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Oby Ezekwesili, founder, School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), says there is a strategic need to raise leaders that will turn around the fortunes of Africa through good governance.
Ms Ezekwesili, a former vice president, World Bank’s Africa Region, and ex-Nigerian minister of education, said this at a briefing to close the second edition of the African conference of SPPG in Abuja on Saturday.
The conference was themed “Good Governance in Africa: Leaders and Citizens Driving Systemic Change.”
She explained the need for substantial systemic changes in governance to facilitate meaningful development across Africa.
“Our continent is failing the majority of our people. Not the continent actually, but there is a leadership-failing majority of our people.
“We want to change that story and reality so that factually we begin to populate the public space with minds that have character, that have competence and capacity.
“Minds that will govern for the public good, and the African citizen will be at par if not ahead of the most advanced societies in our world, ” she said.
Mrs Ezekwesili expressed concern about the present cost of living crisis, poverty, and poor democratic governance in Africa.
She said that the conference, which attracted representatives from 12 African countries, recommended systemic change in governance to meet the developmental needs of the continent.
“Every country that is represented here, we see them as the voice of the citizens of this continent asking for systemic change.
“This is because if the system of governance does not change, we will only be making progress on the margin or, in fact, going backward,” she said.
The SPPG founder called for robust collaboration to achieve the desired systemic change.
She described the Africa conference as an initiative aimed at fostering effective leadership in Africa.
“The SSPG, which we have in Nigeria, in Senegal and we will soon have in Ghana, in Kenya and in Zimbabwe, trains people who will form a new generation of African politicians.
“It will also train public servants who serve the people as custodians of the African public space.
“This will ensure that the wellbeing of African citizens will be at the centre of the rule of government on our continent,” she said.
The conference brought together participants from countries including Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(NAN)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified Cecolin®, a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, for use in a single-dose regimen to help prevent cervical cancer.
In a statement released on Friday, WHO announced that Cecolin® met the criteria set out in its 2022 recommendations for the alternative, off-label use of HPV vaccines in single-dose schedules.
According to WHO, this approval will contribute to a more sustainable supply of HPV vaccines, potentially enabling more girls to be vaccinated and protected against cervical cancer. “This important milestone will contribute to improving sustainable supply of HPV vaccines, allowing more girls to be reached with the vaccines that prevent cervical cancer,” the WHO statement read.
Cervical cancer elimination
Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, highlighted the importance of this development in the global fight against cervical cancer. He emphasized that cervical cancer, unlike most other cancers, can be eliminated with the right interventions.
“By adding another option for a one-dose HPV vaccination schedule, we have taken another step closer to consigning cervical cancer to history,” Ghebreyesus stated.
He pointed out that more than 95% of the 660,000 cervical cancer cases reported annually are caused by HPV, with 90% of the deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
In addition to Cecolin®, WHO prequalified a fifth HPV vaccine, Walrinvax®, on August 2, 2024. This vaccine adds to the global market and provides another critical tool in the fight against cervical cancer. While Walrinvax® is currently approved for use as a two-dose schedule, further research may allow its future use in a single-dose schedule.
Impact of the HPV vaccine supply shortage
Dr. Kate O’Brien, Director of WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals, noted that supply shortages have hindered the introduction of HPV vaccines since 2018. She said production challenges earlier this year worsened the situation, impacting millions of girls in Africa and Asia.
“Having 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age was the target for the first pillar of the WHO global strategy for cervical cancer elimination,”
“Given the continuing supply challenges, this addition of a single-dose vaccine product means countries will have greater choice of vaccines to reach more girls.” O’Brien explained.
According to WHO, the number of countries implementing the single-dose HPV vaccination schedule has grown significantly. In 2023, 37 countries had adopted the schedule, but by September 2024, the number had increased to 57. WHO estimates that the adoption of the single-dose schedule has enabled an additional 6 million girls to receive HPV vaccines in 2023 alone.
Global data released in July 2024 also showed that one-dose HPV vaccine coverage among girls aged 9 to 14 years increased from 20% in 2022 to 27% in 2023.
Additional funding to boost coverage
Earlier in 2024, countries and global health partners committed nearly $600 million in new funding to support the elimination of cervical cancer.
This funding includes $180 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, $10 million from UNICEF, and $400 million from the World Bank. These investments are expected to accelerate the introduction and coverage of HPV vaccines by 2030.
[Nairametrics]
United Bank for Africa has said with its recapitalisation plans at an advanced stage, it expects regulatory approval in a couple of weeks as it plans to grow its deposit base by 45 per cent by the end of the year.
Addressing investors at its half-year 2024 Investor Conference, group managing director and chief executive of the bank, Oliver Alawuba, stated that UBA will continue to focus on market leadership as it upholds the ideals of Enterprise, Excellence, and Execution.
“We are at an advanced stage with our recapitalisation process” Alawuba noted, adding that “our application has been submitted to SEC and we expect their approval in the next couple of weeks following which the market will be advised.”
Stating that the bank entered the second half of 2024 from a position of strength, he said “our proven resilience, strong capital position, and market-leading capabilities position us to continue our growth trajectory. “EXECUTION” will remain our driving force as we focus on market leadership and delivering excellent customer experiences at every touchpoint.”
Having initially projected a 20 per cent deposit growth in 2024 at 20, per cent, Alawuba noted that with a 33.7 per cent growth in H! 2024, the bank expects a 45 per cent improvement in deposit. He also noted that its loan book is expected to grow by 40 per cent as against the 20 per cent that was initially projected for the year and the 26.1 per cent that was recorded in the first half of the year.
Alawuba noted that the bank’s successes in H1 2024 were made possible “by the dedication of our colleagues, the trust of our customers, the support of our regulators, and the confidence of our shareholders. We remain committed to achieving even greater milestones with your continued support.
Commenting on the bank’s performance in the first half of the year, he said “UBA Group delivered strong double-digit growth across high-quality and sustainable revenue streams. This performance reflects our disciplined execution of strategic goals, focusing on balance sheet expansion, transaction banking, and digital banking businesses across our markets.
“We achieved a robust Profit Before Tax of N401.6 billion, reflecting our ability to manage risks effectively amidst macroeconomic volatility. Our deposits grew by 34 per cent, from N17.4 trillion at year-end 2023 to N23.2 trillion in H1 2024, demonstrating the trust and loyalty of our customers.
“We saw a 37 per cent growth in total assets, reaching N28.3 trillion, up from N20.7 trillion at FYE 2023. This growth was driven by strong customer relationships and our ability to capitalise on opportunities across geographies.
“Our intermediation business posted impressive growth, with net interest income expanding by 143 per cent year-on-year to N675 billion, further underlining the strength of our core banking operations. Digital Banking & Payments: Digital Banking income surged by 107.8 per cent YoY to N106 billion, while funds transfer and remittance fees rose 188.7 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively. We continue to lead in digital banking and payment solutions, helping drive financial inclusion across Africa.”
[Leadership]
Ibrahim Danlami, an assistant general manager in a top private firm in Abuja had picked up his mother who had come to town to spend some time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
As he drove ‘Kaka’ (grandma) to the house, he noticed that she was meticulously engaged in continuous tapping of her phone screen.
“I thought to myself that she was playing a ‘candy crush’ game, something I also enjoy as an adult. But as the days went by, I noticed that the tapping did not stop. So, I was forced to tell her, ‘Mama, you are too old to be hooked on phone games like a child.’ But she replied, ‘Wait until my millions get paid,” he said.
That has been the trend in many parts of the country where many have found themselves hooked to endlessly tapping their phone screens with the hope of making money from it.
The ‘buzz’ that has accompanied this supposed new income stream is sweeping across homes and different age groups. Whether at home, supermarket or even in the toilet, everyone seems to be tapping their way to some expected millions they hope would materialise into real cash in the nearest future.
How it started
This tapping frenzy can be traced to the success of a crypto mining app known as Notcoin. Launched in January 2024, Notcoin offered a similar clicker system that rewarded users with NOT tokens. The app’s popularity exploded with over 35 million users joining within a few months.
Subsequently, for many Nigerians, Notcoin moved from just a game to a path to real financial gain.
Reports indicate users who diligently “mined” NOT tokens and made significant amounts of money, with some earning upwards of $1,000.
Many Nigerians, including a man named Gentle Boi, reported financial success with Notcoin.
Gentle Boi, in a TikTok video, shared his experience of earning $260 (about N416,000) from Notcoin.
This success story fuelled his enthusiasm for another app known as TapSwap, which he claims yielded over 15 million coins for him with no sign of ceasing soon.
The success stories were further amplified by another youth who proudly showcased an air conditioner he bought using his Notcoin gains while encouraging others to participate in TapSwap mining.
How does TapSwap pay?
Weekend Trust learnt that the process is activated with the accumulation of coins through playing a game and earning enough TAPS coins by tapping and completing given tasks.
“Once you have a sufficient number of coins, you can convert them into TAPS tokens on the TON blockchain after the TAPS token launch occurs,” Weekend Trust was told.
‘How cryptocurrency mining changed our lives’
In Kano State, many young men accepted crypto trading to either earn a living or complement their incomes.
Abdulsalam Dahiru, 26, who combines his POS business with crypto mining, told our correspondent that crypto mining has changed the lives of many people and that he sees himself as a potential rich man.
“I know someone who gained over N50 million from cryptocurrency trading. From DOGS alone, a friend of mine got N3 million,” he said.
Asked how much he has so far gained from the crypto business, Abdulsalam Dahiru said he won’t reveal how much he got for his personal security.
Idris Sarina, 60, an estate agent whose office is located along Court Road, was seen busy mining digital currency with his mobile phone and was quick to explain to our correspondent that cryptocurrency mining is paying his bills, though he has not abandoned his estate agent business.
“I learned about mining from young people and realised that it is real and offers an opportunity to get cool money. So, I embraced it with my two arms,” he said.
Another crypto miner, Abubakar Danzaria, said though he got little money from mining recently, he is optimistic about making it big soon.
“I got N12,000 from DOGS, N16,000 from CAT and even from HAMSTER, I got N4,000,” Danzaria told Weekend Trust.
He said many young people embraced crypto business because of unemployment, noting that even if government provides jobs, many young men would still take to the digital ‘gold’ mining to complement their earnings.
A young miner, Halipa Salihu, said cryptocurrency had helped quite a number of people, ranging from those without capital to those without employment.
He said crypto mining not only changed the fortunes of people by creating economic opportunities, it provided entertainment to users, considering the fact that it involves solving a complex puzzle, as well as networking with other people.
Salihu said the crypto business was also promoting literacy among people because it requires basic computing skills and guidance from those familiar with how the system works.
He said, “In the last one year, I got nearly over N2 million from the crypto business. It has really impacted lives. I am a beneficiary of the crypto business.”
Steven Nwafor, an accountant in a private company based in Kano, is also actively engaged in cryptocurrency mining.
Nwafor created a WhatsApp group called; Digital World Opportunity, with 64 members, where latest information is shared for members’ benefits.
He said the whole idea was to create a community that explores opportunities the innovative digital mining offered, adding that nearly 40 million people joined the DOGS, making it acceptable among crypto users.
Although some Islamic scholars have given conflicting views on whether digital currency is lawful or not, crypto business continues to get wider acceptance among people, particularly the young ones.
How tapping apps dashed our hopes – Hamster Kombat miner
Inside a yellow bus at the chaotic Iyana Oba in Lagos, our correspondent observed a middle-aged man glued to his mobile phone with both hands, tapping Hamster Kambat, the trending crypto app among many Nigerians.
As he exerted his energy, he was focused and consistent on the tapping spree as no amount of noise and intermittent calling of passengers could distract him from this money-chasing goal.
He was not alone as it was observed that aside from their comfort zones, many commuters are found engaging in this tapping business in moving commercial buses within Lagos. In most cases, the tappers find solace in the exercise when they are caught up in Lagos traffic jam.
“I was intrigued by the potential to earn income through something that seemed like fun,” a female corps member serving in Abeokuta who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent.
She has been mining coins for about five months. Some of the apps she has used are Hamster, Memefi, Blum and DOGS.
The 25-year-old graduate of statistics told our correspondent that the rewarding system varies according to the app, but, “it is not life-changing money and that is definitely not satisfactory considering the time, energy and money invested in it.”
She said, “So far, I have $38 and I see it as a loss.”
Asked if she has lost money to the crypto apps directly, she said, “I haven’t lost any money directly, but I have invested time into an app that didn’t pan out as expected, which felt like a loss.”
The corps member said she was particularly disappointed about Hamster Kombat’s reward system.
“Hamster Kombat was a mixed bag for me. The game was entertaining, but I found that the earning potential was lower than I anticipated. Overall, I was disappointed,” she said.
An expert explained that Hamster disappointed many because people mounted pressure on it.
Abdullahi Abubakar said he was introduced to the apps by friends, although he does not have much trust in the system.
“I have been mining since during lockdown, but I have not been serious, so I didn’t benefit from any of them. My friend forced me to do Notcoin, and it eventually paid off. On the number of apps used, he said, ‘‘I mined Pie, Aqua protocol, PEPE Notcoin, Avacoin, Hamster and Tapswap.
“The rewarding system varies; each platform has its own way of compensating miners. I am not satisfied with what I am making, though, it is my problem. I know people that made huge amounts of money from it. I focus more on understanding the technology used, and I am thinking of coming up with my own,” Abubakar said.
Another miner, Babatunde Oluwaseun, told Weekend Trust that he started mining coins to boost his financial capacity in the face of the current economic hardship in the country.
“Ever since I joined the platform, I have not derived any satisfaction. So, far, I have made N1,500 or thereabout,” he said.
Oluwaseun said he thought he would get at least N2 million reward from tapping Hamster Kombat, but he got only N1,500.
“I was shocked when I was given a share of $1 dollar despite mining over 10 million coins,” he said.
Another female corps member said: “I have made N200,000 so far and I haven’t lost any money. You can’t lose money except you invested your money and the airdrop happens to be a scam project.”
Another miner who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that he had been mining coins for about six years and had made about N2 million, but he is not satisfied with the outcome.
Mining is permissible – Cleric
A renowned Islamic scholar, Professor Mansur Isah Yelwa, said there was no clear and specific textual Islamic authority prohibiting the practice of internet mining, saying, “We can conclude that it is permissible.
“Except where exceptions apply, the general principle under Islamic jurisprudence is that all commercial transactions and means of earnings are permissible. Nothing becomes impermissible except what a clear textual authority declares as prohibited. This general rule is derived from the Quranic provision in Chapter2 Verse 275.”
The cleric, who is also a lecturer and the Head of the Department of Islamic Law under the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, added, “Despite its permissibility, I do not encourage youths to engage in it as a single means of earning. This is because in Islamic law, there are certain matters that are detestable although they are permissible. For example, divorce is a permissible act but at the same time vehemently detested and discouraged due to its negative effects.
“In internet mining, certain negative effects are notable. It prevents many youths from observing certain religious obligations, such as consistency in prayers. It distracts many youths from focusing on what is mandatory for their future, such as reading and studying. It prevents many of them from participating in physical economic development skills, such as farming, merchandise, handcraft, etc.
“It costs time and yields less. For example, one of my students among those ‘active miners’ met me this week and lamented that he gathered billions of points under the recently launched “Hamster” mining but ended up in getting less than N30,000. How do you think our youths will thrive and prosper under these circumstances.”
Responding to some sections of scholars aligning mining with gambling, Professor Yelwa said mining is an act of service while gambling is a game of lottery where money is put in a pool of other people’s money in order to win, but nothing like that applies in mining.
Pitfalls for miners
A crypto expert, Obani Ebenezer Nwokoma, said some miners lost because they used external auto-clickers and programmes downloaded from app stores that automate the tapping process.
During the Notcoin evaluation process, Nwokoma explained that the system flagged irregular clicking patterns and disqualified users suspected of using bots as it saw the users as robots, not legitimate participants and didn’t receive coins.
A silver lining in the tapping frenzy
Despite the unknown surrounding profitability, there might be a positive consequence to it, Weekend Trust gathered
Experts believe the surge in interest is fuelled by the desire for financial gain, and could inadvertently lead to increased crypto education.
A crypto expert and content creator, Uche Ikechukwu, said although people were making money from it, it is not advisable to totally rely on it.
He said, “We were not tapping months or years back; there were several ways people made money. So, I would advise that people should focus on the skill around how to make money in crypto than just focusing on tapping.”
[DailyTrust]
The election process has officially begun in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.
Voting is proceeding smoothly at Ward 6, Unit 10 in Egwi-Etche, despite earlier concerns about potential disruptions.
While there were apprehensions about security, a limited presence of personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, was observed at the polling unit.
Voters have, however, been casting their ballots peacefully.
[DailyPost]
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has denied claims that he asked Christians to stop paying tithes.
The cleric on Thursday apologised for saying in one of his messages that anybody who does not pay tithe will not make heaven.
However, he said his apology message was misinterpreted stating how surprised he was by how quickly false reports spread online, claiming he had discouraged tithe payment.
Making clarifications during the church’s October Holy Ghost Service on Saturday at the Redemption City on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Adeboye addressed the misrepresentations that has now stirred controversy among social media users.
Adeboye acknowledged that he apologised for any previous statements on tithing that may have been misunderstood.
He said: “The issue of tithing became contentious, and I decided to apologise for anything I might have said wrong.
“Yet, within an hour, it was being circulated online that I said Christians should stop paying tithes “
He further explained he encouraged believers to give more than the traditional 10 percent, referencing an encounter at Kenneth Hagin’s church where a man shared how his financial situation improved after committing to tithe 90% of his income.
He said: “Today, I’m close to giving 90 percent but I am far from 10 percent. So, I said it is wrong to limit yourself to 10 percent when God can take you to a higher percentage.
“As you grow in the Lord, you should grow in praising Him, winning souls, and in giving.
“I said that for beginners, the minimum is what God calls 10 percent. I said, from now on, begin to increase what you give.
“Of all I said, the only thing they put on the internet is that Adeboye apologised, and therefore, people should no longer pay their tithes. I said 10 percent should be the minimum.”
[TheNation]
There are five bands according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). They include Band A, B, C, D and E.
Under Band A, customers are entitled to a minimum of 20 hours per day.
For Band B, these are customers with a minimum of 16 hours of light per day.
Band C are customers who have access to a minimum of 12 hours per day.
In category D, customers are given a minimum of 8 hours of electricity per day.
Lastly, the Band E customers have access to a minimum of 4 hours per day.
Months ago, the Federal Government approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.
A major part of one’s electricity is spent on the use of energy consuming appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, electric water heaters etc.
Businesses, both small and large, in band A areas are not immune to the impact of the tariff hike. Higher electricity costs directly affect operational expenses.
Recently, some residents of Akinola and Aboru communities in Alimosho LGA of Lagos State protested their “forceful migration” to the Band A category by Ikeja Electric Distribution Company.
The residents took to the streets carrying placards with inscriptions like ‘re-migrate our communities away from Band A’, ‘scrap all bands’, ‘affordable tariff reduces cost of living’, among others. During the protest, some residents said they can no longer afford to pay N227 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) for electricity.
For Band A users, there is a need for an adjustment in behaviour and lifestyle which will ensure conservation of more electricity, lessen use of fuels, and reduce utility bills payment. Here are the tips below:
1. Energy-saving electronics – Take note that the use of energy-saving equipment for household items like bulbs, inverters, fridges, and others are great ways to manage your power costs.
2. Don’t leave appliances on standby –The Nigerian Electricity System Operator has emphasised that unplugging electronic devices when not in use is a cost-effective way to manage electricity whether you are metered or not. It is important to watch out for appliances that use up to 50% power even when they are on standby.
3. Exploring other alternatives – Those who can afford installation of solar panels or inverters can explore this alternative. These days there are also appliances such as air conditioners, fridges, washing machines etc that operate on Low Voltage System (LVS). These appliances help you save on electricity. Also check the stand-by consumption when buying appliances or ask for energy efficient devices.
4. Minimise usage of air conditioners, electric water heater – Band A users can ventilate during the night or early in the morning to store the coolness for the day. When windows and doors are open, they allow warm air from outside to enter your space. This creates a constant exchange of air and puts less strain on your AC unit. Also, use water heaters only when necessary. Lower the temperature of your water heater to conserve energy used for heating water.
5. Turn off lights when not in use – Turning off the lights when not in use is especially important for those who make use of tungsten filament (regular) bulbs as opposed to LED lights. It will take 16 hours for a regular bulb to consume 1 kilowatt of electricity, meanwhile, it will take 66 hours for an LED light to consume 1 kilowatt of electricity. So, it is important to switch off the lights when not in use, especially in daylight.
[TheNation]
The Rivers State Electoral Commission, RSIEC, has stated that it is using the authentic Voters Register obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the conduct of the local government council elections in the state.
The Presiding Officer for Unit 8, Ward 3 Isiodu Community, Emohua Local Government Area Azunda Fulfill, said the process was peaceful and that the Voter Register used is authentic.
Azunda said: “The process is going fine. People are voting. For now, there is no issue. We are doing the work calmly.
“The voter register we have is the same thing as the one used for the 2023 election. The voter’s card and the register are tallied. It is the correct voter register.”
Also, voting is ongoing at unit 26, ward 4 of Emohua LGA, the ward where Senator Andrew Uchendu, votes.
Meanwhile, the Chairmanship Candidate of the Action Peoples Party, for Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Hon. Chijioke Ihunwo, after casting his vote at unit 40.
[Vanguard]
Nollywood’s ‘Queen Lateefah’ and ‘Joker: Folie A Deux’ are movies TheCable recommends for you to watch in the cinema or on streamers this weekend.
More recommendations are below:
Queen Lateefah
Running time: 2hrs 5mins
Starring: Wunmi Toriola, Kunle Remi, Lateef Adedimeji
Synopsis: A socialite with a wealthy online personality meets a man who falls head over heels with her. The man is in love with her influential, accomplished persona, a facade that will come undone soon.
Joker: Folie A Deux
Running time: 2hrs 18mins
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Ken Leung, Lady Gaga
Synopsis: Arthur Fleck is placed in Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as the Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur stumbles upon true love and finds the music that’s always inside him.
Lisabi
Running time: 2hrs
Starring: Adebowale Adedayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Gabriel Afolayan, Ibrahim Chatta
Synopsis: It tells the legend of the eponymous Lisabi and his fight to liberate his Egba community and its people from the hegemony of the ancient Oyo empire.
Farmer’s Bride
Running time: 1hr 45mins
Starring: Gbubemi Ejeye, Tobi Bakre, Femi Branch
Synopsis: A young bride marries an old farmer with her mother’s arrangement. The bride despises her husband and falls in love with the old farmer’s younger nephew. The forbidden love spins out of control.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Running time: 1hr 39mins
Starring: Adeline Rudolph, Hannah Margetson, Jack Kesy,
Synopsis: The blockbuster Hellboy returns with another exciting sequel. Hellboy goes on a new adventure with fresh allies and foes.
The Wild Robot
Running time: 1hr 41mins
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Paul-Mikél Williams
Synopsis: An intelligent robot is stranded on an uninhabited island after a shipwreck. To survive the harsh environment, the robot bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
Transformer One
Running time: 1hr 44mins
Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm
Synopsis: The prequel tells the origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, who were once friends and bonded like brothers.
When Love Strikes
Running time: 1hr 53mins
Starring: Chuks Joseph, Jimmie Akinsola, Natse Jemide, Osas Ighodaro
Synopsis: A promising young footballer must choose between following his dreams of soccer success and returning to college to support his family.
Ajaga
Running time: 1hr 46mins
Starring: Femi Jacobs, Jaiye Kuti, Jayeola Monje
Synopsis: A pastor wrestles with the yoke of his moral inadequacies. He womanises despite his stern preaching against sin. This is the story about the hypocrisy of some religious leaders.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Running time: 2hrs 7mins
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, Ryan Reynolds
Synopsis: Wolverine and Deadpool put aside their differences to defeat a common enemy.
[Cable.]
Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW), opens new tab, the world's largest contract electronics maker, beat expectations to post its highest-ever revenue for the third quarter on strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers.
Revenue for Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab biggest iPhone assembler jumped 20.2% year on year to T$1.85 trillion ($57.3 billion).
"The result exceeded the company's original expectations of significant growth," Foxconn said in a statement on Saturday.
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It was also ahead of a T$1.79 trillion LSEG SmartEstimate, which gives greater weight to forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate.
Strong AI server demand led to robust revenue growth for its cloud and networking products division, said Foxconn whose customers include AI chip firm Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab.
For smart consumer electronics, which includes iPhones, there was a strong quarter-on-quarter growth thanks to new product launches, but its year-on-year performance was flat.
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The third-quarter is traditionally when Taiwan's tech companies start racing to supply smartphones, tablets and other electronics to major vendors such as Apple for Western markets' year-end holiday period.
Total revenue in September alone reached T$733 billion, up 10.9% year on year and the second-highest ever level for the month.
"Entering the peak season in the second half of the year, we anticipate our operation to gradually gain momentum," Foxconn said of its outlook for the current quarter.
"The fourth quarter is expected to be roughly in line with current market expectations," it added, without elaborating.
The company does not provide numerical forecasts.
Foxconn's shares have jumped 86% so far this year, outperforming by far a 24% rise for the broader Taiwan market (.TWII), opens new tab. They closed up 3.7% on Friday ahead of the revenue data release, bucking a 0.4% fall on the benchmark index.
The company will report its full third-quarter earnings on Nov. 14. It has scheduled its annual Tech Day on Oct. 8-9, an event where Foxconn normally announces new products or partnerships.
($1 = 32.2900 Taiwan dollars)
[Reuters]
More...
When an audio clip appeared to show a local school principal making derogatory comments, it went viral online, sparked death threats against the educator and sent ripples through a suburb outside the city of Baltimore. But it was soon exposed as a fake, manipulated by artificial intelligence - so why do people still believe it’s real?
“I seriously don't understand why I have to constantly put up with these dumbasses here every day.”
So began what appeared to be a long tirade from the principal of Pikesville High School, punctuated with racist, antisemitic and offensive tropes. It sounded like it had been secretly recorded.
The speaker went on to bemoan “ungrateful black kids” and Jewish people in the community.
The clip, first posted in January, went viral nationally. But it really struck a nerve in the peaceful, leafy suburb of Pikesville, which has large black and Jewish populations, and in the nearby city of Baltimore, Maryland. Principal Eric Eiswert was put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
Alfie Malone, a black man who lives in nearby Baltimore, spotted other members of his community posting the clip and assumed it was real.
“In the back of your mind you think this is probably the way people really actually feel about us,” Mr Malone said. “And then to hear that actually come across audio.”
In an effort to corroborate what he was hearing, Mr Malone checked out other real recordings of Mr Eiswert on social media and they sounded the same.
So the part-time postman, part-time podcaster hit the re-share button.
US teacher accused of racist deepfake of principal
They were arrested for posting during the riots – will it change anything?
The clip started to gain traction across social media as more people spread it online. One of the most shared versions was well on its way to passing two million views within hours. Already, that’s around 60 times the entire population of Pikesville.
But what those sharing the clip didn’t realise at the time was that another bombshell was about to drop: the clip was an AI-generated fake.
For BBC Radio 4’s Why Do You Hate Me USA, I’ve been in Maryland investigating the impact this clip had on that town. It reads almost like a fable about the dangers AI poses, especially when local communities are targeted.
Anatomy of an AI fakery
When the clip landed on the desk of Kristen Griffith, an education reporter at the Baltimore Banner, she thought it was going be a relatively straightforward story of a teacher being exposed for making offensive remarks.
But as is best-practice in journalism, Ms Griffith wanted to give the principal the chance to comment and tell his side of the story. So, she reached out to his union representative, who said not only did Mr Eiswert condemn the comments, but he didn’t make them.
“He said right away, oh, we think this is fake… We believe it's AI,” she told the BBC. “I hadn't heard that angle” before.
But when she published that explanation, her readers were not convinced. Far from raising questions about the clip’s veracity, it just fuelled backlash from people who thought the allegation of fakery was just an excuse or an attempt to evade accountability.
It was at this point that local police started investigating the case. Staff at Pikesville High told them they were feeling unsafe because of all the attention, and they were concerned that the school was bugged with recording devices.
Principal Eiswert’s reputation had taken a serious hit too. Security was stepped up around both him and the school. He became a target for social media hate and threats. I found dozens of abusive messages taking aim at him on social media.
Getty ImagesThen in April, Baltimore Police Chief Robert McCullough confirmed they now had “conclusive evidence that the recording was not authentic”.
And they believed they knew who made the fake.
Police charged 31-year-old Dazhon Darien, the school’s athletics director, with several counts related to the fake video. Charges included theft, retaliating against a witness and stalking.
He was arrested at the airport, where police say he was planning to fly to Houston, Texas.
Police say that Mr Darien had been under investigation by Principal Eiswert over an alleged theft of $1,916 (£1,460) from the school. They also allege there had been “work performance challenges” and his contract was likely not to be renewed.
Their theory was that by creating the deepfake recording, he hoped to discredit the principal before he could be fired.
Investigators say they traced an email used to send the original video to a server connected to Mr Darien, and allege that he used Baltimore County Public Schools' computer network to access AI tools. He is due to stand trial in December 2024.
Mr Darien’s legal representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Myriam Rogers had previously said it was “a very difficult time” for the school community, the principal and his family.
Representatives for Pikesville High School and Mr Eiswert did not respond to my requests for further comment.
Why did people believe the video?
Because the clip was audio-only, it meant there were no visual giveaways, like robotic movements that normally reveal AI manipulation. It also mentioned jargon, like “grade-level expectations”, and other details, like staff names, that only people close to the school would know.
When you listen carefully, though, there are clear edits between sentences - and the voice, while similar to the principal, sounds quite monotonous. Artificial intelligence can use several minutes of a real recording - from, say, your favourite actor in a film or a presidential candidate giving a speech - to then generate a clip that makes it sound like they said something they never did.
But perhaps the biggest reason why people believed the video was real was because it felt true, Mr Malone told me.
It tapped into his own experiences of racism as a black man living in Baltimore.
When Mr Malone heard the principal describe black students as lazy, it immediately reminded him of slurs and discrimination he’d encountered at school and work.
Months later, the effects of the fake audio clip are still felt in Pikesville. Mr Eiswert has moved jobs and is working in another school. And even though some community members told me they now accept the video is fake, the damage is done.
“This is a Jewish neighbourhood and to say something that's so inflammatory about the community was upsetting,” a woman called Sharon told me as she packed her grandchild’s pram into a car in a house opposite the high school last August.
For several minutes, Sharon talked to me as though the clip was real.
“I think when people say things like that, other people join in that and it makes me more fearful.”
When her husband chimed in from the car, reminding her the clip was actually fake, she admitted she did “find out later it was AI-generated”. But she said she was still angry about it.
I found that for people like Sharon, who had believed the clip was real, even for a short time, it stayed with them - especially when the message echoed genuine experiences of racism and discrimination. It reminded me of something I hear time and time again while investigating misinformation and conspiracy theories: “Well, even if it’s not real, it’s what I think they think.”
All the major social media companies say they have policies to label, remove and limit the spread of AI-generated posts. But that action only happens when it can be proven a clip is fake. By that point, it could have already reached millions of people.
Alfie Malone said even earlier that day, he spoke to a friend who still had no idea the clip was AI-generated.
“I honestly believe that a lot of people here in this city don't really know that that's not true,” he said.
He said he felt sorry that Mr Eiswert, the school principal, was wrongly accused of making the comments. He is also worried the episode has undermined real experiences of racism.
He said he’d think twice before re-sharing a clip like this again.
“I've been burnt by the fire once. I'm not touching the stove again.”
[BBC]
The UK needs a strategy to meet growing demand for data centres or risk losing its advantage in the race to develop artificial intelligence (AI), one of the sector's largest players has told Sky News.
Data centres - warehouses housing processors that power cloud computing - are central to the digital economy. They provide the power, connections and security required for the vast amount of processing power on which everything from personal device browsing to AI learning relies.
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The UK is currently Europe's largest data hub, with more than 500 data centres, the majority in the South East.
Slough in west London is the industry's historic base, largely because of its proximity to both transatlantic connectors and the City of London, whose financial services and banks were initially the biggest customers for computation power.
Last month the government classified data centres as 'critical national infrastructure', putting them on a par with power stations and railways but the industry says a broader strategy is required as it moves to meet the growing demand driven by power-hungry AI chips.
High land prices, competition for grid connections and the resistance of local residents have put a premium on further expansion in the southeast, leading some companies to look beyond the industry's traditional base.
Kao Data, which has an expanding campus in Harlow, Essex, is among those looking to beyond the South East, and broke ground this week on a £350m development at Stockport in Greater Manchester.
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"We are under pressure to be able to provide capacity and create data centre buildings to fuel the demand from AI, that's the challenge. Whether we as a country provide the environment for it is the big question mark," he said.
"If we want to be part of the global AI opportunity we need to deploy these resources in locations that are suitable, sustainable and have the opportunity for growth. We didn't really have a plan 10 years ago when cloud computing started, and by accident we've ended up where we are today which is in effect consuming all the power into the west of London.
"Now is the time to come up with a UK-wide data centre strategy and start deploying these facilities in other parts of the country, distributing them fairly."
Kao's expansion in Manchester exploits an existing industrial site - it will replace a concrete factory - and the availability of a grid connection, fundamental in a notoriously power-hungry industry in which a facility's size is measured in megawatts not square feet. A 100MW data centre consumes the same amount of electricity as 100,000 homes, a town roughly the size of Ipswich.
Mr Lamb said it is a model the government should heed. "A realistic opportunity would be to allocate two or three locations across the UK which have access to power as data centre planning zones, where the local authorities understand what a data centre is, are welcoming and we can develop these buildings simply and swiftly and remove a lot of the bureaucracy that exists."
The Stockport site also has the backing of the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who sees data as part of the jigsaw of infrastructure required to boost economic development in the North West.
"This is now critical national infrastructure as designated by the new government, and it makes sense that all of that capacity is not just clustered in one part of the country. We now need to see the emergence of a large-scale data centre industry in the north of England," Mr Lamb said.
The challenge of further expansion in the South East is evident on the outskirts of the expanding village of Abbotts Langley in Hertfordshire, where a patch of green belt has become a frontline in the debate over data centres and the new government's commitment to growth.
The 31-hectare plot, once grazed by cows that produced milk for the nearby Ovaltine factory, has been bought by property developer Greystoke Land and earmarked for a data centre.
The local planning authority, Three Rivers Council, rejected it because of the loss of green belt, but on her first day in office, Angela Rayner, the housing minister, "called in" the application, beginning a process expected to end with her over-ruling the local authority.
Labour promised to back development in government but that does not make it popular. As well as concerns over the environmental impact of a data centre, residents believe the development will remove the only buffer between the village and the motorway.
Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Liberal Democrat leader of Three Rivers Council, 76% of which is made up of green belt, told Sky News communities need something in return.
"I'm not a total nimby, I can see which way the wind is blowing, but we will make the best case possible to say no to this development because it is an inappropriate site, which causes very high harm to the green belt.
"Ironically we do have some brownfield sites that landowners won't release, and we can't compulsory purchase, let's do something about that and bring them back into public ownership.
"But if at the end of the day we're overruled then we will be demanding the infrastructure that's for Abbots Langley and Three Rivers."
A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "Our reforms to the planning system will make it easier to build the key infrastructure this country needs - such as data centres - securing our economic future and giving businesses the confidence to invest.
"Development on the green belt will only be allowed where there is a real need and will not come at the expense of the environment."
[SkyNews]
KEY POINTS
- As Apple prepares Apple Intelligence to jump into Silicon Valley's AI race, it's relying on one of its strongest advantages: Its army of 34 million app developers.
- For Apple Intelligence to interact with the millions of non-Apple apps, it needs developers to create as much as hundreds of snippets of additional code called App Intents.
- If Apple's Siri is poorly supported by developers or it fails to impress, it could cool iPhone sales, and customers could wind up choosing to use a rival's voice assistant instead.
As Apple prepares Apple Intelligence to jump into Silicon Valley's AI race, it's relying on one of its strongest advantages: Its army of 34 million app developers.
IPhone users will get their first taste of Apple Intelligence, the company's artificial intelligence system, later this month. The company is relying on Apple Intelligence to be the strongest selling point for the iPhone 16, its latest generation of smartphones.
Apple's AI isn't as advanced as the state of the art coming out of the most advanced labs, such as rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Meta's Llama. Apple isn't using the biggest models, nor can it pull off some of the more show-stopping tricks of the bleeding-edge voice models — OpenAI's latest can sing, for example.
Where Apple is hoping to distinguish its AI is that Siri may actually be able to do things on your phone — send emails, decipher calendars and take and edit photos. That's something other company's AI chatbots cannot currently do, and to accomplish this, Apple is beckoning its army of third-party developers to fine tune their apps to collaborate with Apple Intelligence. Eventually, Siri may be able to trigger any action in an app that a user can take, part of the company's long term vision for Siri, Apple said in June.
"Siri will have the ability to take hundreds of new actions in and across apps," said Apple's Kelsey Peterson, director of machine learning, in the Apple Intelligence launch video.
Apple can easily make this happen for its own apps, but for Apple Intelligence to interact with the millions of non-Apple apps, it needs developers to embrace a new way of programming their apps. This means developers will need to create as many as hundreds of snippets of additional code called App Intents.
Apple has a strong history of getting its developers to support new platform initiatives, and it's running a well-worn playbook to get them on board — personal attention from developer relations, a party-like atmosphere at the company's annual developer's conference and most importantly, it dangles App Store promotion that can lead to millions of downloads for developers who get on board.
If third-party developers jump on board and the Siri system works as advertised, it could represent one of Apple's biggest and most durable advantages in the AI race.
"You should be able to string things together and kind of get that future we've all been envisioning where you can use Siri conversationally, to do a bunch of things at once," said Jordan Morgan, an iOS developer who's written a tutorial about App Intents.
Whether Apple is successful at cajoling its millions of developers is a critical question, and the stakes are high for the company.
The company is relying on Apple Intelligence, which only works on last year's iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 models that came out this year, to spur a wave of upgrades and boost flat iPhone sales. If Apple's improved Siri is poorly supported by developers or it fails to impress, it could cool iPhone sales, and customers could wind up choosing to use a rival's voice assistant through an app instead of the built-in Siri.
What are App Intents?
Inside the Music app, for example, Apple has built about 10 intents, including actions like "Add to Playlist," "Play Music," or "Select Music." A single app intent should define a single action, programmers say.
If you take a caffeine tracking app, for example, one intent would be the ability to show an overview of exactly how much caffeine the user has logged today, Morgan said.
When that App Intent is finished, Apple's various "system experiences," such as widgets, live activities, control center and Shortcuts, will be able to quickly display a current running tracker of how much caffeine has been logged without the user ever opening up the tracking app.
System search is another big draw for some developers. App Intents will allow apps to surface specific emails or other more granular data inside Spotlight, Apple's system search.
App Intents don't take that long to write, developers say, often requiring only a few lines of code.
In previous years, Apple recommended that developers adopt App Intents for their most important features, said Michael Tigas, the developer of Focused Work, a productivity app.
"Now, if there's a way to adjust your app to perform any general action then you should create an App Intent for it," Tigas said.
Fortunately for developers, they still have time to write all the code necessary for App Intents. While Apple Intelligence is starting to roll out next month, the biggest improvements to Siri aren't scheduled to be released until next year.
Apple has to incentivize developers
Apple's new Siri system will better understand questions even if a user makes a speaking error, a direct result of Apple's work with language models, a relative of the large language models that power systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT.
That means that Siri will be much more flexible in understanding the hundreds of different ways a user could phrase, for example, "apply a photo filter to an image I took yesterday."
Apple has to train and test its model to understand the range of the most likely commands and questions for any given category of apps.
A downside to Apple's approach is that only a few categories of apps will be supported by the new Siri at first, starting with photo and email apps. Eventually, Siri will support apps that focus on books, journaling, whiteboards, managing files, word processing, browsers, camera and photos, the company said.
Developers are already imagining how they might plan for users to interact with their apps with their voices.
A representative for Superhuman, a premium email app, told CNBC that it plans to use Apple's AI system to enable questions about the contents of emails, such as "Hey Siri, when does my flight depart?" or "Hey Siri, when am I meeting with James to review his proposal?"
There's a downside to Apple's plan in the eyes of some developers who worry that users will spend less time inside their apps or confuse Apple Intelligence with the AI features they've built themselves.
"If this story were only about App Intents, developers would worry that their products might be reduced to the role of the plumbing that powers Siri, and leave them unclear on how to build sustainable businesses around it," Igor Zhadanov, CEO under of Readdle, which makes email app Spark, wrote in an email.
Another drawback is that Apple Intelligence features will only be available on the latest iPhones, a small subset of the total iPhone user base. That limited market of iPhone users may discourage developers from investing time and effort into supporting the technology in the near term.
"Apple are limiting these kinds of Apple Intelligence features to the new 2024 iPhones and the expensive models from last year, so you won't be able to build something for the masses anyway," Tigas said.
[cnbc]
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has warned that sustained monetary tightening could discourage investments and slow down economic growth.
Rewane, therefore, called for an urgent handshake between the fiscal and monetary authorities to avert a situation where continued monetary tightening would lead to economic recession.
He expressed these views in his October 2024 presentation at the Lagos Business School (LBS) Breakfast Session in which he stated that the new minimum wage of N70,000 was a money illusion.
The LBS’ breakfast session presentation was titled, “The World Awaits in Nervous Anticipation….for Madam President?,” an allusion to Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party winning the November 5, 2024, United States of America’s presidential election.
Arguing that monetary policy was necessary but not enough, Rewane stated that, “sustained monetary tightening can slow down economic growth as higher borrowing costs discourage investment and consumption.”
He, therefore, highlighted that, “the necessity for a handshake between monetary and fiscal policy in Nigeria is critical,” warning that “without this balance, monetary tightening could lead to a recessionary environment.”
According to him, “Businesses are struggling under the weight of high borrowing costs while consumer spending contracts.”
Rewane, also observed that the high cost of borrowing was already taking its toll on the private sector’s economic activities, which contracted for the second consecutive month to 49.8 in September 2024, by 0.2 per cent from 49.9 in August 2024
“The decline is largely attributed to weak consumer demand and rising cost of inputs, amid the lingering inflationary pressures.
“Activities are projected to fall further to 49.7 in October 2024 due to the high-interest environment and expected rise in inflation,” he said.
He stated that the handshake between the monetary and fiscal policies would enable the central bank to focus on controlling inflation through contractionary monetary policy such as higher rates, higher cash reserve requirements (CRR), sales of treasury bills, open market operations (OMO), etc, to mop up liquidity while fiscal measures could target underlying structural problems in the economy, such as insecurity affecting food supply chains, investing in infrastructure and social programs that enhance productivity.
He noted that higher borrowing cost at 33-34 per cent would, “stifle investment growth as businesses adopt a wait-and-see approach focus” and cause a “potential shift in investment.”Commenting on the minimum wage, Rewane stated that, “a minimum wage hike in an inflationary environment can often be considered a money illusion
“The core issue of rising prices persists, leaving workers with little or no real improvement in their financial situations” because “real wages may not significantly improve due to rising prices.”
He observed that workers have been focusing on the N70,000 nominal value of their minimum wage without considering its real value, which he put at slightly below N53,000 in the face of the current 32.15 per cent inflation rate.
Rewane also warned that the impact of further increase in the pump price of petrol for the market would be heightened inflationary pressures, reduced consumer disposable income, lower consumer demand, and supply chain disruptions.
He also highlighted that the impact of further surge in petrol prices on investors is that “inflation will put pressure on the currency” and cause investors to “become wary of sectors affected by low consumer demand due to petrol price increase.”
But for business and corporate organisations the impact would be “increased cost of production, reduced output, shift to alternative sources of energy like solar.”
He added: “SMEs will be hit the hardest due to lower capital reserves and less ability to absorb increased costs,” which could trigger shutdowns or job losses.
Rewane also projected that the Naira would come under renewed pressure through “persistent forex demand stemming from stockpiling ahead of the festive season, high import demand, and speculative activities.”
He, therefore, recommended that “a scheduled and systematic forex supply program could provide the much-needed support to stabilise the Naira” that have already “fallen to a low of N1,700/$ at the parallel market on September 30.”
[ThisDay]