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China takes measures to improve digital literacy and skills for general public

Published

3 years ago

March 27, 2023

By Jin Xin, People’s Daily

“Machine learning is a kind of statistical learning in which the computer builds a model based on statistics and then uses the model to predict likely future outcomes.” “Statistics, algorithms and computing power are three major factors of machine learning.”

Recently, Ma Di, a university student in Beijing, has been taking the open course entitled “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Practice” every day through a platform called Chinadata.cn, which helps the general public improve digital literacy and skills.

The platform is created to encourage key universities, research institutes and social organizations to share digital resources such as online courses, teaching tools and application cases, with the general public.

“Providing courses on digital applications in various aspects in a systematic manner makes the platform a useful tool for improving people’s digital literacy,” said Ma.

Improving digital literacy and skills for the general public is a key measure to meet the requirements of the digital era. In recent years, Chinese governments at various levels have rolled out effective measures to improve digital literacy and skills of the general public and solidify the social basis for the development of the digital economy.

“When farmers start to promote agricultural products through livestreaming, they have new tasks besides their farm work, including analyzing the needs of their viewers and finding a selling point for their products.”

Liang Xiaoyong (a pseudonym), a farmer in Huitong county, central China’s Hunan province, was watching an online lecture about how to create wealth from high-quality agricultural products via an agriculture education app on his smart phone.

The Cyberspace Administration of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and other relevant departments have taken active measures to promote full coverage of the app in rural areas in Hunan, trying to boost supply of digital resources for rural areas and improve farmers’ ability to use digital tools.

Last August, Hunan provided 4,186 courses and learning resources on digital literacy and skills for the general public free of charge, helping more people embrace a digital way of life at an accelerated pace.

The “Smart Education of China,” a public online service platform launched by the Ministry of Education, is the world’s largest pool of education resources. The national e-commerce public service website built by the Ministry of Commerce offers resources in various sectors, including e-commerce news, development index, information about exhibitions and training courses. The learning community for industrial workers built by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions serves as a platform which promotes online and offline learning and also includes a skill evaluation and assessment system.

These platforms have enriched the supply of education and training resources, pushed for the sharing of digital resources, ensured equal access to digital resources and made digital resources benefit for all.

In February this year, the Cyberspace Administration of China and other 12 departments jointly ranked 78 units as the country’s first batch of digital literacy and digital skills training bases, including science and technology museums, schools, research institutes and vocational skills training bases.

These training bases with distinctive features form a digital literacy and skills training network that covers the entire country and serves the general public.

The Hangzhou Low Carbon Science and Technology Museum is the first large-scale science and technology museum in the world with low carbon as its theme. Stick to the topic of low-carbon lifestyle and smart life style, it displays more than 100 science exhibits that are interesting and interactive. The Beijing-based Internet security company Qihoo 360 has built a cloud platform for cybersecurity education that is able to provide one-stop cybersecurity education services. Shanghai’s East China Normal University has independently developed a teaching platform which promotes computer science among the general public and provides teaching services such as online training.

Besides training bases for the general public, systems for training high-level professional personnel in digital technologies are also being built across the country.

With the help of the office of the cyberspace affairs commission of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, has built a collaborative education base with relevant companies.

The base provides a sound education and experimental environment for more than 2,000 students. It provides them with resources including computing hardware platform with Ascend and Kunpeng processors, openEuler system, database openGauss, and all-scenario AI computing framework MindSpore.

With continuous improvement of Chinese people’s attention and participation in digital transformation, relevant practices have gradually penetrated into the everyday life of the public.

The health authorities of Nanxun district, Huzhou city, east China’s Zhejiang province, have used a 5G-based intelligent community health information management platform to monitor the health condition of patients on a regular basis.

The platform can help track and monitor patients’ health indicators, including blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate, send warning messages to patients when it detects abnormal data. A message was sent to Cui Jie (a pseudonym), a senior female citizen of Nanxun district, as soon as the intelligent platform detected her blood pressure abnormality.

As digital resources become increasingly rich and the application scenarios of digital technologies continuously expand, the digital literacy of Chinese people will continue to improve, more people will benefit from the digital civilization.

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Kwara: Ifelodun Travellers Transport System Revived

Published

9 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Our Reporter

As Council Signs MoU With P&A Contract Ltd

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ifelodun local Government, under the leadership of Hadji Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with P & A Contract Limited for the construction of a modern motor park in Amoyo, as the Council moves to revive the Ifelodun Travellers transport system and improve transportation within the Local Government.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony at the Council s Contact Office in Amoyo, the Chairman explained that the decision to construct the motor park was driven by the need for Ifelodun Local Government to establish its own transport identity, intended to ease people’s transportation problem.

He recalled that residents travelling to and from Ifelodun had, over the years, relied on transport facilities at Offa Garage and Maraba in Ilorin, stressing the need to create a dedicated transport hub that would serve the people of the Local Government.

“At some point in the history of Ifelodun Local Government, we had Ifelodun Travellers, which does not exist anymore. I don’t think there is anything wrong with bringing that identity back to the limelight. Now, we want to add value to that identity,” the Chairman said.

He added that the Council was also working with relevant stakeholders to bring in 10 units of Korope buses, which would commence operations as soon as possible.

“We are working with the NURTW, Kwara State Chapter, for guidance and to ensure that the operation runs smoothly,” he added.

The Supervisory Councillor for Works and Infrastructure Development, Mrs. Kolo Rebecca, explained that the proposed park would feature several amenities, including a garage, warehouse, 100-unit shopping complex, parking spaces and general toilets.

She said the facilities were designed to boost economic activities, improve the image of the Local Government and provide a more convenient transportation system for residents.

According to her, the initiative is also in line with the efforts of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to take governance and development directly to the grassroots.

The contractor, Mallam Jimoh Toheeb Abolore, assured the Local Government of the prompt execution of the project, promising that the construction would meet the required standards and contribute positively to the image and development of Ifelodun Local Government.

Those in attendance included the Vice Chairman, Hon. Nike Ajibola; Secretary to the Local Government, Dr. Kamil Akorede; DPM, Mallam Ayinde Salman; LGT, Mallam Usman Waheed; Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Chief Ademola Zubair; Head of Works, Engr. Awodi Muhammad; Land officer, Tola Kadir and other Special Assistants.

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Lawyer Demands Release of Detained Kano Blogger, Maryam Shehu

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Hassan Agboola

A lawyer and human rights activist, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has called for the immediate release of Kano-based blogger, Maryam Shehu, who he said has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for almost 30 days.

Dantani, in a statement on Monday, said the prolonged detention of Shehu was becoming difficult to reconcile with the rule of law and provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly her fundamental right to personal liberty.
He questioned why Shehu should remain in detention for nearly 30 days, particularly over an offence he described as ordinarily bailable.

“How on earth can a person be detained for almost 30 days and counting, particularly in relation to an offence that is ordinarily bailable, without meaningful consideration of her liberty and constitutional rights?” he asked.
Dantani said the EFCC’s powers to investigate did not give the commission the right to detain a suspect indefinitely, punish her before trial or disregard her fundamental rights.

He also criticised the alleged practice of photographing persons in EFCC custody and publishing their images online while they remain presumed innocent.
Citing Section 36(5) of the Constitution, Dantani said the law guarantees the presumption of innocence until a suspect is proven guilty by a competent court.

He warned that publicly portraying suspects as criminals before trial could amount to subjecting them to public punishment and humiliation.
“The EFCC is a law-enforcement institution. It must therefore be the first institution to demonstrate obedience to law. It cannot demand respect for law from citizens while appearing to disregard constitutional safeguards itself,” he said.

Dantani urged the commission to either charge Shehu before a competent court if it has credible evidence against her or release her immediately
.
“We call on EFCC to respect the Constitution, respect presumption of innocence and respect fundamental right to personal liberty. Investigation is not conviction. Detention is not punishment. And an allegation is not guilt,” he said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Comment on Lionel Messi’s Tribute to His Dad Becomes Most-Liked Instagram Comment

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Fabian Apechihin

Cristiano Ronaldo’s heartfelt message to Lionel Messi following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, has reportedly become the most-liked comment in Instagram history.

Jorge Messi died on August 7 in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68. Five days later, Messi paid tribute to his late father in an emotional Instagram post featuring a photo of the pair.

In the post, Messi wrote, “Te amo, pa” — meaning “I love you, Dad” — alongside a lengthy tribute reflecting on his father’s influence and the pain of losing him.

Among the many reactions from fans, celebrities and fellow footballers was a message from Ronaldo.

“Un abrazo enorme para ti y los tuyos en estos duros momentos, Leo. Mucha fuerza,” Ronaldo wrote, which translates to: “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength.”

Ronaldo’s comment reportedly attracted more than 6.86 million likes and over 86,000 comments, making it the most-liked comment on Instagram.

The previous record was also held by Ronaldo, whose comment on Kylian Mbappé’s announcement of his move to Real Madrid reportedly received more than five million likes.

Other football stars also expressed their condolences to Messi. Neymar Jr.’s message, translated as “Much strength for you and your family. Big hug,” reportedly received more than 1.6 million likes, while David Beckham’s comment expressing support for Messi and his family attracted more than 300,000 likes.

In his tribute, Messi described his father’s death as difficult to comprehend, saying he struggled to accept that he would no longer see or speak with him.

Messi also recalled how his father had encouraged him to play at the 2026 World Cup despite his deteriorating health. He said his father had hoped to watch him compete and had planned to travel if his condition improved.

According to Messi, he had promised his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could be there. Although Argentina reached the final, his father was unable to attend.

Reflecting on the loss, Messi said he had wanted to win the tournament and bring the trophy to his father but ultimately struggled physically during the competition.

The emotional tribute highlighted the close bond between Messi and his father and the profound impact of his loss on the football superstar.