Microsoft, the global tech giant, is establishing the Africa Transformation Office as part of doubling its investment on the continent, as well as an effort to continue to enable “African-led for Africa” ??digital transformation. The company has also announced that the Africa Transformation Office (ATO) will be led by new Managing Director (MD) Wael Elkabbany….
It had been three days since the lights went out on the off campus streets of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). Exams were approaching, and students trooped out of their lodgings to find public places—barbing salons, electronics and grocery stores, eateries—to charge their phones and laptops. In a corner, at one such place,…
When it comes to technology and digital life, the pandemic has been the ultimate accelerant of increased online behaviour. When our movements were physically restricted, we turned to our devices to find digital solutions that enable us to continue with our lives. People have excelled by working, attending school, and even socialising online; but the…
Paratus Namibia and Ongos Connect have signed a commercial connectivity agreement, confirming that Paratus will be the technology/infrastructure partner to bring fibre connectivity to over 11,000 new residents in Ongos Valley, Namibia’s first smart city development. The agreement is the conclusion of a two-year planning process during which time Paratus has been working on building…
There is absolutely no doubt that South Africa is in the midst of a major unemployment crisis. The latest stats show that the official unemployment rate is 34.4%, a record high. The expanded unemployment figure, which includes discouraged job seekers, sits at an even more alarming 44.4%. Such high levels of unemployment are unsustainable and need to…
The finalists for the 2021 Ecobank Fintech Challenge have been announced by the Ecobank Group. The fourth edition of the challenge is meant to assist Fintechs with Africa-focused products in partnering with Africa’s biggest pan-African group to bring breakthrough financial services to Africans. Five finalists were chosen from diverse African countries for this year’s final….
Governor Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State delivered a keynote address at the 9th German – Nigerian Business Forum (#9thGNBF). The 3-days hybrid event (onsite and online) held in Lagos last week attracted experts from technology, agriculture, finance, construction and other sectors from both countries. The German-Nigeria Business Forum was organized by the Delegation of German Industry…
The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) has announced Femi Falodun, the CEO of Marketing, Media and Technology company, ID Africa, as a speaker at the ICCO Global Summit which holds on November 17 and 18, 2021. Femi Falodun will speak on a panel that will examine trends, opportunities and challenges in the African PR and Communications…
Being a product leader is no easy feat, and Michel Nkansah knows this all too well. With over four years of experience in developing technology products for lawyers, Michel has proven himself to be a successful product leader and legal technologist. His deep understanding of the standard processes law firms can adopt to save time…
During COP26 Gender Day on Tuesday, the UK announced £165 million to tackle climate change while addressing the inequalities that make women and girls more vulnerable to climate change and empowering them to take climate action. Around the world, the UN has found that women are more vulnerable to the effects of this than men,…
Internet giants, including social media apps Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, joined several world leaders to issue a global call to better protect children online at a Paris summit on Thursday. The call, initiated by France and the UN child protection agency UNICEF, acknowledges that “in the digital environment, children can come across harmful and violent…
Ericsson has been awarded the Green ICT Champion of the Year Award 2021 at the Africa Tech Festival for its Breaking the Energy Curve initiative. The 14th edition of the Awards acknowledges and recognizes innovations and innovators who are enabling transformation, inclusivity, and digital democracy across the African continent. The Green ICT Champion of the Year…
Applications are now open for the latest Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, a three-month programme designed to help startups scale across the continent. Launched in 2017, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme has so far supported 82 startups from 17 African countries, which between them have raised more than US$117 million in funding and…
The increase in cyberthreats recorded by global internet security firm Kaspersky in the first half of this year across South Africa amounted to 31.5 million. “Threats can be categorised as criminal (80% of attacks), targeted (19.9%), and advanced (0.01%). The advanced grouping is significantly more sophisticated and feature increased investment from attack groups. Unfortunately, both…
The Senate has passed the harmonized Electoral Act Amendment Bill which includes approval for the electronic transmission of election results. The Senate had set up a 7-man conference committee to meet with members of the House of Representatives Conference Committee to harmonise the differences in the Senate and House versions of the Electoral Act Amendment…
Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH) organisers have recognized outstanding organizations for driving creative, innovative solutions and products to enhance Africa’s digital economy. The eight (8) award winners across different categories were honoured at Africa Tech Alliance Forum 2021 (AfriTECH2021), held in Lagos. The hybrid Forum provided opportunity for inter-sectorial cross-fertilization of ideas on economic impacts…
Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC) has announced the launch of a $250 million Virunga Africa Fund I, which would invest in important industries driving economic and social transformation in Africa. In order to drive economic and social transformation throughout Africa, this fund makes investments in critical industries. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and the Rwanda Social…
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that its revenue target for the 2022 fiscal year stands at N632.39 billion Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, made this known during the budget defence before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Communications in Abuja. Danbatta explained that the revenue targets would also be made…
The federal government has disclosed that Nigeria’s economy recorded $10.1billiom investment announcement in the first half of this year. Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister of Trade and Industry, made this known at Lagos International Trade Fair, held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). Adebayo explained that the $10.1billion announcement…
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) will later this month host the first annual HiiL African Justice Innovation Symposium, bringing together key stakeholders from the worlds of law, activism, technology and business to discuss the existing innovations in justice delivery and the opportunities and challenges that present themselves in the world today. The symposium,…
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially declared that the auction of the 3.5 Gigahertz (3.5 GHz) spectrum for the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) technology in Nigeria, will take place on December 13, 2021. According to the Information Memorandum (IM) presented by the Commission at a stakeholder engagement forum organised on 5G spectrum in…
This week, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) got underway in Glasgow, turning the world’s attention to the global climate crisis and the solutions needed to address this. But many solutions already exist… in Africa. “Whilst we are delighted that nearly 500 global financial firms have agreed to align $130 trillion – 40%…
In the afternoon of October 20th, 2021, the opening session of the 10th Meeting of China-Africa Think Tanks Forum was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. As a companion warm-up event for the upcoming session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Senegal, this Forum brought together more than 200 political, academic, media and business representatives…
Commercial banks in Nigeria shut down 234 branches and 649 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in 2020, according to reports from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The global financial body disclosed this in its Financial Access Survey 2021 Trends and Developments. According to details from the reports, the closure of banks and ATM service points across…
The AfCFTA Secretariat and its partners on the 4D, ProPer and Caravan Initiatives, AfroChampions and the Arab Bank for Economic Development (BADEA), have announced the winners of the AfCFTA Caravan Prize. A key criterion for the selection of the finalists and semi-finalists is for an organisation and its founders to conceive and implement models, concepts,…
The ??current leadership of Nigeria’s Digital Economy sector has continued to attract global attention as foreign investors seek partnerships with the Federal Government in that regard. The People’s Republic of China on Thursday, 4th November 2021, expressed interest in long term partnerships and collaborations with the Nigerian Digital Economy sector. This position was made known…
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen welcomed Facebook’s announcement that it would scrap facial recognition, but urged close government oversight of the move to ensure the social network lived up to its pledge. Facebook made the announcement on Tuesday, partly in response to growing scrutiny from regulators and legislators over user safety and abuses on its platforms. Activists…
The Lagos State Government has introduced Edutainment – the process of entertaining the pupils while also teaching them at the same time – to enhance better understanding and a further improvement in teaching and learning abilities of teachers and pupils. Speaking at the Y2021 Lagos State Festival of Instructional Materials held Wednesday at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa,…
Google trends have shown a surprising increased interest in Halloween by Nigerians. Google Search queries in the week leading up to 31 October 2021 showed top searches like ‘When is Halloween?’, ‘Halloween meaning’ and ‘History of Halloween’ Halloween, regarded as a Western tradition, is celebrated each year on 31 October in the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, Scotland,…
Applications for Google’s three-month virtual accelerator programme are now open to startups located in Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Successful early-growth stage startup applicants (from seed to Series A) will gain access to equity-free support alongside the best of Google’s…