•Dr Tunji Alausa

The Federal Government has commenced the disbursement of funds under the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund.

The fund is designed to strengthen staff welfare, institutional productivity, and innovation across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

In a statement by the Ministry of Education, the Minister Dr Tunji Alausa, said that the programme had transitioned from planning to full implementation, with more than 9,000 staff of tertiary institutions receiving payments in the first year.

The ministry reaffirms its commitment to transparent fund management, quarterly financial reporting, and continuous engagement with participating institutions to ensure that every naira disbursed translates into improved welfare, motivation, and institutional performance as well as repayments to ensure more members of our tertiary institutions can benefit from the initiative.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reported that more than 1,100 telecom infrastructure are damaged across the country weekly.

This was disclosed by the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, during the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) and Sustainability Conference held in Lagos.

“Telecom infrastructure sabotage is not just a crime against property; it is a crime against progress. These actions paralyze businesses, hamper government services, and jeopardize lives,” he said

A report shows that in 2022 alone, over N13 billion was spent by Mobile Network Operators, InfraCos, and other Service Providers in fixing damages to fibre cuts and other telecommunication infrastructure. In 2023, this amount rose to N14.6 billion.

In the same report, operators in the telecommunications sector faced revenue losses amounting to N12 billion in both 2022 and 2023 due to customer compensation, site relocations and fibre resilience costs.

Now N35billion is now lost not just in repairs but in economic opportunity in recent weeks, according to telecom operators.

Nigeria is reported to have over 79,000 kilometres of fiber optic cables laid across the country.

The Federal Government has launched a digital identity App to boost transparency and curb corruption.

Speaking at the State House in Abuja during the launch of the NINAuth mobile app, President Tinubu said that his administration is leveraging technology to drive transparency, efficiency and accountability in governance.

President Tinubu emphasised that a credible and inclusive national identity system is vital to Nigeria’s development and fight against corruption.

He directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to immediately adopt the new platform for staff and data verification saying it will simplify access to public services, cut red tape, and block loopholes where inefficiency and corruption thrive.

The new platform developed by the National Identity Management Commission will allow citizens to verify their identity and control how their personal data is shared across banks, schools, and government agencies.

The Director – General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said that more than 126 million Nigerians are already enrolled on the national database.

He called the app a breakthrough for data privacy and secure digital identification.