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Osinbajo, Communication Minister to Attend 6th TNCG Conference

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Former Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, are among the dignataries to grace the 6th edition of the Technology, New Media, Citizens and Governance (TNCG) conference in Lagos.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, being organised by BudgIT and Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, is scheduled to be held on Nov. 28 in Lagos, with the theme: “Technology: The Present and Future of Political Action in Africa”.

 

NAN reports that the conference seeks to examine the growing influence of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), on governance across the African continent.

 

NAN reports that Osinbajo will deliver the keynote address, while the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, will participate in the discussions and give the closing remarks.

 

Other notable speakers include Ousman Kallay, iLAB Liberia; Co-Chair of Africans Rising Movement Coordinating Collective (Kenya), Mutemi Wa Kiama; Head, Stears Open Data, American in Nigeria, Hannah Kates, and MD, Futures Africa, Nigeria, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji.

 

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos on Thursday, the Country Director of BudgIT, Gabriel Okeowo, said the conference aimed to leverage technology for accountable governance in the country.

 

Okeowo noted that AI was identified as a key tool to enhance interaction between government and citizens, citing the impacts of the EiE WhatsApp-enabled chatbot to promote good governance.

 

The country director added that other innovative technologies will be showcased at the conference.

 

He said that the conference aims to share best practices from different parts of Africa on using technology, new media and AI to improve political actions.

 

“At BudgIT, we’ve observed that some government agencies are increasingly open to using technology to enhance public service delivery.

 

“While there’s still progress to be made, with support from civil societies, these efforts can become more impactful and effective,” he said.

 

In her remarks, the Executive Director, EiE Nigeria, Opeyemi Adamolekun, gave the breakdown of the proposed agenda for the event, noting that the conference would address critical issues at the intersection of technology and governance.

 

Adamolekun emphasised that the focus of the conference was to bridge the gap between the demand side (citizen use of technology) and the supply side (government and technology providers).

 

She acknowledged that the presence of the Minister of Communication at the conference will provide a direct government perspective on issues.

 

“Technology has given ordinary Nigerians unprecedented power to hold their leaders accountable and shape public discourse.

 

“The TNCG Conference will explore how we can continue to harness these tools to deepen political engagement and drive systemic reforms that strengthen democracy,” Ms Adamolekun said.

 

She noted that key sessions at the conference would include an evaluation of elections in Africa, adding that the panel will explore how technology is being used to improve governance in Africa, with a focus on Nigeria’s 25 years of democracy.

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Transfer: Real Madrid , Cucurella Reach Verbal Agreement 

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Chelsea reliable defender, Marc Cucurella may join Spanish giant, Real Madrid before the end of the current transfer window.if information from transfer journalist, Fabrizio Romano are anything to go by.

 

Romano In a latest transfer update, said Real Madrid has reached verbal agreement to sign Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.

“Verbal agreement in place between all parties, player too — he’s the left back wanted by Mourinho” the update read.

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Hakimi, Vinicius Barred From Speaking Spanish At World Cup

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FIFA has come under scrutiny after several high-profile players, including Achraf Hakimi and Vinicius Junior, were discouraged from speaking Spanish during media engagements at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

 

The issue first surfaced ahead of Morocco’s Group C clash with Brazil when a Spanish-speaking journalist attempted to question Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi in Spanish.

Despite Hakimi, who grew up in Madrid and speaks the language fluently, indicating he was comfortable answering in Spanish, event officials reportedly insisted that questions be asked in English.

Hakimi attempted to reassure organizers that language would not be a barrier, but officials maintained that no Spanish translator was available for the session. A compromise was eventually reached, with the reporter asking the question in Spanish while Hakimi responded in English.

The controversy intensified during Brazil’s media session when Vinicius Junior was also interrupted while responding to a question in Spanish.

The Real Madrid forward, who is more comfortable speaking Portuguese or Spanish than English, was reportedly asked by organizers to switch languages.

Rather than continue in Spanish, Vinicius opted to answer in Portuguese before turning his attention back to Brazil’s World Cup preparations.

The incidents sparked widespread debate among journalists and fans, many of whom questioned why Spanish—a language spoken by millions across North America—was effectively restricted at a tournament being hosted largely in the United States.

According to Spanish media outlet El País, FIFA only provides Spanish-language translation services at World Cup press conferences involving Spanish-speaking nations such as Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay.

For all other teams, questions and answers are expected to be conducted either in English or the official language of the participating country.

The policy has generated criticism online, with many supporters arguing that multilingual communication should be encouraged at a global event like the World Cup.

The backlash was particularly strong in Vinicius’ case, as the Brazilian forward appeared visibly uncomfortable being asked to communicate in English.

The controversy overshadowed what was otherwise a highly anticipated encounter between Brazil and Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

With the issue now drawing international attention, FIFA may face increasing calls to review its media language guidelines as the tournament progresses.

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It’s Illegal’…Falana’s Bombshell Indicts Govs, FG.

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Human rights advocate, Femi Falana, has warned federal and state governments against negotiating with and rewarding terrorists.

 

According to Falana, the practice is illegal.

He stated this while delivering the keynote address at the Amnesty International Second Annual General Meeting in Abuja on June 13, 2026.

Falana claimed it is public knowledge officials of the Federal Government and some State Governments have been holding meetings and negotiating with terrorists and bandits, which has led to thousands of ‘repentant’ criminals being forgiven and given cash gifts of undisclosed sums of money.

Asserting that the “satanic Boko Haram sect and similar bodies have been proscribed” under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, Falana insisted that “their members and allies shall be prosecuted and not pampered and forgiven by the Nigerian State.”

Highlighting the legal consequences, he quoted Section 22 of the Act, stating: “A person who knowingly—(a) arranges, manages, assists in arranging or managing, participates in a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, (b) collects, or provides logistics, equipment, information, articles or facilities for a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, or (c) attends a meeting, which in his knowledge is to support a proscribed entity or to further the objectives of a proscribed entity, commits an offence, and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of at least 20 years.”

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