IGP Egbetokun Assumes Duty As 22nd Indigenous Inspector General Of Police

• As Former IGP Usman Alkali Baba Retires From Service

The Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP Egbetokun Olukayode Adeolu, PhD, NPM, today, 21st June, 2023 assumed duty as the Inspector General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was appointed by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on 19th June, 2023. He takes over from IGP Usman Alkali Baba, fdc, CFR, who retired after 35years of meritorious service to the nation. The handing/taking over of leadership between the former and new Police Chief was held in a brief but colourful ceremony at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The event was climaxed with the symbolic handover of the Nigeria National and Police flags.

CSP olumuyiwa adejobi, mnipr, mipra, Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters
Abuja, said in a press release he signed that
the new IGP, who is the 22nd indigenous Inspector General of Police, appreciated the President, Commander in Chief, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for the confidence reposed in him stressing that the appointment is a commitment, a calling to make a difference in the shared mission to safeguard the lives and well-being of everyone that lives in our great country.

Ag. IGP Egbetokun Olukayode Adeolu, PhD, NPM, hails from Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. He was commissioned into the Nigeria Police Force on 3rd March, 1990 as a member of Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police Course 16 from the prestigious Nigeria Police Academy. He holds a Doctorate degree in Peace and Security Studies, a Post Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Economics, a Masters in Business Administration, a Certification in Electronic Data Processing/Computer Programming, a Masters in Engineering Analysis, and a Bachelors in Mathematics.

The amiable policing strategist and accountability icon, has held several strategic positions in the past cutting across all the departments of the Force. These include: Commander Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Lagos State Command, Area Commander Osogbo, Osun State, and Gusuau, Zamfara State, Commandant Police Training School Ikeja, Commissioner of Police Explosive Ordnance Department, Commissioner of Police Kwara State Command, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7 Abuja amongst others. Until his appointment as the Ag. IGP, he was the Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department.

The new Ag. IGP Egbetokun Olukayode Adeolu, PhD, NPM, holds an unwavering commitment to the principles of justice, security, and the rule of law. He assures that the Nigeria Police Force, under his leadership, will strive for excellence, transparency, and accountability to rebuild public trust, restore confidence in our law enforcement institutions, and create a Nigeria where every citizen feels safe, protected, and respected. He assures that his administration will unveil new tactics to release the great potential the Nigeria Police Force possesses to secure the nation, build lasting peace, and deliver on the vision of the President for a thriving and prosperous Nigeria.

IPC HOlds Stakeholders’ Roundtable On The Role Of The Media In Deepening Democratic Accountability: Presents Presidential Campaign Promises & Launches Media And Election APP

80 delegates will converge for a one-day engagement on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, to delve into the role of the media in deepening democratic governance in Nigeria.

According to Olutoyin Ayoade Communications Officer Component 4 (Support to Media) in a press release he signed today stated that the roundtable will feature a lead presentation by Dr. Otive Igbuzor, founding Executive Director of African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) on “Beyond The Rhetoric Of Campaigns: The Role Of Citizens and The Media In Ensuring Democratic Accountability”, which will be followed by contributions by a lead discussant and a plenary discourse.

The event, to be chaired by Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Senior Fellow at Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and chairman of the editorial board of Premium Times and attended by Mr. Tunde Rahman, Media Aide to the president, as guest participant will additionally spotlight President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promises.

The documentation of the promises, which cuts across several development indicators, were part of the benchmarks of IPC’s media monitoring on the coverage of the 2023 electoral processes across ten national print and ten online news mediums.

Representatives of the media, the government, CSOs, development partners and international community will share ideas on frameworks and mechanisms ensuring democratic accountability as part of the event.

IPC shall also launch its recently developed IOS and Media Election App through which hundreds of journalists and other media professionals, the academia, researchers, etc., would be able to download the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage and have easy access to the content. The European Union funded resource publication has been widely endorsed and over 20,000 copies have been distributed across the Country.

In a statement, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said: “ IPC have been supporting the media for more than a decade for the purpose of professionalism in the coverage of the democratic processes and elections and it is expected that this event would lead to the development of collaborative strategies for greater impact”.

“The gathering is also important because the fulfillment of campaign promises is at the core of democratic accountability”, he added.

The meeting is facilitated by the International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria implementing partner with the Institute for Media and Society (IMS) within component 4 (Support to media) of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria-Phase II (EUSDGN II) project.

The specific objective of the EU funded media component is to ensure that, “The Media, including New and Social Media, provides fair, accurate, ethical and inclusive coverage of the Electoral Process”.

Danbatta Woos Investors at GITEX Africa on Nigeria’s Broadband Future

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has invited international telecom companies and potential investors to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Nigeria’s population of over 200 million people to invest in its telecom sector, especially in infrastructure provisioning for broadband.

According to Reuben Muoka,Director, Public Affairs in a press statement he signed on June 15, 2023,
Danbatta, who spoke at the inaugural edition of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2023, which ended in Marrakesh, Morocco recently, said Nigeria presents a stable political and economic conditions.

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Morocco, Mansur Bamalli, also spoke in the same direction and commended the Commission for its regulatory prowess which has made Nigeria the next investment destination in Africa.

Danbatta, who was represented at the conference by the Team Lead, Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom Sector (NODITS), Babagana Digima, said the Commission has a mandate to facilitate the development of the telecom industry in Nigeria, adding that one way through which this can be done is by attracting foreign investors that will further enhance the growth of the economy.

He informed the global stakeholders at the event that Nigerian government has been very supportive of the telecom industry which has achieved an upward growth with over 220 million active mobile voice subscriptions in Nigeria, over 150 million Internet subscriptions and broadband penetration of 48 per cent, the country is yet to be fully connected.

“Our national plan is to achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025. We still have less than 50 per cent penetration. This means there is huge investment potential for investors. Nigeria’s telecom sector needs more investment in the area of infrastructure deployment,” the EVC stated.

He stated that the telecom sector in Nigeria has become a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), quarter-on-quarter, driving the growth of digital economy in the country.

“The importance of this event for us as a Commission is to showcase the NCC as a Nigerian brand, a foremost telecom regulator in Africa and beyond and to bring about the much-needed investment that will enhance development of the Nigerian telecom industry,” Danbatta said.

The EVC stated that there is abundant talents in Nigeria that can be tapped by investors to support their business operations. “There is abundant human resources waiting to be harnessed by potential investors for ground-breaking global technological innovations and advancement in providing digital solutions.

“This event provides us with the platform to showcase some of the talents that we have discovered in Nigeria. The Commission has sponsored three indigenous start-ups that are at this event to display their solutions for prospective investors and partnerships,” he said.

The GITEX Africa 2023 was the maiden edition of GITEX Global Summit held in Africa. It is poised to be Africa’s most influential forum to accentuate the vast potential of tech-driven digital economy. It aims to be an international platform for cutting-edge technology for all players from both public and private sectors.