Month: June 2024

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Buni Gari water treatment plant ready June – Yobe Gov.


Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe says the 16 million litres per day capacity Buni Gari Water Treatment Plant will be ready by the end of June.

Buni stated this in Buni Gari on Saturday when he inspected the level of work at the project site.

‘We are assured that the plant will be ready by June this year, as stipulated in the contractual agreement,’ he said.

The governor expressed satisfaction with the depth of the plant’s reservoir, water confluence point, and the installation of solar-powered equipment.

Buni also said the plant’s production capacity could be further upgraded to 20 million litres per day upon completion.

He said that the project would address water scarcity in the town and its environs when completed.

The governor charged the contractor to deliver the project within the agreed timeframe for the state to have value for its money.

Buni also expressed satisfaction with the backup generator that would be installed at the plant to ensure consistency in operation.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Agency trains 18 mechanics on water facility maintenance in Kano


The Kano State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) has trained 18 mechanics and water supply officers on the operation and maintenance of water facilities across seven local governments.

Malam Shamwilu Abdulkadir, Managing Director of the agency, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday that this became necessary to prevent the breakdown of water supply facilities.

According to him, this initiative is part of the ‘Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM)’ strategy, which engages local artisans to manage water facilities in rural areas.

Abdulkadir added that the agency had organised a workshop to review the quality of state rural water and develop a surveillance and implementation strategy.

He said, ‘We have initiated and executed a number of water supply projects in various communities and institutions where potable water was seriously needed.

‘These include the construction of an 8000- litre solar borehole at Babawa General Hospital. In addition to this, the agency a
lso repaired 8 hand pump boreholes in the community.

‘It also constructed a 12,000-litre solar powered borehole and reticulation of 500 metres at Kano State School of Health Technology and constructed 4 hand pump boreholes for Sitti communities in Sumaila Local Government.

‘We have also rehabilitated many nonfunctional boreholes at Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Hospital overhead tank, handpump boreholes, and the Ministry of Information water facilities at Audu Bako Secretariat.

‘We rehabilitated the Office of the Head of Civil Service facilities at Audu Bako Secretariat; Rehabilitation and upgrade of motorised solar-powered boreholes at Hugungumai village in Tsanyawa Local Government , among others.’

Abdulkadir said the agency had recorded 11 open defecation-free local government areas within the last ten months.

He said that the feat was part of the sustained plausible efforts to deliver on the mandate to end open defecation practices.

The managing director said the initiative also aimed to promote hygiene
in the state, following the 2025 national road-map.

Abdulkadir said this had added to the eight local governments already declared open defecation-free.

He mentioned that a support mechanism had been established to ensure sustainability.

According to him, upon assuming office, he continued with ongoing programmes related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), the specialised operational focus of the agency with support from the United Nations.

He added, ‘We have also set up a mechanism to support the eight validated local governments declared open defecation-free for sustainability.

‘RUWASSA also embarked on training 24 WASH officials on community WASH facilities management within these local governments.’

The managing director added that various capacity-building workshops had been organised for better service delivery, including the WASH Framework on Measurement and Evaluation in the state.

NAN reports that WASH sector observers in Kano believe Malam Shamwilu’s appointment marks a positive change i
n the agency’s management, leading to significant impacts.

They agree that Governor Abba Kabir made the right choice in selecting Malam Shamwilu Abdulkadir as Managing Director of RUWASSA.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Institute advocates tree planting culture to mitigate climate change


The Institute of Environment Practitioners of Nigeria (IEPN) has urged Nigerians to imbibe tree planting culture, to mitigate climate change.

Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, President and Chairman, Governing Council of the institute, stated this at an event to commemorate 2024 World Environment Day on Friday in Benin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was being organised in partnership with Benin City Window on America (BCWOA) with the theme: ‘Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience’.

According to the UN fact sheet, over 40 per cent of planet land is being degraded affecting half of the world’s population.

Ezemonye said the theme of the event was to remind stakeholders on the need to collectively heal the planet.

‘Since WED was celebrated in 1973, the anniversary has become a platform to raise awareness about critical environmental issues and proffer lasting and sustainable solutions,’ he said.

Ezemonye, who is also the Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada, Benin
, added that the 2024 WED came at a critical time when the world had triple planetary crisis such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

According to him, by focusing on land restoration, we can mitigate these crises, enhance carbon storage, protect species from extinction and ensure a healthier planet for future generations.

‘According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), restoring degraded land can significantly improve livelihoods, reduce poverty, and build resilience to extreme weather.

‘Every dollar invested in restoration can make up to $30 in ecosystem services, making it a vital strategy for sustainable development’.

Also speaking, Dr Georgina Erifetal, a Director in BCWOA, urged participants to take responsibility for the survival of their immediate environment to bring positive effects to the global habitat.

The event also hosted stakeholders, who participated virtually across the globe, to proffer lasting solutions to issues affecting the planet.

Source: News Agen
cy of Nigeria

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As 20 melhores universidades de IA formam a primeira turma de Ph.D.

101 formandos impulsionam o ecossistema de IA dos Emirados Árabes Unidos com avanços em pesquisa, desenvolvimento e aplicações comerciais – criando um centro tecnológico de IA do Sul Global

ABU DHABI, Emirados Árabes Unidos, June 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sua Alteza Xeque Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Príncipe Herdeiro de Abu Dhabi e Presidente do Conselho Executivo de Abu Dhabi, participou da cerimônia de formatura de 2024 da Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) em 6 de junho, na qual foram diplomados 101 alunos de 22 países, que receberam títulos de pós-graduação nas principais áreas de IA, incluindo visão computacional (CV), aprendizado de máquina (ML) e processamento de linguagem natural (NLP).

O evento também contou com a presença de Sua Excelência o Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Ministro da Indústria e Tecnologia Avançada dos Emirados Árabes Unidos e Presidente Fundador do Conselho de Administração da MBZUAI, além de outras autoridades.

“Antes de muitos outros países reconhecerem seu potencial, as políticas lideradas pelo governo incentivaram a expansão da IA nos Emirados Árabes Unidos”, disse o Dr. Al Jaber. “Essas políticas promoveram o sucesso de empresas como a G42 e grandes modelos de linguagem como a Falcon. Consequentemente, esse pequeno país está criando um ecossistema de alto nível para talentos e empreendedorismo em IA. Estamos atraindo grandes investimentos de proeminentes empresas de tecnologia, como a Microsoft, e emergindo como um importante centro de inovação e aplicação de IA.”

O Dr. Al Jaber observou que o crescimento da IA é uma das três megatendências que moldam o futuro, juntamente com o ritmo acelerado da transição energética e a ascensão dos mercados emergentes e do Sul Global: “A crescente experiência da turma de 2024 será fundamental para solucionar alguns dos desafios mais urgentes do mundo. Na verdade, se quisermos atingir as metas ambiciosas do histórico Consenso dos Emirados Árabes Unidos, acordado na COP28 em dezembro em Dubai, a IA deve ter um papel crítico.”

A terceira e maior formatura da MBZUAI celebrou o primeiro Ph.D. da universidade em ML, além de mestres em ML (55), CV (28) e PNL (12), contando com alunos provenientes de países como Emirados Árabes Unidos, Canadá, Reino Unido, França, Índia, Vietnã, Paquistão, Etiópia e Sri Lanka.

O presidente da MBZUAI e professor universitário, Eric Xing, disse: “A turma de 2024 da MBZUAI é composta pelos futuros líderes de tecnologia, inovação e criatividade, e está preparada para aceitar a responsabilidade inerente à administração de algo tão poderoso e transformador. Eles nos deixam com o conhecimento, as habilidades e uma profunda compreensão da oportunidade que têm diante de si – a chance de moldar um futuro em que a IA sirva à humanidade com compaixão e padrões éticos inabaláveis – estão prontos para enfrentar os maiores desafios do mundo atual.”

Cinco anos depois de sua criação, a MBZUAI é hoje reconhecida como uma das 100 melhores universidades do mundo em ciência da computação e está classificada entre as 20 melhores por suas especializações em IA, CV, ML, PNL e robótica (CSRankings).

Para se candidatar à admissão, acesse mbzuai.ac.ae ou entre em contato com [email protected]. Para comunicação social, entre em contato com:

Amy Rogers, Senior Communications Specialist da MBZUAI
[email protected]

Roger Field/Aya Hassan
[email protected]

Uma foto que acompanha este anúncio está disponível em https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bdfc68d2-c10f-449c-85d5-dd39d3b960bd

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L’université classée parmi les 20 premières dans le domaine de l’IA décerne le diplôme de Ph.D. à sa première promotion

Au total, 101 diplômés dynamisent l’écosystème de recherche, de développement et d’applications commerciales de l’IA aux Émirats arabes unis, créant ainsi un pôle technologique de l’IA dans le Sud global

ABU DHABI, Émirats arabes unis, 08 juin 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Son Altesse Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Prince héritier d’Abu Dhabi et Président du Conseil exécutif d’Abu Dhabi, ont assisté le 6 juin à la cérémonie de remise des diplômes 2024 de l’Université Mohamed bin Zayed d’intelligence artificielle (MBZUAI), récompensant 101 diplômés originaires de 22 pays, qui ont obtenu des diplômes de troisième cycle dans des domaines clés de l’IA, notamment la vision artificielle (CV), l’apprentissage automatique (ML) et le traitement du langage naturel (NLP).

Son Excellence Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, ministre de l’Industrie et des technologies avancées des Émirats arabes unis et président fondateur du conseil d’administration du MBZUAI, a également assisté à l’événement, parmi d’autres dignitaires.

« Les politiques gouvernementales ont encouragé la promotion de l’IA aux Émirats arabes unis avant que de nombreux autres pays n’en reconnaissent le potentiel », a déclaré Dr Al Jaber. « Elles ont favorisé le succès d’entreprises comme G42 et de grands modèles de langage comme Falcon, et permis à ce petit pays de créer un écosystème de classe mondiale pour les talents et l’esprit d’entreprise dans le domaine de l’IA. Nous attirons des investissements importants de la part de leaders technologiques tels que Microsoft et devenons un centre important pour l’innovation et l’application de l’IA. »

Dr Al Jaber a souligné que l’essor de l’IA est l’une des trois grandes tendances qui déterminent l’avenir, avec l’accélération du rythme de la transition énergétique et la montée en puissance des marchés émergents et du Sud global : « L’expertise croissante de la promotion 2024 permettra de trouver des solutions aux défis les plus pressants du monde. En effet, si nous voulons atteindre les objectifs ambitieux du consensus historique des Émirats arabes unis adopté lors de la COP28 en décembre à Dubaï, l’IA doit jouer un rôle essentiel. »

À l’occasion de sa troisième et plus grande cérémonie de remise des diplômes, l’université MBZUAI a décerné ses premiers diplômes de doctorat (Ph.D.), ainsi que des maîtrises en apprentissage automatique (55), vision artificielle (28) et traitement du langage naturel (12), aux étudiants originaires de pays tels que les Émirats arabes unis, le Canada, le Royaume-Uni, la France, l’Inde, le Vietnam, le Pakistan, l’Éthiopie et le Sri Lanka.

Eric Xing, Président de MBZUAI et professeur d’université, a ajouté : « La promotion 2024 de MBZUAI comprend les futurs leaders de la technologie, de l’innovation et de la créativité, préparés pour accepter la responsabilité qui accompagne la gestion d’une révolution aussi puissante et transformatrice. Ils nous quittent avec les connaissances, les compétences et une compréhension profonde de l’opportunité qui s’offre à eux, la chance de façonner un avenir où l’IA sert l’humanité avec compassion selon des normes éthiques inébranlables, et ils sont prêts à relever les plus grands défis auxquels notre monde est confronté aujourd’hui. »

Cinq ans après sa création, MBZUAI est aujourd’hui reconnue comme l’une des 100 meilleures universités d’informatique au monde et se classe parmi les 20 premières pour ses spécialisations en IA, CV, ML, NLP et robotique (CSRankings).

Pour présenter une demande d’admission, consultez le site mbzuai.ac.ae ou contactez [email protected]. Pour les demandes médias, veuillez contacter :

Amy Rogers, Chargée de communication principale de MBZUAI
[email protected]

Roger Field/Aya Hassan
[email protected]

Une photo accompagnant le présent communiqué est disponible sur https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bdfc68d2-c10f-449c-85d5-dd39d3b960bd

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000965294

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Runsewe hails Oboh, Nigeria’s female golf sensation, on U.S. invitational triumph


The President, Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, OON has commended Nigeria’s female golf sensation, Georgia Oboh, on her recent victory at the John Shippen Women’s Invitational in Michigan, U.S.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 23-year-old Oboh, on Wednesday, captured the 2024 John Shippen Women’s Invitational and earned exemptions to compete in two LPGA tournaments – the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and the Dow Championship.

Oboh will tee it up alongside the world’s best female golfers at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give starting June 13, after shooting 69-70-139 on the same course Tuesday and Wednesday to earn a three-stroke victory at the SHIPPEN event.

Runsewe, who gave the commendation in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said that Oboh’s victory was an inspiration to other children back home and a testament to the fact that hard work pays

‘Congratulations to our very own Georgia Oboh on your well-deserved victory at the John Shippen Women’s Invitation
al at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan

‘Your victory is indeed a fulcrum of great possibilities and renewed hope for Nigeria and Nigerians.

‘We believe in you to keep the Nigerian flag flying high and keep doing your very best, to ensure that you represent our dear country as a good ambassador of the game of golf,’ he said.

NAN also reports that another Nigerian female pro golfer, Anita Uwadia, tied for third position with Ashley Shaw of U.S. in the same tournament, making it the first time in an international professional ladies’ golf tournament where two Nigerians made the top three.

The NGF president noted that the performance of the girls was a very rare one and not a mean feat.

He added that they had both distinguished themselves as the very first Nigerians and one of the few black professional female golfers on the top stage.

He said that the federation would continue to support the golfers, to ensure that they reach their full potential as they continue to make the country proud
and showcase themselves to the world.

He also advised parents to always support and encourage their children to start playing golf at an early age, adding that it was a sport they could be engaged in for the rest of their lives.

‘Hand your child a golf club, and you might be surprised what happens.

‘Your child might not be the next Tiger Woods, but golf can make a big impact in a young life.

‘Kids can benefit from the sport mentally, physically, and emotionally. The sport can set them up for success as they get older.

‘Many of the skills learned on the course translate to real life,’ he said.

NAN also reports that Oboh and her chosen partner will compete in the Dow Championship starting June 27 in Midland, Michigan.

The John Shippen Women’s Invitational which Oboh and Uwadia were part of is a series of competitions created to provide playing opportunities on the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour for the top Black amateur and professional women and men golfers.

The events are named after John Shippen, Jr., who wa
s both the first American-born golf professional and the country’s first Black golf professional.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria