

e& se classe au premier rang des meilleures marques employeurs dans le secteur des télécommunications dans l’Employer Brand Index 2024

  • L’entité e& des Émirats arabes unis, élue meilleure marque employeur dans le secteur des télécommunications selon le classement Brand Finance
  • e& classée 16e dans le Top 20 des marques employeurs toutes catégories confondues dans 16 pays
  • Cette réussite reflète la réputation plus large des Émirats arabes unis en tant que pôle mondial de talents

LONDRES, 10 juin 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — e&, le groupe technologique mondial, s’est hissé à la première place du tout premier rapport Employer Brand 2024 de Brand Finance grâce à son entité des Émirats arabes unis qui se classe au premier rang mondial des employeurs dans le secteur des télécommunications.

Le groupe a également obtenu la 16e place parmi le Top 20 Employer Brands lors d’une évaluation effectuée au sein des marques employeurs dans les secteurs des services financiers, des télécommunications, des médias et des technologies (TMT), du pétrole, du gaz et de l’énergie, des services professionnels, de la vente au détail, de l’automobile et des produits et biens de grande consommation (PGC) en Afrique, en Asie, en Europe et aux États-Unis.

Ali Al Mansoori, Directeur des Ressources humaines du groupe e&, a déclaré : « Cette reconnaissance en tant qu’employeur de choix reflète l’incroyable dévouement et la passion de nos collaborateurs, qui sont nos meilleurs atouts. Cela réaffirme également notre engagement à favoriser une culture d’entreprise unifiée où chaque employé est encouragé à penser différemment, à expérimenter sans crainte et à innover en continu. Dans le contexte actuel en évolution rapide, il est plus crucial que jamais de disposer d’une main-d’œuvre talentueuse. »

David Haigh, PDG de Brand Finance, a confié : « Les marques de télécommunications du Moyen-Orient dépassent chaque jour un peu plus leurs homologues européennes et américaines si l’on se place du point de vue de l’entreprise où il fait bon travailler. Cela reflète les opportunités de carrière et les développements technologiques passionnants rendus possibles par des investissements constants et de haute qualité réalisés au Moyen-Orient. »

En chef de file des marques employeurs et du développement des talents aux Émirats arabes unis, le groupe a obtenu d’excellents résultats dans plusieurs domaines, notamment en tant que « marque prestigieuse », porteuse d’une « vision inspirante », où le « travail est agréable et gratifiant » et une « entreprise bien gérée et gouvernée ». La réussite de e& reflète la réputation plus large des Émirats arabes unis qui s’affirment en tant que pôle mondial des talents et destination privilégiée pour les personnes qui cherchent à façonner un avenir prospère.

« Chez e&, nous nous engageons à doter notre équipe des compétences nécessaires pour s’adapter et prospérer à l’ère numérique. Notre vision n’est pas seulement de suivre le rythme du changement, mais de l’initier. Nous construisons une main-d’œuvre résiliente et visionnaire, capable de propulser notre entreprise et notre communauté vers les plus hauts sommets. Notre stratégie englobe des programmes de formation complets, des partenariats avec des établissements d’enseignement et un environnement qui récompense la créativité et l’audace intellectuelle. Nous sommes déterminés à créer des opportunités de croissance professionnelle et à soutenir notre équipe dans l’acquisition de compétences technologiques et d’un état d’esprit indispensables pour l’avenir, » a ajouté Al Mansoori.

Le tout premier rapport « Employer Brand Index » met en avant les meilleures marques au monde avec des classements réalisés à l’échelle mondiale et régionale. Cette étude axée sur la recherche, est la première du genre, mesurant les perceptions internes et externes des marques d’employeurs dans 16 pays. L’indice est établi à partir des réponses à une enquête anonyme menée auprès du public dans divers secteurs d’activité au moyen de panels en ligne indépendants.

L’indice Employer Brand 2024 de Brand Finance fait suite à la publication, en janvier dernier, du classement mondial des marques, dans lequel e& UAE a été classée comme la marque de télécommunications la plus forte au niveau mondial (note AAA) et la marque la plus forte au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique (MEA), toutes catégories confondues.

Brand Finance est le premier cabinet de conseil en évaluation de marques au monde. Depuis plus de 25 ans, son objectif est de combler le fossé entre le marketing et la finance en évaluant la force des marques et en quantifiant leur valeur financière afin d’aider les organisations de toutes sortes à prendre des décisions stratégiques. Chaque année, Brand Finance réalise plus de 5 000 évaluations de marques, étayées par des études de marché uniques, et publie plus de 100 rapports classant les marques dans tous les secteurs et tous les pays.

Une photo accompagnant ce communiqué est disponible à l’adresse suivante : http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5ab3f4e1-ad68-4a1f-b513-0f6dd6ce45d1

Contact :
Nancy Sudheer
nsudheer@eand.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000965380

Senior advocate wants Nigerian Law Reform Commission properly funded


A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr Mohammed Ndarani, says the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) should be properly funded to deliver on its mandate.

Ndarani said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the commission should be enabled to deliver on its mandate by constantly researching, reviewing, and reforming laws in the land.

The NLRC has the responsibility to conduct research, take and keep under review, all federal laws, with a view to their systematic and progressive development and reform.

It is mandated to do so in consonance with the prevailing norms of Nigerian society, to codify such laws, eliminate anomalies, repeal obsolete, spent, and unnecessary enactments, reform procedural laws in consonance with changes within the machinery of administration of justice.

The Commission can also, among other means, perform its functions based on proposals for law reform made or referred to it by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) or the
National Assembly.

It can also, by its own initiative, propose a programme for examination of different branches of law for reform, and submit same to the Attorney-General and the National Assembly.

Ndarani said that the NLRC needed to be more proactive in addressing obsolete and outdated laws in the country.

He noted that the presence of obsolete sections and aspects of the nation’s laws was one of the major problems bedevilling its economic progress and development.

The senior advocate said that such laws do not have any practical relevance to the realities of today’s Nigeria but were still being relied upon as binding.

See also Human rights commission moves to end workplace bullying

‘The presence of laws which are not in alignment with the laws in operation in the countries with which we do business would defeat the intendment of such operations as it would erode the basis for such activity,’ he added.

According to him, such laws also erode and retard administration of justice based on the nature of
their prescriptions and fines imposed, when considered against present day realities.

‘Examples include Sections 210 (Witchcraft) and 370 (Bigamy) of the criminal Code Acts and criminal Code Laws of States.

‘Witchcraft Act stipulates that anyone caught practicing magic and witchcraft has committed an offence. The problem is how do you ascertain what is magic and witchcraft? No one has been tried and convicted of this offence till date.

‘Bigamy refers to the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another.

‘It applies to both men and women, especially under the Matrimonial Causes Act. No one has been successfully prosecuted on this offence since the law was made.

‘The legality and validity of this law is put to serious question in the light of cultural and Islamic values which support marriage to more than one wife at the same time”.

He, however, noted that only Lagos State had decriminalised bigamy, which meant that it was no longer a crime in Lagos State to marry
another woman/man, where there was an already existing valid statutory marriage.

He said although NLRC was established in 1979 to reform in consonance with changes within the machinery of administration of justice, it had not been able to achieve much in relation to the mandate.

See also Appeal Court has 39,526 Pending Cases, says Justice Dongben-Mensem

Ndarani said that dependence on obsolete and outdated laws limited development of the country.

‘The exclusivity of the rights vested on the federal government is what has made several states lazy as they just wait to receive and share monies accruing to them from the federal allocation every month.

‘These laws make us bound to misguided policies of exploitation, frustrate import – export substitution, and diversification drives,’ he said.

According to him, obsolete maritime laws in the country also result in huge losses.

He said that any law that does not reflect the realities of the present day, in science, technological development, cultural advanceme
nt should not be lavishly deployed.

‘This is one sure path to a better Nigeria and also a good path to pulling this country out of the woods,” the senior advocate said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Electronic case mgmt system crucial to efficient contemporary justice delivery – Official


The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Edward Asante, says the adoption of the electronic case management system (ECMS) by the court is crucial to efficient contemporary justice delivery.

Justice Asante stated this at the unveiling of the ECMS sensitization and training programme on Monday in Lomé, Togo, the court stated.

Asante explained that the programme was for lawyers from member states, stressing that it marked a crucial step in improving access to justice and efficiency of judicial procedures within the ECOWAS region.

‘The main objective of this programme is the sensitisation and training of lawyers and government agents from ECOWAS member states on the use of the new electronic filing and case management system.

‘The adoption of the ECMS marks a crucial step in improving access to justice and efficiency of judicial procedures within the ECOWAS region,’ the CCJ President said.

Asante disclosed that the Court accelerated its transition towards digitalisation of judicial procedu
res by adopting practical guidelines for ECMS and virtual hearings following the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘The notable innovations include electronic filing of documents, electronic service of notices of registration and the holding of virtual hearings, which all represent a significant advancement in the court’s modernisation of judicial processes.

‘Furthermore, it aims to make the court more accessible and efficient by allowing lawyers to file documents, receive notifications, and attend virtual hearings via a secure web interface,’ he added.

Asante said the initiatives aimed to equip legal practitioners with the necessary knowledge to use the ECMS effectively.

See also Kwara records 38 cases of COVID-19, discharges 101 patients

He stressed that the court had played a central role in interpreting and applying Community legal texts and protecting human rights since 2005.

The CCJ president said the Lomé programme was the first in a series of sensitisation and training programs, with tw
o others slated for Accra, Ghana (for anglophone lawyers), and Praia, Cape Verde (for lusophone lawyers).

He, therefore, encouraged all the participants to seize the opportunity of the training and fully engage in it.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CCJ is ECOWAS’ judicial organ, mandated to resolve disputes related to its treaties, protocols and conventions, and also entertain individual human rights violations complaints.

It was established under the Lagos Treaty of 1975 and became operational in 2001.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

INEC warns personnel against unethical practices in Edo, Ondo


The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has warned its personnel against unethical and corrupt practices in the upcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu gave the warning on Monday in Abuja at a lecture in honour of late Abubakar Momoh, former Director-General of the Electoral Institute (TEI), from August 2013 to May 2017.

Yakubu, represented by the National Commissioner, and Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, warned that any unethical practice before, during and after those elections would incur severe punishments under the law.

The theme of the lecture was: ‘Achieving Professionalism among Election Personnel through Effective Training in Preparation for the Edo and Ondo Governorship Elections.”

Yakubu said the success of any election largely depended on the professionalism and competence of those responsible for conducting it.

He advised electoral officers to be guided by the following principles of integrity, impartialit
y, transparency, professionalism, gender and disability sensitive.

He said it was important for electoral personnel to be knowledgeable, skilled and well-equipped with relevant competencies to handle the complexities and challenges of the electoral process.

‘Moreover, the crucial role election personnel play in upholding the integrity of our democratic processes cannot be overstressed.

‘The manner, in which they discharge their duties and responsibilities, affects the degree of confidence voters will have in the electoral process which will impact on their participation and turn out,” he said.

Yakubu said that to ensure credibility and trustworthiness in elections and build trust among the electorate, INEC had always prioritised the professional development of its election personnel.

See also Will voters determine next Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa governors?

He said the commission identified effective and efficient electoral training as the key to unlocking professionalism among election personnel.

‘The commiss
ion’s involvement in effective training programmes has empowered its staff to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, in order to strengthen our processes and procedures to serve the interests of all Nigerians,” he said.

He said that through training, INEC was able to deepen electoral knowledge and strengthen the skills and competences of personnel over time.

The TEI Director-General, Dr Sa’ad Idris in his remarks, said that INEC in pursuit of its mission and vision had prioritised professionalism toward achieving free, credible, transparent and inclusive elections.

‘As we prepare for the 2024 Edo and Ondo off cycle governorship elections, the commission is assured that the outcome of effective training of Election personnel will manifest in the high level of professionalism.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

NGO urges collaboration to improve menstrual hygiene management


A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Wonder Woman has called for increased collaboration by stakeholders to address

menstrual hygiene issues among secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The group’s Vice President, Anne Dirkling, made the call during sensitisation workshop at the Federal Government Girls’ Collage Bwari, FCT, on Friday.

She said it is normal to sensitise young girls to understand menstrual health hygiene and to normalise as a natural growth pattern for the female.

She acknowledged the struggles of girls and women in Nigeria who faced period stigma in society, which is why the NGO came up with the sensitisation workshop.

She added that the project in support of the French Embassy in Nigeria provided a platform for girls to learn about puberty and adolescence in a safe, open environment.

‘We have containers across the town for people to drop plastic waste, and in exchange, we distribute reusable sanitary pads and soaps,’ she said.

According to her, plastic is n
ot used to make pads but to gather, sell to bottle recycling companies, and use the funds to purchase menstrual hygiene kits for vulnerable girls and women in society.

‘The Plastic Pads Project is conducted in partnership with other parts and Bwari Area Council by placing containers around town to collect recyclable waste.

‘The proceeds are used to provide sanitary hygiene kits, reusable pads, and soap to girls in the community,’ Dirkling said.

She emphasised the importance of normalising menstruation where girls could openly discuss and understand menstrual health, noting that ‘this would be possible by encouraging conversations and providing necessary products.

See also Many Nigerians still at risk of malaria – Group

‘The initiative aims to empower girls, reduce school absenteeism, and ensure they remain confident and focused on their education.’

The NGO Programme manager, Mr Kumbet Longdi, said the aim of the workshop is to inspire girls to take action for a period-friendly environment, thereby encou
raging them to gather plastic waste in exchange for sanitary pads.

One of the students, Blessing Efeoghene, who came overall best in the questions and answers session, commended the NGO for the initiative, saying ‘we will ensure that more plastic waste are gathered and deposited in the container given to us by the NGO.’

Thr News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the programme, a container was launched at the school, and 170 menstrual hygiene kits were distributed to the students.

The group explored various aspects of menstruation, societal perceptions, and the importance of menstrual health and hygiene through educative sessions and games with the students.

NAN reports that menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle, indicating the absence of pregnancy.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Stakeholders say collaboration key to boosting investment, Nigeria’s growth


Stakeholders say collaboration is important in boosting investments and ensuring Nigeria’s growth.

They spoke at a Stakeholders ‘Engagement with Investment Promotion Agencies (SIPAs), organised by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary of NIPC, Aisha Rimi, emphasised the Importance of strengthening relationship between the commission and the state investment agencies.

‘So the objectives today are to strengthen this relationship between NIPC and the State Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs).

‘To ensure a seamless coordination and alignment of efforts to attract investments across the country.

‘We want to strengthen and build the technical and institutional capacity of the IPAs to enable them to achieve set goals and objectives.

‘We want to be able to disseminate information about investment opportunities across the states, leveraging local knowledge to attract investors,” she said.

Rimi expressed the commission’s desire to address challenges and bottlenec
ks that hinder investment activities and find practical solutions to enhance the investment climate.

She said the meeting also aimed to foster strong relationships with stakeholders, including Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), some of which were represented at the event.

To achieve these goals, Rimi said the commission designed the Nigerian Investment Certification Programme for States (NICPS) to ensure an efficient system in the states.

The executive secretary reiterated the importance of working to ensure we retained the investors already in Nigeria, especially considering the harsh business environment in the country.

Rimi urged the participants to use the opportunity to interact, network, listen to the various speakers, and find ways to drive investment in the country.

See also Group tasks FG, states on investment in education

Also speaking, the Director, Infrastructure and Public Private Partnership (PPP), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE), Dr Micheal Magaji, reiterated the importance
of collaboration to boost investment.

According to Magaji, reform is also critical to ensuring investment promotion in the country.

He said: ‘our engagement today underscores our commitment to fostering strong partnerships between the federal and state levels and between the public and private sectors.

‘We are here to listen, learn, and share our expertise, with the ultimate goal of driving sustainable development and economic growth across Nigeria.

‘Additionally, we use this opportunity to urge all states present at this engagement to take full advantage of this collaboration.’

According to the director, the benefits outlined above represent a glimpse of what can be achieved through our joint efforts.

‘We encourage you to engage with the Bureau. Leverage our expertise and unlock the full potential of your state’s assets.

‘Our doors are always open, and we are committed to supporting you in every step of this journey.

‘I look forward to our discussions and the innovative solutions emerging from this e
ngagement.

‘Together, we can continue to transform our states and, by extension, our nation into hubs of prosperity and progress,” he said.

Similarly, the Director, Investment Promotion, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Gertrude Orji, said the ministry was committed to keeping up with the NIPC’s mandate.

Orji, represented by an Assistant Director in the ministry, Amina Mohammed, said the event was critical to investment and pivotal to the country’s development.

Also, a representative of GIZ-SEDIN Programme, Abuja, Mr Akinropo Omaware, commended NIPC’s efforts in attracting and retaining investment in the country.

See also Nigeria is China’s major investment destination in Africa – Envoy

Omaware said collaboration was key to strengthening the country’s investment climate.

He expressed the commitment of the organisation to support and drive investments in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that key stakeholders, government officials, and experts in the sub-sector attended
the event.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Nigeria Youth League will expose budding talents, CEO says


The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Youth League (N-Youth League), Robinson Adakosa, says the League will expose budding and skillful players to limelight.

Adakosa stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the management of the league would ensure that its objective of getting the best legs from the grassroots was actualised.

He thanked the Ministry of Sports Development for endorsing the upcoming N-Youth League.

Adakosa also expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Federal Capital Territory Football Association (FCT-FA), for their support.

He said the endorsement by the football bodies was a proof that the sports administrators want the best for the country’s football from the grassroots level.

The administrator said that their actions also showed that they believe in the youths to be the projectors of Nigerian football to the outside world.

He pro
mised not to let Nigeria down, adding that management will give its best in ensuring that the objective of the competition was strictly adhered to.

‘Our target is to expose budding, skillful and talented players to the national and international limelight.

‘Our target is equally to promote Nigerian football on the global stage. So, with the endorsement of the League, we promise not to let Nigeria down.’

‘We will make sure that the League is in line with the best global practices and regulations governing football worldwide,’ Adakosa stated.

See also 2024 Olympics/African Games: Minister tasks stakeholders on Nigeria’s podium success

While noting that registration for participating clubs has commenced since June 1, he urged that the rules and guidelines should be strictly followed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2024 Nigeria Youth League will commence in September.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Flood: NDDC begins construction of emergency shelter


The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said it has begun construction of a Multipurpose Emergency Shelter designed to serve as a refuge during flood emergencies in the Niger delta region.

Managing Director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, made this known on Monday in Abuja, while defending the commission’s 2024 budget estimate of N1.911 trillion before the Senate Committee on NDDC.

In his presentation, Ogbuku said that from the proposed 2024 budget, N38.5 billion was for personnel, while N29.2 billion was for overhead and N1 trillion earmarked for legacy projects.

He said that the Multipurpose Emergency Shelter, which was a flagship of NDDC’s present administration with a capacity of over 1,000 accommodations, was designed to serve as a refuge during flood emergencies.

‘In response to the frequent flooding challenges faced by Niger Deltans, we have commenced construction of a Multipurpose Emergency Shelter with a capacity of over 1,000 accommodations, designed to serve as a refuge during flood emergencies.

‘The facility includes essential amenities such as a school, hospital, cafeteria, police post, and recreation centre, aimed at providing comprehensive support to the community,’ he said.

He said that once completed, the multipurpose emergency shelter would play a vital role in offering temporary accommodation and necessary services to the population in the event of emergencies in the region.

‘The NDDC’s proactive approach in addressing the needs of the affected communities through such initiatives underscores the Commission’s commitment to enhancing emergency response and resilience in the Niger Delta region,’ he added.

Ogbuku further said that in the area of infrastructure, the commission came up with ‘Operation Light Up Niger Delta Region’.

See also NGO submits document to address organised crimes in Niger Delta, others

‘This has seen a reasonable number of the communities being lit up using solar powered street lights, which have boosted the economic activities of communities at night.

‘In education,
we have awarded foreign scholarships to 750 individuals between 2023-2024 (for 2022, 2023 and 2024 years) and provided educational grants to 84 individuals.

‘Additionally, we are distributing 45, 000 Ulesson tablets preloaded with Nigerian and WAEC syllabus to schools in the nine states in the Niger Delta region.’

He said that the commission had commissioned a programme, to enable enrolment of poor and vulnerable people into the various Social Health Insurance Schemes of the nine NDDC states.

This, he said, was in view of the prevailing poor health indices of the country and particularly the region.

‘This is to also facilitate easy access to essential health and social services towards Universal Health Coverage.’

Ogbuku said that the commission was working toward completion of some ongoing projects, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive.

The MD also said that his administration was committed to payment of legacy debts because, ‘we are committed to the welfare of our people in the Niger Delta’.

H
e said that N100 billion was earmarked to begin payment of legacy debts, adding that in 10 years’ time the commission would have offset the legacy debts.

Chairman of the Senate Committee, Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong, while noting that although the budget was brought late, said NDDC had recorded salient achievements like ‘light up Niger Delta’.

‘I hope that the 2024 budget will consolidate on already existing projects. I commend the NDDC’s scholarship programme,’he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria