Africa Union names OAU, 12 others GMES implementing centre

ITREALMS:

The African Union Commission (AUC) has named the Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, and 12 others the regional implementing centres for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa (GMES and Africa) Support Programme, reports ITRealms.

OAU is the only Nigerian university that made the top 13 awarded this grant for water and natural resources service, while West Africa saw the Senegalese Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE) and University of Ghana (UG) for Marine and coastal areas service making the list.

The Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology at the African Union Commission, Professor Sarah Anyang Agbor, revealed this at a ceremony during the 5th AU-EU Summit in Abidjan, Cote d`Ivoire, to unveil the winners of GMES and Africa support programme.

Agbor also commended the successful institutions on their selection, which she said was based on their experience and proven capacities, just as she implored them to deliver the goods.

ITRealms also reports that other 12 institutions to serve as Regional Implementing Centres GMES and Africa Support Programme, to include the Central African based Agence Gabonaise d'Etudes et d'Observations Spatiale (AGEOS) and Commission Internationale du Bassin Congo-Oubangui-Sangha (CICOS) for Water and natural resources service.

At the East Africa, ITRealms reports that the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC) and Regional Centre for Mapping off Resources for Development (RCMRD) for Water and natural resources service, in addition to Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI) for Marine and coastal areas service made the consortia.

While the North African-based National Authority for Remote Sensing & Space Sciences (NARSS) for marine and coastal area service, as well as the Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) for water and natural resources service were successful.

And in the Southern Africa, AUC said the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for marine and coastal areas service; Southern African Development Community Climate Services Centre (SADC-CSC) and Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) for water and natural resources service, made the awardees list.

ITRealms recollects that in May 2017, a number of African institutions operating in the areas of water, natural resources, marine and coastal areas, applied for the GMES and Africa Support Programme Grants.

Uju N. Dominic/GEE

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AU adopts Cybersecurity, Personal data protection policy

ITRealms:

The Africa Union (AU) has adopted the proposed policy on cybersecurity and personal data protection, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as the African Ministers of Justice ended its 2014 session at the Headquarers of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

ITRealms also reports that this follows the conclusion of earlier submissions of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministers in Khartoum recently.

The Chief, Knowledge Management and Library Services, at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Makane Faye confirmed that the adoption occurred on Thursday, May 15, 2014.

According to him, the Conference of African Union Ministers of Justice chaired by Cameroon rose from their meeting with the adoption.

He pointed out that prior to the Conference of Ministers, the meeting of experts from the Justice ministries undertook a thorough review of the Convention on 12 and 13 May. 

“Congratulations to all of you who participated in the regional, sub-regional workshops and expert group meetings from 2008 to 2013,” he said.

ITRealms further gathered that Faye commended the African Internet community for their contributions and work are recognized by the African Policymakers starting from the African Ministers of ICT in Khartoum and today the African Ministers of Justice in Addis.

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