A selection of tech news from Nigeria and Africa at large.
National Robotics League | Curbing Telecom Crimes | Fintech Funding | Black Funders Jobs | Reb360 Renewables
________________________________________________________________________________________
‘Robotics knowledge helps develop learners’ creativity’ – Punch News
Brainiacs STEM and Robotics have said the knowledge of robotics will help children to channel their creativity productively.
The organisation stated that the need to align the Nigerian educational curricula with the demands of the modern-day industrial sector was crucial.
It revealed that the Brainiacs STEM and Robotics had introduced the National Robotics League for primary and secondary students and undergraduates interested in robotics.
‘‘The program aims to nurture youths to leverage existing technology in developing indigenous solutions.
This is in line with the current mandate and action plan of the National Technology Development Agency to drive a strategic focus on enabling a digital economy.’’
The statement explained that industrial growth was driven by science and technology, saying Nigeria needed skills and talent to drive manufacturing and industrial development.
Throughout the entire building process, the mental ability of these young ones is built, nurtured and enhanced as they compete with their robotic creations.
Hence, the overall Robotic building will help develop the Nigerian child, enabling them to level up with their colleagues worldwide. Read more here.
NCC, NSCDC team up against telecom crimes – Vanguard News
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has teamed with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to tackle some of the criminal activities bedevilling the telecom industry, such as telecom equipment vandalism and fraudulent registration of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, among others.
Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who addressed a gathering of the senior management staff of NSCDC in the South West Zone at an exclusive workshop organised by the Commission, hailed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sealed between the agency and the Commission, for which the gathering was to explore how the Corps will deploy enabling laws, subsidiary legislations, and extant guidelines to arrest any form of criminality in the sector.
The collaboration between the two parties and other law enforcement agencies aims to stop any form of criminality in the telecom sector whilst protecting the industry from all kinds of criminal behaviour.
According to the EVC, the activities of these criminals are despicable and at variance with national security concerns of government whilst undermining the efforts put in place to consolidate the gains of the sector. Read more here
Nigerian fintech raises $13 million seed fund for regional expansion – The Guardian News.
Nigerian fintech startup, NowNow Digital Systems, has raised $13 million in seed funding to improve financial inclusion in Nigeria and across Africa. It will provide financial services to the unbanked and under-served in the continent.
The funding move, led by NeoVision Ventures Ltd, DLF Family Office and Shadi Abdulhadi, heralds NowNow’s plans to scale and expand its service offerings across the continent.
According to the company, the newly secured funds will drive financial empowerment and help introduce new products, further enhancing its already existing consumer banking, agency banking, and merchant payment solutions.
Equipped with a rapidly growing product suite and highly agile technology platform, the firm seeks to build the world’s best technology that digitises cash payments for Africans.
However, although a report from CBN reveals genuine interest in financial literacy, which also indicates a significant knowledge gap, the firm aims to bridge the gap between the banked and unbanked whilst enhancing Africa’s financial inclusivity in Nigeria via the proceeds from the seeding facility. Read more here.
Black Funders Fund Has Created Over 4,600 Jobs — Google – Nigeria Tribune
As part of its efforts to give a lifeline to tech-business innovators in Africa and foster decent job creation, the world leading search engine, Google, has recently announced $4 million in startups funds to 60 eligible technologically inclined businesses founded by African citizens residing in the continent through its Black Founders Fund project.
Google also said the Black Founders Fund initiative has created over 4,600 jobs across Africa and has raised over $290 million between 2012 and 2022.
At an event to announce the award of the fund held in Abuja, which was well-attended by Nigerian government officials, Google representatives and some of the beneficiaries, Google Head, Startup Ecosystem Africa, Mr Folarin Aiyegbusi, said the winners of the startup fund would receive support in the form of six months training programme and non-dilutive awards of $50,000, $100,000 and $200,000, accordingly.
The beneficiaries were selected from different parts of the African continent, and they will receive a total of $4 million in funding and support to enable them to scale up their ongoing work.
According to Folarin Aiyegbusi, equity-free cash assistance will enable startups to take care of immediate needs such as paying staff, funding inventory, and maintaining software licences. Whilst hoping that the Black Founders Fund programme will be able to bridge the gap of disproportionate funding between ex-pat startups over local and black-led companies. Read more here.
Reb360 to Return Lagosians to Nature, Launches Renewable Community – This Day News
A real estate firm, Reb360, has launched a 50-acre, 202,000 square-meter mixed development community called “Kairos.”According to the firm, Kairos combines a resort, a nature-dominant residential area and a work and play zone.
Speaking at the development site, the CEO of Reb360 Limited, Mrs Tope Mark-Odigie, said that the project was the first of its kind and has been received by enthusiastic investors.
According to her, Reb360 was established 18 months ago and has embarked on several projects, including four residential estates covering 100 acres in different locations within Nigeria.
According to Mark-Odigie, the Kairos project is very new in its approach to development, leaning towards sustainable development goals 9 and 13, focusing on sustainable infrastructure and climate, respectively. The company has partnered with technology companies to provide clean, renewable energy. Despite the high land cost in Lagos, Reb360 has designated large portions of the project as green zones.” Read more here.
You may also like
