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Meta Unveils Grants to Empower AI-driven Organisations

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Meta, a multinational technology company, has unveiled Llama 3.1 impact grants to empower Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven organisations across Africa, the Middle East and Turkey.Kojo Boakye, Vice President, Public Policy, Africa, the Middle East, and Turkiye, Meta said this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

Boakye said Meta would continue its commitment to supporting innovative use cases of open-source AI to address critical global challenges.
The vice president said that building on the success of previous grant programmes, the Llama 3.1 impact grants would provide up to two million dollars in funding to organisations worldwide.According to Boakye, the Llama 3.1 impact grants programme invites proposals from organisations with ideas for using Llama 3.
1 to address social challenges in their communities.Boakye said that applications in areas such as economic development, science and innovation, public service and more would be given special consideration.The vice president said selected recipients would receive up to $500,000 and winners would be announced early next year.“We are inspired by the diverse projects we have seen developers undertake around the world to positively impact their communities by building with Llama.‘We believe AI has more potential than any other modern technology to increase human productivity, creativity, quality of life and to accelerate economic growth while unlocking progress in medical and scientific research.“The Llama 3.1 impact grants programmes presents an opportunity to further empower organisations to leverage AI for social good and to drive meaningful change,” Boakye said.The vice president said to support prospective applicants, Meta would host a series of regional events, including virtual events, in-person hackathons, workshops, and training sessions.Boakye said this would be done in Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Korea, Latin America, North America, Pakistan, Singapore, sub-Saharan Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.The vice president noted that these events would provide technical guidance and mentorship, fostering the development of impactful applications of Llama 3.1 in local contexts.“Organisations participating in these events will be eligible for additional specialised awards of up to $100,000.“The inaugural Llama Impact Grants, announced in October 2023, received over 800 applications from 90+ countries.“The 20 finalists have submitted their final proposals, and the grant recipients will be announced in September, alongside the recipients of the Llama Impact Innovation Awards,” Boakye saidAccording to Boakye, the application window for the Llama 3.1 impact grants is open from Aug. 5, 2024 to Nov. 22, 2024. (NAN)

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Philippine President Calls for Resignation of All Cabinet Secretaries

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 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked all of his Cabinet secretaries to submit their resignations on Thursday in what he called a “bold reset” of his administration following last week’s mid-term elections.

The elections saw more opposition candidates win crucial Senate seats, signaling shifting political tides.

Marcos, the 67-year-old son of the late Philippine dictator overthrown in 1986, won the presidency in a landslide in 2022, a stunning political comeback marked by a call for national unity.

However, his vice-presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, also widely popular, later distanced herself from Marcos in a falling-out that had sparked intense political discord.

Marcos had since emerged as one of the region’s most vocal critics of China’s aggression in the disputed South China Sea, bolstered by support from the United States and other allies. Domestically, he continued to face significant challenges, including high inflation, unfulfilled promises to lower rice prices, and growing concerns over kidnappings and other crimes.

“This is not business as usual,” Marcos said in a government statement.

“The people have spoken and they expect results, not politics, not excuses. We hear them and we will act.” (AP/NAN)

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Reps to Investigate Alleged Irregularities in Driver’s licence Issuance, Revenue Generation

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The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate operational issues related to driver’s licence issuance, revenue generation and usage within the last three years.The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Victor Ogene (APC-Bayelsa) at the plenary on Wednesday.

Moving the motion, Ogene said that a tripartite arrangement between Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), State Boards of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) led to the digital issuance or renewal of a driver’s license.
He said that the approving signature on a driver’s licence typically comes from a designated officer at the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) in the state where the licence application originated.
He explained that a learner’s permit for driving a vehicle was first issued at a prescribed fee by Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) in the relevant state before the release of a driver’s licence.According to him, FRSC operates a Very Important Person (VIP) centre, ostensibly for the renewal of a driver’s licence, which is reportedly being used for issuing fresh driver’s licences that are not preceded with a learner’s permit.Ogene said that the Joint Tax Board (JTB) reviewed the fees payable for a five-year and three-year driver’s licence to N21,000 and N15,000 respectively for a vehicle, N11,000 and N7,000 respectively for a motorcycle or tricycle since Nov. 1, 2024.“FRSC is alleged to use its Information Processing Centre (IPC) for warehousing data for driver’s licences and shortchange the state Boards of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in the collection and usage of fees for processing driver’s licences.“Worried that FRSC is reportedly controlling and receiving accounts for drivers’ licence fees, the yearly revenue generated from chargeable fees which amounts to hundreds of billions of naira, is also allegedly unaccounted for by the VIO and various state boards of internal revenue.“Disturbed that the processing of drivers’ licences is unexplainably being delayed for upward of two to three years after the biometric data capturing of applicants.“Also disturbed that the huge debts the FRSC owes Galaxy Backbone Ltd. and other system consultants who are the network providers and maintainers of the biometrics data capturing system are responsible for the system slowdown and the resultant long delay in the issuance of driver’s licences,” he said.Ogene also expressed the need to clearly ascertain which public agency had the legal responsibility of designing, producing and issuing a driver’s licence.In his ruling, Speaker of the House, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen said that the committee, when constituted, would report its findings within four weeks for further legislative action. (NAN)

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Those Waiting for Wike’s Downfall ‘ll Wait Endlessly – Aide

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Mr Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike says those waiting for the minister’s political downfall will wait endlessly.Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, made the remarks while reacting to comments by former governor of Ebonyi Sam Egwu.

Egwu had in a statement on Tuesday, said that Wike was living on borrowed time, adding that the FCT minister’s influence would soon burn out.
Reacting, the spokesman said in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, that those waiting for Wike’s downfall would wait forever.He argued that Wike’s political progress was based on personal hard work, dedication, commitment and most importantly, God’s grace.
Olayinka also faulted Egwu’s challenge to Wike to make it possible for the suspended governor of Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara to return to office.He also described allegations that the FCT Minister now exercises the powers of President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly in Rivers as absurd.“This type of statement should not come from a former lawmaker,” he said.The Wike spokesman also dismissed the threats by a faction of the South East leaders of the PDP to withdraw their support for the party.According to him, it was illogical for people who could not deliver anything substantial in terms of votes to the PDP in the 2023 elections to be threatening to withdraw their support for the party.“The PDP constitution is clear as to who is the National Secretary of the party. His name is Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and anyone saying or doing anything contrary is only interested in the collapse of the party.” (NAN)

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