Lagos supports innovators, tech firms with N100m grant (Punch)
No fewer than 23 young innovators and tech firms have been awarded a grant of N100m by the Lagos State Government.
According to a statement on Wednesday, the grant is to pursue various technology-driven innovations across the six pillars of the development agenda of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
The recipients, the state said, were the first set of beneficiaries to be picked to benefit from the N250m seed capital earmarked last year as Research and Innovation Fund by the state government.
The awardees were reportedly selected through a highly competitive process overseen by the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC), an agency established in 2019 to encourage the development of innovative solutions to local problems. Read more
NSE endows N.25m at YABATECH (Nation)
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ikeja branch visited the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) last week to present a cheque of N250,000 for an academic prize.
The yearly fund instituted in memory of the late Akinsanya Oludaiye, an engineer and alumnus of the school, in collaboration with his family, is for the best graduating student in electrical engineering.
The NSE Team led by its Chairman, Mrs. Funmilade Akingbagbohun, noted that the Society’s visit was also to see how to close the huge gap between the classroom and the industry so students can fit into the industry after graduation. .
“It became worrisome for us as engineers to see new graduates not adapting to the industry, and this sad development made us come up with mentorship, internship programme and endowment fund for the students. The two daughters of late Engr. Oludaiye have put together endowment fund not only for YABATECH students but for the best student of Electrical Engineering every year from now in remembrance of their father, and the award will be presented on January 25, being the birthday of the late Engineer.” Read more
IE launches WhatsApp Chatbot to optimise service delivery, complaints resolution (Vanguard)
Ikeja Electric, Nigeria’s largest power distribution company has unveiled a WhatsApp messaging solution, which offers real-time customers complaints resolution and 24-hour customer support service.
The IE WhatsApp Chatbot works like regular WhatsApp platform and enables seamless two-way communication between customer and the DisCo through the chat interface.
Ikeja Electric, while explaining the functionality, noted that through the dedicated WhatsApp Chatbot number 09088951626, customers can get their account details, check and pay bills, confirm payments, report faults, make complaints and request for prepaid meter.
In addition, customers can check supply availability, report case of energy theft or vandalism, request for new connection and get answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), among other services. Customers can also speak with Customer Care Representative via the IE WhatsApp Chatbot if required. Read more
Police nab rape suspect in Sapele after CCTV evidence (Guardian)
The Police in Delta have confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old man identified as Jomaph who allegedly raped an 11-year-old girl in Sapele town, Sapele LGA of Delta.
Spokesperson of the Delta Police Command, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, told newsmen on Wednesday in Asaba that the suspect was arrested after he was captured on a CCTV camera sneaking into the toilet to meet the victim.
“The young man was arrest after he was captured on a nearby CCTV sneaking into the toilet with the little girl. Read more
Delta cult war claims 11 lives in five days (Punch)
About nine cult-related deaths have been recorded in five days in Asaba, Delta State, in addition to three in Warri, which are alleged to be reprisals by rival cults.
Two young men were said to have been killed in Asaba on Tuesday.
PUNCH Metro gathered that one of the deceased, simply identified as Nnamdi, was shot dead at the Stop Abortion junction.
Nnamdi, who was an employee of the Oshimili South Local Government Area of the state, according to a source, was shot multiple times by the gunmen. Read more
Police parade 23 suspected armed robbers, cultists in Benue (Vanguard)
The Police Command in Benue on Wednesday paraded 23 persons suspected to be armed robbers, cultists, and child traffickers.
Other persons paraded were alleged to have been found with prohibited firearms.
A statement signed by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Mukaddas Garba, said that the command was determined to rid the state of criminals.
It said that the command had been able to clampdown on armed robbery, communal clashes, and cultism among other crimes. Read more
Kwara arranges WASSCE for 16-year-old COVID-19 patient (Guardian)
Sixteen-year-old female COVID-19 patient is writing her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at the Kwara State COVID-19/Infectious Disease Centre in Ilorin, an official said yesterday.
The patient (identity withheld) reportedly wrote her Agricultural Science paper on yesterday under close supervision by an official of West African Examination Council (WAEC).
Manager, Case Management Team of the centre, Dr. Kudirat Oladeji-Lambe, told reporters that the candidate was asymptomatic, stable and fit to write the tests. Read more
Police deploy 5,000 personnel for Ondo LG election (Punch)
The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, Bolaji Salami, says the command has deployed 5,000 cops to provide security on Saturday, for the Local Government Areas election.
Salami said in a statement on Wednesday in Akure, that the command was fully prepared for the conduct of the election.
He added that other security agencies including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, and the Department of State Services would collectively provide security during the exercise. Read more
Nigeria spends N120bn annually to keep refineries idle – Petroleum engineers (Vanguard)
Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE, Nigeria Council has lamented the huge amount of money the country spent to keep its non-performing refineries.
Speaking ahead of SPE Nigeria Energy Industry Transformation Summit bid to run from 25 to 27th August, the Council Chairman, Mr Joe Nwakwue said that on annual basis, the country refineries gulp nothing less than N120 billion.
“We understand that refinery is a key national asset and it is in the national interest that they are optimally run from commercial perspective and we think private sector are in better position to do that than public sector. Read more
Armed fighters take hundreds hostage in Nigeria’s Borno State (Aljazeera)
Armed fighters have taken hundreds of hostages in a northeast Nigerian town where residents had only just returned after fleeing their homes, residents and militia sources said on Wednesday.
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group, a splinter group of Boko Haram, overran the town of Kukawa in Borno state late on Tuesday, the sources told the AFP news agency.
They seized residents who had returned to the town in a government operation on August 2, after spending nearly two years in displacement camps, said Babakura Kolo, head of a local militia.
“The terrorists attacked the town in 22 trucks around 4:00 pm (16:00 GMT) yesterday and engaged soldiers guarding the town in a fierce battle,” he said.
Kukawa’s residents had returned to their homes just 16 days earlier under military escort, on the orders of the Borno state authorities.
They had been living in camps in the regional capital Maiduguri, 180km (120 miles) away, where they fled following a bloody attack in November 2018. Read more
Mali coup: UN joins global condemnation of military takeover (BBC)
Media captionThe mutinying soldiers were cheered by crowds as they reached the capital Bamako on Tuesday
The United Nations has joined global condemnation of the military takeover in Mali, which saw President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta forced to resign.
The UN’s Security Council echoed similar calls by regional bodies for the immediate release of all government officials and the restoration of constitutional order.
The soldiers said they acted to prevent the country falling into further chaos. Read more
History made on Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention (CBC)
Kamala Harris has been formally nominated as Democrats’ pick for vice-president, becoming the first woman of colour to accept a spot on a major U.S. party’s presidential ticket.
The 55-year-old California senator ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic presidential primary, dropping out months before the first votes were cast.
Joe Biden emerged on top of the once-crowded primary field, clinching the nomination and tapping Harris as his running mate last week. Read more
Children among 45 dead in 2020’s worst Mediterranean boat tragedy (Aljazeera)
At least 45 people including five children died earlier this week in the worst shipwreck reported so far this year off Libya’s coast, according to the United Nations.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) said 37 survivors from Monday’s shipwreck reported that at least 45 others had died when the engine of the vessel they were aboard exploded off the coast of Zwara.
The two agencies said the survivors, mostly from Senegal, Mali, Chad and Ghana, were rescued by local fishermen and later detained upon disembarkation.
Following the tragic incident in the Mediterranean, the UNHCR and the IOM urgently called for a review of countries’ approach in their rescue efforts. Read more
Man snags $17.4m in his 2nd multi-million lotto win (CBC)
The Cape Breton man who won $17.4 million in this weekend’s Lotto 6/49 jackpot is no stranger to a multi-million dollar prize.
Raymond Lillington of Dingwall, Nova Scotia, Canada, won a $3.2 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot in 2013.
On Wednesday, The Atlantic Lottery Corp. announced Lillington and his wife Gaye held the ticket sold in Victoria County that was Saturday’s jackpot winner worth $17,405,149.
“This can’t be real. This is impossible, this doesn’t happen,” Lillington said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s still mind-boggling.” Read more
Anon Nampa: Thai lawyer arrested over monarchy protest (BBC)
Thai lawyer and activist Anon Nampa has been arrested over a protest where he called for reform of the powerful monarchy.
Arrest warrants have been issued for five other activists.
Thailand’s monarchy has long been shielded from criticism under strict lese-majeste and other laws.
But in recent weeks anti-government rallies have started calling for change to an institution Thais are taught to revere from a young age. Read more
Cuba Gooding Jr. accused of 2013 rape in new lawsuit (CBC)
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is accused of raping a woman twice in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013, according to a lawsuit that escalates the severity of the growing number of claims against him.
The lawsuit, dated Monday but filed publicly Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, alleged that the Oscar-winning Jerry Maguire actor attacked the woman, identified in court papers as “Jane Doe” to protect her privacy, after she met him at a Greenwich Village VIP lounge.
Lawyer Mark Heller, who represent the 52-year-old actor, said the “alleged event never took place.”
“And my client is totally innocent of any of these false allegations and we’re confident it will be dismissed,” he said. Read more
Mass exodus hits Sunshine over players, staff unpaid salaries (Punch)
A mass exodus of players and coaches has began in the camp of Sunshine Stars following the Nigerian Professional Football League club’s inability to offset the outstanding salaries to their personnel, The PUNCH has learnt.
The Akure Gunners, who finished 11th in the domestic league last season, allegedly owe head coach Kabiru Dogo, who has been heavily linked with a move to Lobi Stars, three months salaries, while his assistants are owed seven months wages.
The staff of the Ondo State Football Agency are owed bulk of salaries too, our correspondent learnt.
Sunshine Stars players, our correspondent also gathered, are owed three months salaries, which has seen no fewer than five players depart the club in recent days for better fortunes elsewhere. Read more
Gabriel set for Arsenal medical on Thursday after Gunners agree £22.6m fee with Lille (Metro)
Arsenal hope to complete a deal for Lille defender Gabriel in the next 24 hours with the Brazilian set to undergo a medical with the club on Thursday.
Lille accepted offers from Arsenal and Napoli but the 22-year-old has decided to join the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta identified his side’s defence as a major weakness when he arrived last December and his tactics in the second half of the campaign where designed to cover-up the Gunners’ deficienccies at the back. Read more
Gnabry and Lewandowski fire ruthless Bayern into Champions League final (Guardian)
Serge Gnabry struck a first-half brace and Robert Lewandowski also scored as a ruthless Bayern Munich taught Lyon a Metro lesson in their Champions League semi-final in Lisbon on Wednesday, winning 3-0 to set up a tantalising final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Lyon squandered two golden opportunities to go ahead early on at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, through Memphis Depay and Karl Toko-Ekambi.
Within seconds of the latter miss, Gnabry had blasted Bayern into an 18th-minute lead in stunning style, and the Germany winger scored again just after the half-hour mark.
Gnabry, who scored four times in Bayern’s 7-2 annihilation of Tottenham Hotspur in the group stage, has now scored nine in nine appearances in this season’s competition. Read more
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams top as tennis dominates rich list (BBC)
The world’s nine highest-earning sportswomen over the past year are all tennis players, according to research by US business magazine Forbes.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka tops the list with earnings of $37.4m (£26.3m), ahead of Serena Williams with $36m (£27.2m).
World number one Ashleigh Barty is third with income of $13.1m (£9.9m).
United States international footballer Alex Morgan is the only athlete from outside tennis in the top 10, earning $4.6m (£3.5m).
Morgan, who gave birth to her first child in May, earned $4.2m (£3.2m) of her income through endorsements during the span of Forbes analysis – between 1 June 2019 and 1 June 2020. Read more
Kompany retires as player to become Anderlecht manager (Vanguard)
Belgian international defender Vincent Kompany has hung up his boots at the age of 34 to become manager of Anderlecht on a four-year contract, the club announced Monday.
Kompany joined Anderlecht from Manchester City in 2019 as player-manager, and now takes over from Franky Vercauteren, who had been handling coaching duties, in a purely managerial role.
“If I hadn’t been injured, I would have continued,” Kompany told a news conference. “I don’t want to set the bar lower than winning the title. I’m here to win.” Read more
Manchester United confident of completing Jadon Sancho transfer if personal terms can be agreed with winger (Metro)
Manchester United are confident of agreeing a fee with Dortmund when and if the club settle personal terms with Jadon Sancho. The Bundesliga club set a deadline of August 10th for United to sign Sancho and the Germans’ £108m valuation was seen as the main stumbling block for a deal to sign the winger. However, toclaim that the biggest problem is the personal terms with Sancho and the agent fees for his representatives. United have spent big in recent years to sign the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku and the club are now unwilling to make the same mistakes by handing out huge wages that prove problematic down the line. Read more