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USA trains 72 Nigerian scholars
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States of America (USA), has injected a 600,000 US dollars grant to train 72 Nigerian scholars on data science and medical image analysis.
Prof. Benjamin Aribisala, Programme Director/Prinicipal Investigator, Data Science and Medical Image Analysis Training (DATICAN) in Nigeria, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos.
The initiative is aimed at supporting improved healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
NIH partnered the University of Chicago and three universities in Nigeria through the DATICAN project to build the capacity of scholars in the medical and computer science field.
Aribisala named the partnering universities in Nigeria for the project as: The Lagos State University (LASU), University of Ibadan and Redeemer’s University.
He said that an intensive training for the participants began on April 4, at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and ended on Tuesday, while the project is expected to run for the next three years.
According to him, the USA, about five years ago, discovered a gap in the area of human resources and expertise in data science, most especially its applications to medical domain.
“Generally in Africa, technology and skills in data science to improve healthcare delivery is still lacking, hence the introduction of an initiative on data science.
“The initiative is to fund Africa as a continent on building capacity, by training professionals to acquire skills on data science and apply it in healthcare delivery.
“The four benefiting universities formed a team and keyed into the initiative in year 2022, by developing a proposal to the NIH, which was approved in September 2023,” he said.
According to him, the programme is a specialised training for postgraduate students undergoing Masters programme, PhD students, PhD holders in academics and secondary school students to build their layers of skills.
The programme director, representing LASU, said that the secondary school students are trained on coding to encourage them to do it when they graduate into the university.
Aribisala, also a professor of Computer Science, said that the NIH paid for the tuition of the Masters and PhD students in their respective schools, while the PhD holders get stipends to develop their careers and publish papers.
“Some of the scholars are already working on stroke, some on autism, traumatic brain injury, among others, and are expected to publish a paper and develop a tool that will be useful for the country,” he said.
The professor explained that the trainers from the University of Chicago also attended the programme to train the participants.
He said the project was designed as a train-the-trainers programme.
Aribisala said following the concluding training, some appointed trainers from Nigeria would go to the University of Chicago by the end of April to receive special training and develop their skills, which would be passed on to the other participants.
He expressed concern that Nigeria lacked database for medical images, hence the participants of the project were expected by NIH to develop a repository or local images data base to address the Nigerian health challenge.
The professor stated that DATICAN had begun talks with the Ministry of Health on its mission and the ministry had also pledged its support for the project and to possibly sustain it.
DATICAN Principal Investigator for the University of Ibadan, DrShofoluweAdeniji, described the initiative as an excellent collaboration which was long overdue, to help Nigeria develop her repository of medical images.
Adeniji, also a consultant radiologist, stated that Nigeria had been losing a lot of its data to developed countries.
He said that the programme would encourage young researchers to build their capacity on multi-disciplinary approach to research.
She said, “It is commendable that researchers from different specialities come together to solve problems that are locally relevant to our people.”
A participant, Mr Michael Alu, PhD student, Computer Science of the Redeemer’s University, said it had been a fantastic experience since he joined the DATICAN community in September 2023.
Alu stated that he had learnt a lot on medical image analysis through the programme and hoped to publish papers on noble ideas and knowledge that would help the medical community.
DATICAN comprises experts in data science, medical practitioners, physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists and other allied fields.
The community aims to produce many data scientists who are well equipped to conduct medical research tilted towards improving health care delivery in Nigeria
News
Cement price hike causing building collapse – COREN
Cases of building collapse in the country have been attributed to the arbitrary increase in the price of cement by producers of the product.
The President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Sadiq Abubakar, stated this on Monday in his remarks at the investigative hearing organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Solid Minerals, Industry, Commerce and Special Duties, to probe the price increase of cement in recent times.
This was as the Chairman of the Joint Committee and member representing Karu/Keffi/kokona Federal Constituency, Nasarawa State, Gaza Gbewfi, summoned the Chairman of the Cement Producers Association of Nigeria, David Iweta, for questioning over the development.
Iweta, who did to turn up for the investigative hearing on Monday, was summoned after previously turning down two invitations by the committee.
The committee also charged the association to desist from using frivolous court injunctions to interfere in its work as guaranteed by the provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended)
“You will agree with me that an increase in the price of cement is one of the key culprits of building collapse. I am trying to connect the hike in the price of cement with the standardisation in our building and the direct connection of building collapse.
“There is a connection with that, and I think this something we must interrogate,” the COREN President said.
Gbewfi, while agreeing with Abubakar, also argued that the cost of cement has also brought about an increment in housing rents across the nation.
“Anything that has to do with livelihood should be treated as an emergency’” the committee chairman said.
At the investigative hearing, the joint committee also queried representatives of the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute and the Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Council on the arbitrary price increase.
Gbewfi also chided the representative of the Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Boladale Adeyinka for not doing enough to protect the consumers of cement in line with the Act establishing the agency, saying, “You are a mother that has forgotten your children.”
News
Osun State Assembly okays salary increase for political office holders
The Osun State House of Assembly is to send a bill to Governor Ademola Adeleke to increase the salary package of some political office holders.
This was made known by the Speaker of the Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, during plenary on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the salary increment bill titled, ‘Osun State Public/Political Office Holders Reviewed Remuneration Package (Amendment No. 2) Bill 2024,’ was presented to the Assembly on April 30, 2024.
The Majority Leader and the lawmaker representing Ede North State Constituency, Kofoworola Adewunmi, presented the bill to the House as a private member bill.
While reading the policy thrust of the bill, Adewunmi stated that the last time the salaries of public/political office holders in the state were reviewed upwards was in 2007.
He said the salaries stipulated for public office holders in the Osun State Public/Political Office Holders Remuneration Package Law 2007 was, however, no more in tandem with the current economic realities.
“You will agree with me that the current economic reality is not the same as what was obtainable 17 years ago when the law was passed.
“It has, therefore, become imperative to review upwards, the salaries of some public/political office holders to better their living standard which is in tandem with the five points agenda of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“In addition, the State Assembly resolution taken on May 8, 2008 wherein there was an upward review of the remuneration package of some public/political office holders not covered by Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, as proposed by the state government, has been further reviewed and subsumed under this bill.” he stated
He equally clarified that the salary increment didn’t affect or cover the lawmakers’ salaries, explaining that state lawmakers’ salaries are statutorily reviewed by the National Assembly.
News
Minimum wage: Labour issues two-week ultimatum to defaulting states
The organised labour comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, on Monday, ordered state chapters to issue two weeks ultimatum to states that have failed to implement the old N30,000 minimum wage.
The NLC and TUC took this decision during a jointly held National Executive Council meeting which took place on Monday.
“NEC-in-session further directed all state councils whose state governments are yet to fully implement the N30,00 national minimum wage and its consequential adjustments to issue immediately a joint two-week ultimatum to the culpable state governments to avert industrial action,” NLC’s National President, Joe Ajaero; and TUC’s National President, Festus Osifo, said in a statement.
Speaking further, the unions also called for a one-day action in Anambra State following what was described as the failure of the state government to meet the demands of civil servants in the state.
“Consequently, the NEC-in-session accordingly reaffirms the NLC and TUC joint ultimatum earlier issued to the Anambra State Government by its Anambra State councils. It therefore directed all affiliates and workers in the state council to mobilise their members to ensure a successful action in the event the state government fails to meet the demands of workers by Thursday, the 23rd of May, 2024.
“In the event that the government fails to meet the demands outlined within the stipulated timeframe, the NEC authorises the leadership of the NLC and TUC to take appropriate actions, including but not limited to the mobilisation of workers for peaceful protests and industrial actions, to press home these demands for social justice and workers’ rights.
“NEC therefore calls on all affiliate unions, and workers including Civil Society Organisations across Nigeria to remain united and steadfast in solidarity during this critical period. Together, we shall prevail in our pursuit of a fair and just society that guarantees the dignity and well-being of all its citizens,” the statement added.
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