Day: October 4, 2024

Retail sales in Singapore rose 0.6 percent year-on-year in August, following the 1 percent growth in July, the Department of Statistics said Friday.

Motor vehicle sales grew 17 percent in August from a year earlier. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales fell 1.5 percent.

The estimated total retail sales value in August was 4.1 billion Singapore dollars (3.16 billion U.S. dollars), including 12.1 percent from online market.

Source: The Namibia News Agency

Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the African Union Chief Mediator on Sudan, has enumerated factors fueling insecurity in the Sahel region, including weak governance and corruption.

Chambas, a guest lecturer at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Inaugural Annual International Lecture in Abuja, said military solution alone would not address the problem.

According to him, weak governance and corruption has helped to create a conducive environment for insecurity.

He said the Sahel region is so vast that there are lots of ungoverned spaces in the zone, causing the increase in the insecurity rate.

The AU chief also listed crisis in Libya, Sudan, Mali, among other factors that could be attributed to the challenge .

Besides, he said foreign interference and external forces had equally explored this for their own interest.

Chambas, who said the shrinking of Lake Chad Basin, particularly the Lake Chad, had caused more harm than good in the Sahel region, said focus should also be given to financing and supply network of the
terror groups.

‘These (issues of financing and supply network) should be effectively cut off or addressed.

‘We see them (terrorists) riding hundreds of thousands of motorbikes. How are they getting these and the fueling? These are what we should interrogate,’ he said.

He said issues of weak regional cooperation had further taken a toll on the insecurity problem.

Chambas said to tackle the problem headon, efforts should be made to alleviate poverty and inequality by countries in the region.

He said to deal with the root causes, social.amenities should be provided for the communities in Sahel region.

He said institutions should be straightened, including financial autonomy for local governments.

According to him, decentralisation will be meaningless without financial decentralisation.

He said this would assist the local government administrators to construct feeder roads and other infrastructure needed for the good of the people.

Besides, he said issues of farmer-herder clash should also be looked into
by providing finance and introducing modern method of farming in the communities.

Chambas also said that women and the youths, who constitute larger population, should be empowered.

‘It is not normal to keep them marginalised,’ he said.

He said the youths, who had most been mobilised by the terror groups, should be empowered through entrepreneurial training, among others.

He said regional cooperation and initiatives should be stepped up.

‘Nigeria should cooperate with neighbouring countries to address the insecurity

‘This will ensure joint border protection,’ he said.

Chambas, however, commended Nigerian government’s role in the establishment of the Multi-national Joint Task Force.

The Lecture with theme, ‘Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2024): Dissecting Nigeria’s Challenges – Genesis, Impacts and Options’ was conceived by the management of NAN as part of efforts to tackle the menace of insecurity in the Sahel and Nigeria.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Striker Gianluca Lapadula has been omitted from Peru’s squad for World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to injury, the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) said on Thursday.

The 34-year-old has been sidelined since he suffered an abdominal injury while playing for Cagliari in the Italian Serie A club’s victory over Cremonese in the Coppa Italia on September 24.

The FPF issued a statement confirming Lapadula’s withdrawal without saying if he would be replaced.

Peru face Uruguay in Lima on October 11 and Brazil in Brasilia four days later.

Jorge Fossati’s men are currently last in the 10-team South American qualifying group, having yet to win a match.

Source: The Namibia News Agency

Prof. Olufemi Peters, the Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), has called for a strong collaboration to drive innovation for equity and sustainable education across the country.

Peters said this at the opening of Africa Centre of Excellence Technology Enhanced Learning, (ACETEL-NOUN) maiden exhibition and e-learning conference in Abuja.

The exhibition was in conjunction with the National Information Technology Development Agency.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference was: ‘Harnessing Digital Innovations For Equitable Education and Sustainable Growth in Africa.’

The VC said the collaboration with relevant stakeholders would shape a future where education would be more flexible, inclusive as well as effective in the country.

He said the theme of the conference signified a milestone in the ongoing transmission of education to information, communication and technology.

According to him, they have come to reflect on how digital tools can excel and
to explore the furtherance of technology.

‘I want to emphasise that collaboration is the key to driving innovation.

‘I hope that the human interrelationship that we are going to form at this conference will bring long term partnership and leverage synergy.

‘I want to assure you that as academics, developers and government leaders, we can shape a future where education is more flexible, more inclusive and more effective.

‘I want to assure you that NOUN will continue to be at the forefront of developing human capacity by the development of emerging technologies with particular focus on digital solutions for education.

E-learning is not just a temporal solution; it is a revolutionary pathway that will shape the future of education.

‘We are here to reflect on how digital tools and solutions have transformed the workplace, boost collaboration, enhance productivity and explore the furtherance of technology,’ he said.

Peters noted that it was their responsibility to ensure that e-learning solutions provide ac
cess and maintain very high standards of quality and accessibility for now and in the future.

Peters said that the conferences offered a platform to explore key things such as personalised learning, artificial intelligence, digital equity and building the digital device.

He emphasised on the need to invest in continuing professional development for teachers, by equipping them with skills for effective use of the digital tools responsibly.

‘We should not forget the human and cultural element in the learning process. Our roles continue as mentors and facilitators of knowledge even with the presence of directive artificial intelligence.

‘It is important to recognise that why technology is powerful in England, it is the vision, the passion and dedication of the educators that remain central to the learning process,” he said.

The vice chancellor, Thanked everyone for their commitment in advancing the field of e-learning.

He urged the participants to remain open to new ideas, challenges, assumptions and re-i
magine the future of education in this digital era.

Prof. Grace Jokthan, Director, ACETEL, said the centre had committed itself to pushing boundaries of what was possible in the education space.

According to her, leveraging digital solutions to enhance learning, foster inclusivity and create opportunities for growth across the African continent.

At ACETEL, we recognised that technology has the power to democratise access to education.

‘We also ensure that the quality of education remains high and that digital tools are used not just for convenience but for meaningful and transformative learning experiences,” she said.

Jokthan said that the participation of women in technology foundation emphasised the critical role of women in shaping the technology landscape, fostering gender inclusivity and diversity in the education technology space.

She said the conference would provide fresh insights, new ideas and opportunity to build lasting collaborations.

Also, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, the Secretary-General, As
sociation of African Universities, Ghana, said that e-learning was the easiest way to deliver educational services.

Oyewole urged educators to embrace and ensure they have access to the internet to enable them to be ahead of their students.

This, Oyewole said, would enhance and expand their knowledge.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Vietnam exported 7.16 billion U.S. dollars worth of fishery products from January to September, up 8.5 percent year on year, local media cited the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

Shrimp reported the highest export value with 2.8 billion dollars, up 10.5 percent year on year while tra fish exports rose 8 percent to 1.46 billion dollars during the cited period.

Tuna export, which was strong earlier in the year, has slowed since August due to raw material shortage, but still increased 16 percent to 715 million dollars in nine months.

Meanwhile, squid and octopus export reported a slight decrease of 2.7 percent to 464 million dollars.

The association forecast Vietnam’s fishery product export revenue will reach 9.5 billion dollars by the end of this year with shrimp export expected to earn nearly 4 billion dollars, tra fish 2 billion dollars, and tuna close to 1 billion dollars.

Source: The Namibia News Agency

A black indie film festival debuted on Thursday night in Houston, the fourth largest U.S. city rich in diversity, with an aim to gain global attention and connect people worldwide.

About 20 films from the United States, France and a number of African countries will be highlighted during the Black Independent Filmmakers Association (BIFA) Houston Film Festival, Thomas Carter, CEO and founder of BIFA, told Xinhua at the opening ceremony.

“We have more in common than we don’t. So it’s very important if we are going to survive as a species, that we learn how to communicate, how to share ideas, and how to help each other right in a time of need,” said the African American award-winning filmmaker, “And the only way to get those stories out is by having a global festival.”

BIFA Board President Antrone Harris, an actor and a producer, said BIFA, founded last year, hopes the festival can help pave the way for “the generation that’s to come,” especially young writers and directors.

“We are expecting this to turn i
nto a worldwide known organization, not just here domestically, but internationally as well, connecting with China or Africa, bridging the gap between America and the other countries,” Harris told Xinhua in an interview.

The festival will conclude on Sunday with a red carpet awards gala.

Source: The Namibia News Agency