Special

First multi-stakeholder initiative to address global mobile internet access gap has been launched by Vodafone Group and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as co-chairs via a dedicated Working Group under the auspices of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. Of the 3.7 billion people not connected to the internet, 3.4 billion live within range of mobile networks but are currently not …

“One of programme’s main objectives is to identify and conceptualise the threats to personal and social wellbeing created by displacement, migration and conflict”

The Ford and MacArthur Foundations have announced the launch of Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), to the tune of US$5 million to support and strengthen youth leadership ecosystem in Nigeria. The Foundations in close partnership with Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability & Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, in charge of fund management will build on momentum in the region, inspired by the youth-led #EndSARS movement. …

BioNTech, founded by a German-Turkish researcher couple and which was one of the first companies to launch a coronavirus vaccine on the market, has been awarded the special prize of the German Founder’s Prize 2021. “With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world changed for all of us. Together with their team, Dr Özlem Türeci and Professor Dr Uğur …

The Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG) has announced the launch of a first of its kind profit and purpose fund aimed at investing in early-stage tech innovation startups across Africa. Here’s how the Fund plan to play a part in stimulating entirely new industries, accelerating cross-border collaboration and unlocking access to new markets across Africa. Cape Town, South Africa & …

New data reveals world stepped up to prevent worst-case scenarios from happening; spotlights need for long-term investments to ensure an equitable recovery and continued progress toward the Global Goals SEATTLE, USA, 14 September 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today launched its fifth annual Goalkeepers Report, featuring an updated global dataset illustrating the pandemic’s adverse impact …

“The mission and programs of the University are inextricably linked to the country’s national goals. That’s why this partnership is especially compelling as it will be preparing young people for careers across multiple disciplines and for real-life problem-solving”

Cybercrime is one of the top risk factors likely to jeopardize Africa’s economy especially at this time when the continent is transitioning to E-commerce under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). That’s according to panelists at a Book Talk hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on 2 September 2021 The “Book Talk” was jointly organised by ECA’s Knowledge Management …

Facebook has announced the launch of Facebook Marketplace to 37 countries and territories in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently available in South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria, Marketplace exists as a point where people can discover, buy, and sell items from others in their local communities. This is done by tapping on the Marketplace icon or visiting Facebook Marketplace to browse and …

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 26, 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- African university students with ambitions for a career in the fast-paced world of technology are receiving welcome support in the form of the SAP Dual Study Program, a skills development initiative aimed at closing the digital skills gap among graduates. According to Johann Pretorius, Director of Training at the SAP Training …

New study shows huge opportunity in digital health with 41% of internet users in Africa regularly using their mobile phones to search for health information. It tells the story of a continent on the cusp of digital health transformation. ——JOHANNESBURG, South Africa,, August 24, 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- There has been an exponential rise in the number of people engaging …

Munich, Germany-based Nigerian IT specialist Kazeem Ojoye explains how technological tools help to facilitate diasporas’ transnational engagement through the use of mobile applications and online platforms to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. He reports on how his organisation supported a state government in Nigeria in its pandemic containment efforts. ——– Diaspora is a term used to refer to the expatriate population …

The development challenges facing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria are known globally, thanks to the activities of international environmental rights groups. The travails of Niger Deltans include environmental degradation, lack of drinking water while dwelling right in the middle of it and inadequate transport infrastructure. In addition to these challenges, communities in the Niger Delta often experience power …

Green Africa Airways Limited has announced the commencement of flight operations following its inaugural flight at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday. The airline recently announced that it had received the Air Operators Certificate from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. According to a statement by the airline, operations officially commenced with the inaugural flight from Lagos to Abuja …

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Implements Workforce Development Program in Kenya with Oracle NAIROBI, Kenya, August 12, 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Oracle today announced that the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in Kenya has finalised a workforce development program for young refugees in Kenya, in collaboration with Oracle University. The UNHCR delivers professional learning courses on Oracle Cloud technologies …

Twenty-three start-ups in Africa and the German state of Baden-Württenberg have been awarded grants, including funds totalling 100,000 euros, by Baden-Württemberg Development Corporation Foundation (SEZ). Nineteen of the beneficiaries will receive funding, training and mentoring while the rest will benefit from training and mentoring. SEZ is the international development agency of Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany’s 16 federal states. The grants …

Bank of Mauritius Governor, Harvesh Seegolam, has called on African Central Banks to collaborate on digital currencies. He made the call at a meeting of the Ministers of Finance and Governors of central banks of all 54 African countries, held in Burundi and virtually on Thursday. This year’s edition of the annual gathering focused on ‘Digitalization for Inclusive Recovery and …

A Nigerian, Yekemi Otaru, has been named Chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). The university, with origins dating back to 1897, made this known via a statement on its website. Ms Otaru will formally take up the role of Chancellor at the UWS on 1 September 2021, succeeding Dame Elish Angiolini. The 42-year-old holds four degrees …

Long abandoned projects in the Niger Delta receive new hopes for completion, courtesy of Senator (Chief) Godswill Akpabio’s transformation agenda. Prince (Barrister) Anthony Ekene Onwuka, Special Assistant, Project Monitoring and Special Duties, Presidential Monitoring Committee on the NDDC, explains the work of the Committee and how the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs is changing the dynamics of development in the …

By Cathy Smith, Managing Director at SAP Africa Are African enterprises at risk of extinction, just as millions of natural species face extinction due to the impact of climate change? Businesses and countries across the continent are attempting to rebuild following the devastating economic impact of the pandemic. It is perhaps an opportune time to take stock of whether we …