Dr Olatunji Vincent joins Forbes Tech Council 2023 (1)
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Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), appointed into Forbes Technology Council 2023

 Dr Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner, NDPB has been appointed into Forbes Technology Council for 2023.  Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and Technology Executives.  Scott Gerber, Forbes Councils’ founder said they are really excited to welcome Dr. Olatunji to the Council. He stressed that their mission with Forbes Councils is “to bring together proven leaders from…

develoPPP Ventures
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develoPPP Ventures Announces $107k Funding Grant for Innovative African Startups

Startups in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania have been given the opportunity to scale their impact-driven businesses and receive up to EUR100,000 (US$107,000) in grant funding from develoPPP Ventures. develoPPP Ventures, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and administered by DEG Impulse, strives to empower businesses through entrepreneurial…

Google Photos
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Google Photos can now tag people who are not looking at the camera.

Google appears to have enhanced its already amazing photo recognition capabilities. The tool is useful for tagging people in recorded images, and Google’s images app is usually accurate in doing so. A new trick offered by Google Photos (on the server end) is the ability to recognize persons even when they are not facing the…

African Energy Chamber

The African Energy Chamber Rolls out its 2023 Energy Scholarship Award to Promote Youth Participation in Energy

The African Energy Chamber has started its annual Energy Education Fund, which aims to assist young Africans pursuing undergraduate courses in oil, gas, and energy-related professions. The Chamber will provide scholarships, fellowships, and mentorship programs to eligible students on the continent and in the diaspora through strategic collaborations with educational institutions. This comprehensive approach to…

uMunthu

uMunthu II Unveils First Close of $60 Million for Early and Growth-stage SMEs in Africa

Goodwell Investments and Alitheia Capital have announced the first closing of their uMunthu II fund, which invests in early and growth-stage SMEs in Africa, with a particular emphasis on women-led firms. A diversified collection of international investors led the fund’s capital round. uMunthu is a pan-African fund that invests in SMEs that improve access in…

WhatsApp Channels
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WhatsApp launches Channels, a private way to remain up to date.

WhatsApp, the famous messaging app, has introduced an interesting new feature called Channels, which aims to provide users with a simple, dependable, and private way to get vital notifications from individuals and organizations from within the app. Channels will be available through a dedicated tab called Updates, away from typical chats with family, friends, and…

Google Entrepreneurs Accelerator

Google has launched a cleantech accelerator program for Middle Eastern and African entrepreneurs.

Google for Entrepreneurs Accelerator is a 10-week, equity-free hybrid program for Seed to Series A entrepreneurs addressing Climate Change with technology. The Middle East and Africa program, in collaboration with Google Cloud, assists high-potential startups based in the Middle East and Africa in growing with the best of Google through a mix of in-person and…

Venture for Africa

Applications are now available for the latest Venture for Africa bootcamp.

Venture for Africa, a talent community and the continent’s foremost source for top tech startup recruits, has launched applications for its second bootcamp session. Venture for Africa is a community designed to help top global talent transition into roles within the African tech startup ecosystem. Its flagship three-month fellowship exposes participants to local market nuances,…

Web 3.0

Web 3.0 Technologies Take Center Stage: Emurgo Africa Set to unveil Africa’s first State of Web 3.0 in Africa Report

A Comprehensive State of Web 3.0 in Africa Report, is set to be released on June 23, 2023. The report highlights the rapidly-evolving landscape of Web 3.0 technologies in African countries, providing in-depth analysis of their impact, opportunities, and challenges and offering recommendations for fostering growth and measurable impact. Web 3.0 technologies are experiencing exponential…

Windows Copilot

Microsoft has released Windows Copilot, the next AI assistant for Windows 11.

Microsoft just released Windows Copilot, an AI ‘personal assistant’ for Windows 11, making it the first PC platform to provide centralized AI support. Microsoft made the statement at the company’s recent Build Developer conference. Users can quickly enable Windows Copilot by clicking on the button conveniently situated in the center of the taskbar. The Windows…

Flutterwave

Flutterwave collaborates with Token.io to facilitate bank transfers to the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, has partnered with Token.io, A2A payments also known as ‘Pay By Bank’ – a fast and secure way to move Europe’s leading account-to-account (A2A) payment infrastructure provider, to power Pay By Bank transfer capabilities for Flutterwave’s platform. According to an announcement made today at the Money20/20 Europe fintech conference…

WhatsApp

WhatsApp begins testing the ability to transfer ‘HD Quality’ photos on the most recent iOS and Android beta versions.

A new beta version of WhatsApp has been published that adds the capability to send HD-quality photographs within the application. The most recent iOS and Android beta versions of the messaging app, which is owned by Meta, have started testing the feature. By default, WhatsApp sends a compressed version of every image, which might reduce…

Pitch2Win

Nigerian startups are invited to apply for the $10,000 Pitch2Win competition.

In cooperation with SGgrow and SGverse, TechCircle Limited has established Pitch2Win, an opportunity for innovative entrepreneurs in the Web2 and Web3 space to present their pioneering ideas and compete for a US$10,000 cash prize. Pitch2Win provides a venue for great innovators to acquire significant exposure, gain access to prospective investment opportunities, and receive valued mentorship…

Apple Vision Pro
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Introducing Apple Vision Pro: Apple’s first spatial computer

Apple today unveiled Apple Vision Pro, a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world, while allowing users to stay present and connected to others. Vision Pro creates an infinite canvas for apps that scales beyond the boundaries of a traditional display and introduces a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by…

Google passkey

Google introduces support for Passkey for Workspace and Google Cloud Accounts

Google added Passkey support as a new sign-in option for personal Google Accounts earlier in May. With a public beta, the tech giant is now extending support to Workspace accounts. Passkeys enable users to sign in to apps and websites using PIN, fingerprint scanner, and face unlock in place of password-only logins. The passwordless sign-in…

FoodCourt

How Nigeria’s FoodCourt is using a cloud kitchen strategy to increase access to food

The mission of Nigerian cloud kitchen company FoodCourt is to increase access to high-quality cuisine through the selection of regionally specific virtual restaurant brands. The Lagos-based FoodCourt, which will debut in September 2021, seeks to provide customers with the finest user experience from the time they place their order till they taste the cuisine. Although…

Mastercard Foundation

12 Nigerian startups are chosen by CcHUB for the Mastercard Foundation edtech Fellowship Program.

Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), Africa’s largest innovation hub, has chosen 12 firms for its inaugural Mastercard Foundation-sponsored edtech Fellowship Program after a three-month application and selection process. According to BD Funding Tracker, the African edtech sector raised 0.72% of the continent’s total venture capital in 2022. CcHUB stated its plan to increase funding for this sector…

Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The 2023 Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Awards are now accepting nominations.

The distinguished awards recognize, honor, and celebrate the successes of women company owners and entrepreneurs in Africa, across a range of market segments. The call for nominations for the 2023 AWIEF Awards has been made public by the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF). The prestigious awards, now in their seventh edition since 2017,…

African Development Bank

African Development Bank will provide gender-based grants totaling $950,000 to support women-owned enterprises.

The Africa Small and Medium Enterprise Business Linkages Program in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger will receive a $950,000 grant from the Gender Equality Trust Fund of the African Development Bank. The grant, which will add to an earlier $3.9 million finance grant from the Bank’s Transition Support Facility, is anticipated to support…

Anambra State Government Launches Solution e-ID Card for its Employees (6)

Transformation Agenda: Governor Soludo Launches E-ID Card for Civil Servants

Professor Charles Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, has launched the ‘Solution Electronic Identification Card’ for civil servants and other government employees of the state. The function which took place at the Head of Service (HOS), Conference Hall, Awka featured a demo-presentation of the State E-ID card which is christened, ‘Solution E-ID card’. The HOS,…

Afrorama

African encyclopedia is launched by a startup to document Africa’s history, realities, and aspirations for the future.

Afrorama is a brand-new knowledge platform and encyclopedia for Africa that offers a carefully chosen selection of articles, films, and other multimedia content. Information on the arts and literature, commerce and politics, entertainment, geography and nature, history, sciences and technology, and philosophy from pre-colonial times to the present are all included in the packed, dynamic…

WhatsApp

WhatsApp resumes beta testing of group profile icons for Android users, while some iOS testers receive updates.

As part of the most recent beta version, WhatsApp has resumed testing a feature that enhances group chats on Android. Recently, the well-known messaging software started beta testing the option to display profile icons next to messages in group conversations, but it was deactivated in later beta releases. For iOS beta testers, the Meta-owned app…

laptop

6 Factors to Consider When Buying a Laptop as a Nigerian in 2023

In today’s digital age, having a reliable laptop is crucial for individuals who want to develop their digital skills, and this applies to both workplace and business digital skills. With the right laptop, you’ll be well-equipped to develop your digital skills.  Even though many people say one can do a lot with a mobile phone,…

unemployment

Mitigating Unemployment and Labour Migration in Nigeria

Nigeria has seen a sharp increase in unemployment over time, with a current estimate of 33%. All age categories in Nigeria are affected by a serious unemployment problem, with young people bearing a disproportionately high share of the burden. When people don’t have work, it makes life difficult for them and their household. Note that this causes labor…

Maryanne Akoth, Director for Programs, Institute for Small Business Initiatives (L) and Veerakumar Natarajan, Country Head - Kenya, Zoho Corp.(R)
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Zoho Accelerates Upmarket Growth with Office Opening and Investments, Announces Strategic Partnership

 Zoho Corporation, a leading global technology company, marked a significant milestone today with the official opening of its new office in Nairobi. This expansion signifies the establishment of Zoho’s seventh office in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. The event coincided with the announcement of a strategic partnership between Zoho and the Institute for Small Business…

Grey

Nigeria’s Grey is helping users exchange local currency and access foreign currencies

Users can quickly switch to local money and access foreign dollars in their accounts thanks to the Nigerian firm Grey. Idorenyin Obong and Femi Aghedo founded Grey in 2021, a global money transfer service that lets users to send and receive money internationally without delays. International money transfers, rapid currency conversion, and overseas bank accounts…

ARM Labs Lagos

The 2nd ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator program is now accepting applications.

The second iteration of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars accelerator, which offers access to up to US$120,000 in equity capital and other forms of support, is now accepting applications. The ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator will be run by Techstars, a global investment company that connects early-stage entrepreneurs with capital, one-on-one mentorship, and specialized programming,…

ChatGPT
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Fake ChatGPT Apps Scam Users Out of Thousands of Dollars, Sophos Reports

Sophos, a global leader in innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service, today announced that it had uncovered multiple apps masquerading as legitimate, ChatGPT-based chatbots to overcharge users and bring in thousands of dollars a month. As detailed in Sophos X-Ops’ latest report, “’FleeceGPT’ Mobile Apps Target AI-Curious to Rake in Cash,” these apps have…

WhatsApp

How the Screen Sharing Feature for Video Calls Works in WhatsApp’s Beta Test

In the most recent Android beta, WhatsApp is distributing a screen-sharing functionality to testers. Users who are on a video call will have the option to tap a button to share their screen with other callers. Apps like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Skype all provide the ability to share your screen. The functionality…

GoBEBA

How the Kenyan company GoBEBA is rethinking the continent’s utility supply chain

According to GoBEBA, a Kenyan startup, the continent’s utilities supply chain is being reimagined to assist build the infrastructure necessary to support the rapid urbanization of the whole continent. GoBEBA is an online retailer of large refillable necessities that was founded in 2019 by Peter Ndiang’ui, a former general manager at OLX, and Lesley Mbogo,…