Amid the hum of cooling fans and squelch of vacuum pumps, a new home for 12 quantum computers has opened in Oxfordshire, as part of a bid to put the UK ahead in a global race to harness the technology.

Quantum computers promise to solve problems too hard for even the most powerful supercomputers - like those requiring vast numbers of parallel computations like complex weather simulations, the binding of drugs to their targets, or the vagaries of financial markets.

 

 

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While prototypes have proven that the weird world of quantum matter can be used to perform calculations - none are yet large or stable enough to be of much use.

"With its focus on making quantum computers practically useable at scale, this centre will help them solve some of the biggest challenges we face," said science minister Lord Vallance.

Quantum computers exploit the strangeness of quantum physics to replace the "bits" - zeros and ones - that encode information in classical computers with something fundamentally different.

If manipulated in the right way, matter can be coaxed into quantum bits - or qubits - that can be both a zero and a one at the same time.

This power, and the fact qubits can become "entangled," or interact with each other means a relatively small number of qubits can perform more calculations in parallel than a classical computer chip ever could.

However, even the slightest interference from the outside world can destroy a fragile qubit, so building groups of them large enough that last long enough to make a reliable computer is a major challenge.

The new National Quantum Computing Centre at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Harwell is designed to accelerate that research.

The 4,000-square-metre facility is designed to host multiple competing designs of quantum computer and around a hundred scientists working on them.

Some commercial, others developed by university teams - to try to solve hardware and software problems in parallel.

"The UK National Quantum Computing Centre is central to this critical work, bringing together internationally leading researchers and technologists from across academia and industry to ensure that the UK's quantum computing ecosystem thrives," said Prof Dame Ottoline Leyser, chief executive of UK Research and Innovation that is funding the centre.

Competition is fierce. Big tech firms like Google, Microsoft, IBM and Amazon are all investing in quantum technology. So too are other states, led by China, which directs more government funding into the field than anyone else.

The potential for quantum computers to crack the encryption tools used to keep most online traffic secure gave rise to the term "Q-day" - when the first machine emerges with the capability to decrypt the internet.

It's still some way off, but helps explain why governments are interested in betting big on a technology that promises much, but has so far delivered little.

[SkyNews]

President Bola Tinubu has extended his warmest congratulations to President Luong Cuong of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on his historic election to the esteemed leadership position by the parliament.

Cuong, 67, has served in the Vietnamese army for over 40 years and has been a Politburo member since 2021.

The president, in a release issued on Sunday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy,  Bayo Onanuga, welcomed President Cuong’s post-election promise to promote Vietnam “as a friend, a trusted partner, an active and responsible member of the international community”.

President Tinubu reaffirmed that the enduring warmth and friendliness of the relations between Nigeria and Vietnam, as evidenced by the steady growth in trade and cultural exchange, are rooted in a shared commitment to fostering a more peaceful world.

The president assured the Vietnamese leader of Nigeria’s commitment to improving bilateral relations across various sectors, including trade, agriculture, food production, education and cultural and technological exchange.

President Tinubu hoped for President Cuong’s successful leadership in serving his people and humanity.

[Thisday]

Dr. Olutoke Abraham, a resident doctor at the Federal Medical Center in Abeokuta, has challenged the widespread belief that low sexual activity contributes to prostate cancer.

Speaking at a medical outreach organized by the Rotary Club for traders at Abeokuta’s Tarmac Phone Village, Abraham emphasized that age, smoking, and obesity—not sexual activity—are significant factors increasing the likelihood of developing prostate cancer, especially among African men aged 50 and above.

 “There is a general myth suggesting that either reduced or increased sexual activity could cause prostate cancer, but this is simply untrue,” Abraham clarified, underscoring the lack of scientific backing for such claims.

“Instead, research consistently shows that risk factors like age, smoking, and obesity have stronger correlations with prostate cancer.”

He further noted that prostate cancer is now the most prevalent cancer among Nigerian men, accounting for 11% of all cancers affecting men in the country. This statistic, he stressed, highlights the urgent need for regular health screenings.

Dr. Abraham urged middle-aged and older men to prioritize their health by routinely visiting hospitals for preventive checkups, pointing out that men in Nigeria tend to seek medical care less frequently than women.

“Studies show that women generally demonstrate better health-seeking behavior than men, who often neglect their health in favor of work or caring for family members,” he explained. This trend, Abraham warned, may lead to delayed diagnoses and poorer health outcomes for men.

He recommended that men over 50 undergo regular evaluations, including blood pressure, blood sugar, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests. These screenings, he said, are crucial for detecting prostate cancer in its early stages before it spreads to the bones, spine, or other organs.

“Early detection is key,” Abraham emphasized. “If prostate cancer is caught early, it can be effectively managed or even removed to prevent serious complications.”

With prostate cancer on the rise in Nigeria, Abraham’s message serves as a reminder of the importance of medical awareness and proactive health measures, especially among men at higher risk.

[NationalDaily]

Elections are losing their values in Nigeria. They are becoming moribund and anachronistic. The question is why do we still pretend that elections are of any use in this country? Those who organise the exercise know too well that nothing serious is happening. Politicians also know there are no elections in the real sense of the word.

All over the world, election is a serious business and politicians do everything to outwit their opponents. As Americans prepares for their Presidential election in a few days’ time, main candidates are employing all propaganda to psyche down one another. But elections will hold and credible results will be declared to the satisfaction of majority of voters.

But Nigerian elections have ceased to excite the citizens. Results are hardly credible and the impunity of those who perpetrate the heist is irritatingly annoying. These have combined to push many people away from showing up at the polling booths on election day.

Like many other things in Nigeria, elections may have lost their value. Citizens are becoming increasingly weary of going to the polls, simply because they believe their votes would not and do not count.

Those who have adopted this position are being justified by the shambolic elections that are being organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Statistics, since 2007. It was better in 1999 when the country returned to civil rule, but subsequent elections have witnessed lower voter turnout than the ones preceding them.

Let me conduct you through the awful trajectory since 1999. It was 52.3percent in 1999; 69percent in 2003; 57.5percent in 2007; 53.7 percent in 2011; 43.7 percent in 2015; 34.8percent in 2019, and 28.63percent in 2023.

The consistent decline was in spite of the touted adoption of technology in the electoral process.

Increasing voter registration has failed to translate into more voters turning out to exercise their franchise.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner with fewer than 9 million votes. With 36.61percent of the total votes cast, the President is presiding over a country of over 220 million people!

The situation is not better in sub-national elections as the high level of electoral malfeasance has discouraged many Nigerians from showing interest in the electoral process.

In the last off-cycle gubernatorial election in Edo, the turnout was pathetic. Voter turnout has been on the downward trend.

For instance, the turnout in the 2016 poll in Edo that brought Godwin Obaseki to power was 32.7percent, as 622,029 votes were cast out of 1,900,223 registered voters. In 2020, 24.9percent, or approximately 25percent, was recorded, in which 550, 242 people voted out of 2,210534 total registered voters. In the last election, only 22percent was recorded.

It does not seem that things will improve in the near future despite the gale of condemnation that trails the activities of election handlers and the rhetoric emanating from political practitioners.

The desperation of politicians is making elections in the country look laughable. Ahead of the Ondo State gubernatorial election, some chieftains of the ruling party are already claiming victory when the exercise has not been conducted.

They have also given the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo a notice that he should not waste his time and resources to seek re-election.

The way things seem at the moment, the ruling party may have perfected plans to win wherever and whenever elections are held going forward. For the party’s apparatchiks, it does not matter whether elections are free, fair or credible, what appears to matter is the end justifying the means.

Many Nigerians are saying that there is no need for the government at all levels to waste time and resources organising shambolic elections, but that they should just anoint their choices and crown them without disturbing the citizens.

No additional bodies from the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed on October 24, 2024, has been found, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has stated.

In a statement Sunday, Olufemi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, stated that search was still ongoing.

Soneye said: “The NNPC Ltd wishes to announce that beyond the three bodies found in the ill-fated helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation that crashed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, no other bodies have been recovered.”

He said the company further noted that intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining bodies along with relevant authorities were still ongoing. “Once again, our hearts and prayers are with family members of this unfortunate incident.”

It will be recalled that at about 11:22am on the fateful day, the NNPCL announced it lost contact with the Helicopter – Registration Number: 5NBQG, engaged by NNPC Limited, that took off from Port Harcourt NAF Base en-route the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN. The helicopter was operated by East Winds Aviation.

The NNPL said that there were eight persons on board (six passengers and two crew members), saying the appropriate authorities had been contacted, including the Ministry of Aviation. It was at that point that the three bodies were announced as found.

[BusinessDay]

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso, has announced a reduction in market volatility, attributing it to the foreign exchange reforms undertaken by the apex bank.

Cardoso disclosed this during a press briefing in Washington, USA, following meetings with stakeholders from the World Bank.

He explained that the bank’s bold and unconventional reforms have boosted foreign exchange supply and increased remittance inflows into the country.

Additionally, he highlighted that the bank has curtailed arbitrage and speculative activities, while also eliminating the front-loading of foreign exchange demand.

“Since assumption of office a year ago, we’ve been focused on how to address inflationary concerns,   restore investors confidence in financial markets and stabilizing the exchange rate. Enhancing the financial system, fostering financial inclusion and enhancing transparency in our monetary policy decisions and communication.  

“We embarked upon bold and necessary reforms to return to the path of monetary policy orthodoxy as well as removed observed distortion in the foreign exchange market. Our efforts have yielded significant progress as volatility in the foreign exchange market has abated immeasurably and remittances have also increased significantly.  

“We’ve achieved increased transparency and improved overall supply in the foreign exchange market, leading to reduced arbitrage, speculative activities and eliminated front loading of foreign exchange demand,” Cardoso stated.  

Bank Recapitalization Policy  

Cardoso also commented on the CBN’s recapitalization policy for deposit money banks.

According to the apex bank governor, the initiative aims to support a N1 trillion economy by 2030.

However, he acknowledged that much work remains to be done, stressing the importance of maintaining and consolidating current progress through an efficient market system and the deepening of financial inclusion.

“The CBN recapitalization policy has prompted deposit money banks to strengthen their financial position, a process expected to result in a more robust and resilient banking sector by March 2026. The exercise is meant to support the realization of the N1 trillion economy by 2030.  

“We recognize that much is still needed to be done to fully achieve our goals. Our paths forward include consolidating and sailing current progress through an efficient market system and deepening financial and economic inclusion, particularly for small businesses, households, women and young people in Nigeria.  

“By leveraging smarter technology and remote banking solutions, we aim to reduce transaction cost and expand financial access, ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or demographics, can meaningfully participate in our involving financial system,” Cardoso said. 

What you should know 

Since last year, Nigeria has faced currency fluctuations in the foreign exchange market, triggering widespread instability across all sectors of the economy.

• At the height of the crisis, the naira depreciated to as low as N1,900/$ against the dollar earlier this year.
• However, the currency rebounded to approximately N1,600/$ in September, maintaining a range of around N1,650 with signs of stability.
• In response, the CBN introduced several measures and directives to manage the currency, including crackdowns on the informal FX market, such as BDC operators, and the crypto market.
• This month, the naira has shown relative stability against the dollar, accompanied by a significant rise in foreign exchange inflows into the reserves.

[Nairametrics]

The search for the wreckage of a private helicopter that crashed in Nigeria on Thursday will continue this morning, an official has said. The authorities also announced the deployment of an underwater drone to aid in the search.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter crashed on Thursday after leaving Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with officials saying three bodies of the eight passengers were recovered.

“The incident, which occurred on Thursday, October 24, 2024, involved eight persons onboard and took place off the coast of Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean,” Bimbo Oladeji, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) said in a statement shared by aviation minister Festus Keyamo on Sunday morning.

“As of 11:55 AM today (Saturday), divers began setting up and checking equipment to conduct an underwater search and recovery, followed by preliminary sweeping operations at 2:15 PM. However, by 4:30 PM, diving activities were suspended due to the loss of daylight. Recovery operations are set to resume tomorrow at 9:00 AM local time,” she wrote.

The spokesperson said no item from the crashed helicopter has been recovered.

“Despite extensive search efforts, no wreckage or critical components – such as the black box, Flight Data Recorder (FDR), or Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) – have yet been located due to the challenging conditions of the operating environment, limited visibility at depth and human divers’ operational constraints,” she said.

Mrs Oladeji said her agency would deploy an underwater drone in its search for the wreckage.

“To enhance recovery efforts, the NSIB is working to deploy a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) equipped to operate at depths of up to 1,000 meters. With its advanced cameras, sensors, and Tether Management System (TMS), the ROV will enable the NSIB team to conduct detailed surveys, collect environmental data, and capture critical evidence essential to understanding the cause of the incident,” she said.

Read the NSIB’s full statement below.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) continued its recovery operation and investigation into the ditching of a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registration 5N BQG, operated by Eastwind Aviation. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, October 24, 2024, involved eight persons onboard and took place off the coast of Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.
As of 11:55 AM today, divers began setting up and checking equipment to conduct an underwater search and recovery, followed by preliminary sweeping operations at 2:15 PM. However, by 4:30 PM, diving activities were suspended due to the loss of daylight. Recovery operations are set to resume tomorrow at 9:00 AM local time. Despite extensive search efforts, no wreckage or critical components – such as the black box, Flight Data Recorder (FDR), or Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) – have yet been located due to the challenging conditions of the operating environment, limited visibility at depth and human divers’ operational constraints.
To enhance recovery efforts, the NSIB is working to deploy a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) equipped to operate at depths of up to 1,000 meters. With its advanced cameras, sensors, and Tether Management System (TMS), the ROV will enable the NSIB team to conduct detailed surveys, collect environmental data, and capture critical evidence essential to understanding the cause of the incident. The ROV’s capacity for close inspections and light manipulation tasks will be invaluable in such deep-water environments, where it will aid in assessing wreckage conditions, gathering vital data, and developing insights into potential causes.
Captain Alex Badeh Jr., Director General of the NSIB, further expressed his sympathies to the loved ones of those affected, stating, “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends of the crew and passengers involved in this tragic event. We recognize the depth of this loss, and I assure you that all efforts are fully underway. Our priority is to recover and analyze all necessary data to bring clarity to the families and the nation.”

The NSIB is collaborating closely with an amalgamated team of search, rescue, and recovery units comprising various government agencies and private entities. The Bureau urges the public to avoid speculation, emphasizing the importance of respecting the integrity of the recovery and investigation as they progress.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency and accountability, continually working to enhance transportation safety across Nigeria.

Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji
Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance,
Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau

Former Big Brother Naija housemate cum actor, Adeolu Okusaga, better known as Saga, has described his colleague, Liquorose, as his very good friend.

Naija News reports that there have been speculations online that Saga and Liquorose are dating due to their recent film reenactments.

However, in an interview with Punch, the reality TV star attributed his chemistry with Liquorose to their off-screen friendship.

He said, “Liquorose is my very good friend. We are both super talented and that is what I want to put out there. A lot of people don’t like to brag about themselves but I am going to brag about myself. I am a very talented actor and Liquorose is a great actress as well. Coming together, we create chemistry at the snap of a finger.

“Working with her is so easy and seamless. Most of those shoots take shorter time than people might imagine. The fact that Liquor is my friend in real life makes it easier for us to have an onscreen connection that works for the camera. Liquorose and I are working on a miniseries that we will be giving information on soon.”

Speaking on his recent delve into the Nollywood industry, Saga stated that he is eager to explore a wider range of characters.

He added, “I want to play action roles; be a father, scientist, pastor, or even delve into science fiction. I have so much more to give. If I am cast for romantic roles right now, I’ll make the most of it. But, when the opportunity comes to show a different side of me, I’m also ready.”

[NaijaNews]