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Google to invest $1bn in Africa

By admin

 

 

Search Engine giant, Google yesterday announced it would inject up to $1billion into the African technology ecosystem. 

This is also as it revealed plans to land another submarine broadband cable which will run across Nigeria to other five African countries and connect them to Europe. 

The investment money which will be spread over five years is to support Africa’s digital transformation. 

The investment focuses on enabling fast, affordable internet access for more Africans; building helpful products; supporting entrepreneurship and small businesses; and helping nonprofits to improve lives across Africa. 

Google CEO, Sundar Pitchai announced the new developments at the company’s first Google for Africa event, yesterday. 

Pichai, who is also the CEO of  Alphabet, said the investment will include the landing of the subsea cable Equiano which will enable faster internet speeds and lower connectivity costs.

He said since 2017, Google has trained six million young Africans and businesses in digital skills. Google has also supported more than 50 nonprofits across Africa with over $16 million of grants, and enabled 100 million more Africans to access internet services for the first time through Android.

Google is building global infrastructure to help bring faster internet to more people and lower connectivity costs. The subsea cable Equiano will run through South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and St Helena and connect the continent with Europe.

Internet access in Africa is further hampered by the affordability of smartphones. Android has developed a device locking technology as part of the Android platform that will enable partners to offer financed devices. Google has collaborated with Kenya’s largest carrier Safaricom to support the launch of the first “Device Financing” plan in Kenya, and will expand this initiative across Africa with partners like Airtel, MKOPA, MTN, Orange, Transsion Holdings and Vodacom, and more.

These partnerships will help millions of first-time smartphone users gain access to quality, affordable Android smartphones.  Plus Codes are a free and open source addressing system to provide addresses for everyone. The government of Gambia has adopted this in providing addresses for residents and businesses across the capital Banjul and are now scaling to the rest of the country. 

How the investment fund will be disbursed:

Entrepreneurship and technology. Through a Black Founders Fund, Google will invest in Black-led startups in Africa by providing cash awards and hands-on support. This is in addition to Google’s existing support through the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, which has helped more than 80 African startups with equity-free finance, working space and access to expert advisors over the last three years. Google also announced the launch of an Africa Investment Fund. Through this fund, the company will invest $50M in startups and provide them with access to Google’s employees, network, and technologies to help them build meaningful products for their communities.

Business support: In collaboration with the non-profit organisation Kiva, Google is providing $10M in low-interest loans to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa get through the economic hardship created by COVID-19.

Funding nonprofits. Google.org is expanding its commitment to support nonprofits working to improve lives across Africa, with $40M to help more partners who are responding to challenges they see firsthand in their communities – innovators like the Airqo team at Makerere University, who use AI and sensors to monitor poor air quality, a leading cause of premature death. Google is providing $3M in new grant funding to expand this pioneering work from Kampala across 10 cities in 5 countries on the continent. .

In 2017, Google launched its Grow with Google initiative with a commitment to train 10 million young Africans and small businesses in digital skills. To date, Google has trained over 6 million people across 25 African countries, with over 60% of participants experiencing growth in their career and/or business as a result. Google has also supported more than 50 nonprofits across Africa with over $16million of investment, and enabled hundreds of millions of Africans to access internet services for the first time through Android.

 CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai said: “We’ve made huge strides together over the past decade — but there’s more work to do to make the internet accessible, affordable and useful for every African. Today I’m excited to reaffirm our commitment to the continent through an investment of $1b over five years to support Africa’s digital transformation to cover a range of initiatives from improved connectivity to investment in startups.”

In his opening speech, Managing Director for Google in Africa, Nitin Gajria added: “I am so inspired by the innovative African tech startup scene.

In the last year, we have seen more investment rounds into tech startups than ever before. I am of the firm belief that no one is better placed to solve Africa’s biggest problems than Africa’s young developers and startup founders. We look forward to deepening our partnership with, and support for, Africa’s innovators and entrepreneurs.”

Also, Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development, South Africa said: “I am happy to note that Google has been active in supporting Small to Medium Enterprises, dedicating even more resources to the sector, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the last 12 months, Google said it has helped close to 500,000 African businesses get online and reach new customers.”

 African cultural treasures: Country Director, Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan said since 2012, the Google Arts & Culture team has partnered with institutions across the continent to preserve and promote their collections, providing a free online platform which anyone around the world can access. The result is hundreds of expertly-curated stories about Africa by Africans

Patoma Admin by — October 7, 2021 in Metro 0
Children buried mother, Patience Bisan Oghoghome on September 18, 2021

Mr Blacky Oghoghome lost his wife of over 40years, Late Mrs Patience Bisan Oghoghome to the cold hands of death on June 24, 2021 for which Service of Song was held on Thursday, September 16, 2021 and was laid to rest on Saturday, 18, 2021.

CAPTION

Below are the children during the burial service. L – Betty Oghoghome, the first daughter; Elohor Oghoghome, the 3rd daughter; Endurance Oghoghome, the first son;  Obaro Oghoghome, the 2nd son and the last born  and Efe Oghoghome, 2nd daughter during the burial of their mother, Late Mrs Patience Bisan Oghoghome in Ugbokodo, Okpe local government, Delta State

  • Betty Oghoghome, the first daughter; Endurance Oghoghome, the first son; and Obaro Oghoghome, the 2nd son and the last born during the burial service
The corpse of late Mrs Patience Bisan Oghoghomr lying in state during the event
  • Late Mrs Patience Bisan Oghoghome

Patoma Admin by — September 23, 2021 in Metro 0
Enabling climate resilient Africa with weather intelligence

By admin

 

Many countries in Africa are vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather events because of their limited ability to cope and adapt to those events. According to a report published by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

Weather, climate and water hazards accounted for 50 percent of all disasters, with almost 91 percent of these deaths occurring in developing countries. Four out of the top ten disasters between 1970 and 2019, based on reported deaths, were in Africa. Africa accounted for 15 per of weather-, climate- and water-related disasters, 35% of associated deaths and 1% of economic losses reported globally.

Although the African continent has contributed the least to global warming, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, several regions are facing the worst effect of climate change.

For instance, earlier this year, an unprecedented famine occurred in Madagascar, the first climate-triggered famine known to our planet, triggered by locusts and severe drought. In Mozambique, over 104,000 people continue to live in resettlement sites and accommodation centres due to the three cyclones (Idai; Kenneth; and Eloise) that have plagued the same area of the country over the past two years.

According to the WMO report, even though the recorded deaths decreased almost threefold during the past 50 years, severe gaps in weather observing networks across Africa highlight the continent’s vulnerabilities.

For Africa to reduce the risk and loss due to extreme weather events, the continent must embrace and invest in technologies that support climate adaptation, which involves accurate and timely weather forecasts to any individual, business, or government. Reducing the physical and financial risks is critical as weather extremes are predicted to occur with both increasing frequency and severity.

While weather forecasting provides predictions in the form of data (temperature, cloud cover, rain, wind speed etc.), weather intelligence helps to understand the true impact of the weather on the daily activities of individuals, businesses and government, making weather forecasting more actionable to make informed decisions towards climate action. However, accurate weather intelligence is far and in between – with 85% of the continent unable to access this data needed for a reliable weather forecast.

Weather Intelligence from Space

Radar sensors are a crucial component for weather forecasting in the short and medium term as they allow the detection of rain and cloud droplets as well as identify the size, shape, orientation, or composition of the droplet. Some radar satellites such as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) launched and operated by public institutions such as NOAA, NASA and EUMETSAT, provide data that are used to power real-time [or near real-time] situational awareness, short-term nowcasts, medium-term forecasts, and climate studies.

However, their revisit rates are only every few days, and they cost hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars. Further, over 5 billion people worldwide still live outside of radar coverage, and as a result, lack reliable weather forecasts.

To effectively bridge the data gap, terrestrial methods such as radar deployment would not be effective because of the lack of infrastructure required to achieve this, especially in remote regions and vast land areas in Africa, as well as the oceans.

Nevertheless, advancements in the miniaturisation of satellites, along with reduced costs of launching to space mean that a constellation of satellites equipped with radar sensors could play a critical role in improving global weather forecasting. At the forefront of this is Tomorrow.io, a global leader in weather intelligence solutions. Dubbed “Operation Tomorrow Space“, Tomorrow.io is launching a constellation of small satellites (500 kg) equipped with precipitation radars, enabling access to reliable weather information and bringing critical weather radar coverage to the entire world, especially the underserved regions.

According to Kathryn Sullivan, former NOAA Administrator, NASA Astronaut and an advisor to Tomorrow.io,“ A constellation of active precipitation radar satellites will, for the first time, provide radar data, and therefore reliable weather forecasts, to the 5 billion people worldwide who live outside of radar coverage. In particular, this data will enable a dramatic improvement in forecasts of precipitation, flooding and drought, phenomena that are so critical to smallholder farmers and the general population of Africa.”

Leveraging Weather Intelligence for Africa
Ever since Africa’s Agenda 2063 was declared in May 2013, the 50-year development trajectory for Africa has recognised the problem climate change presents to the continent’s development.

According to the FAO, about 54% of the African population is employed in the agricultural sector. Therefore, there is a constant need to stay abreast of the weather in real-time to allow the farmers access to observational data to mitigate climate risks, boost productivity and ultimately build resilience.

TomorrowNow.org, a non-profit spinoff of Tomorrow.io, focuses on ensuring weather intelligence is truly inclusive in reach and empowers communities most in need, leveraging its global weather intelligence capabilities. For instance,

TomorrowNow.org is working together with several partners in Africa to develop a climate action system aimed at delivering community-based, localised insights providing millions of farmers with the ability to be better prepared, make crop-saving decisions and directly benefit from desert locust infestations.

Moreover, weather intelligence tools can lead to reduced losses and increased productivity for industries in Africa. For instance, fleet management companies lose billions annually due to weather-related congestion.

Weather intelligence solutions can improve Estimated Time of Arrivals (ETAs), protect valuable assets, optimise route planning, and streamline communications between vehicles, which is also equally beneficial for the logistics and on-demand delivery sector.

In addition, the insurance industry, which suffers from a very low penetration rate in Africa, can also benefit from weather intelligence tools through which proactive alerts can be sent to mitigate risks for insured losses and manage claims post disasters.

As climate change brings about a potential socioeconomic crisis for Africa, especially for the most vulnerable who are forced to adapt to its consequences, a global weather intelligence solution could help turn this crisis into an opportunity enabling inclusive climate action.

Innovations in space technologies that will allow advancements in weather intelligence for Africa are critical in building climate resilience within the continent and provide ample possibilities to prevent losses and improve efficiency for businesses, thus leading to an overall sustainable development for the continent.

Patoma Admin by — September 16, 2021 in Metro 0
Akponojivi & Elohor ties the knot in Jeddo, Delta State

The daughter of Late Mr Freedom and Mrs Rosemary Oghoghome, Engr. Akponojivi Sandra marries  Pastor Elohor Obesa Egha on Thursday, August 26th and Saturday, August 28th, 2021 respectively for both the traditional ceremony and white wedding in Jeddo, Okpe Local Government in Delta State

    Pastor Elohor and Mrs Akponojivi Egha at the traditional marriage on Thursday
    Mr and Mrs Elohor Egha at the Reception after the White Wedding on Saturday
    Patoma Admin by — August 29, 2021 in Metro 0
    Effects of Twitter ban in Nigerian economy, mobile data users

    By LEADWEB PRAXIS MEDIA LIMITED

     

     

    Twitter is one of the largest messaging apps in the World. Others include Facebook, Whatsapp, LinkedIn etc. The platform is well known for a place of acquiring knowledge, attaining information and enabling communication between both people of different races and those of the same race.

    The app was founded on the 21st of March, 2006. However, due to deletion of a tweet by the Nigerian Government, the messaging app was banned to be used by her users in Nigeria on the 4th of June, 2021.

    This ban came as a shock to many people and it ignites international concerns. This is because the app has been known to be a site for voicing out your desire as a citizen. In fact, prior to the ban, the account of the former President of the United State of America, Donald Trump, was deleted and nothing happened to the “bird app” in the United State of America.

    This article tends to look at the consequences/ effect of twitter ban to the Nigerian economy and mobile date usage.

    Break In Communications System

    The messaging app has been known to be a means of communication for different purpose including for corporation organizations. With the ban, there is a break in this communication and this greatly affects the productivity of businesses and people. Some major businesses in the country depend on the app to communicate effectively with their audiences.

    In fact, the Nigerian Government that banned the app previously uses it as a means of communication to the masses. With this ban, the communication channel is broken among other deleterious effects.

    Even though the app can still be assessed with the Virtual Private Network (VPN), this is still not as effective as before. Moreover, some of the VPN do not work and this greatly affects the overall efficiency of people and businesses. This subsequently has a negative effect on the economy of the country

    Increase in unemployment rate

    Even though the major purpose of the app is for communication between people, it has developed into a money-making machine for some people, most especially business owners. Most businesses depend on the app to communicate and advertise with their audience. Some have even built a high number of following on the app. However, with the ban, many businesses are cut off from their businesses and this greatly affects their revenue generation. This in turn affects the general outlook of the economy. In other words, the ban also adds more spices to the previous unemployment rate in the country.

    Decrease In Traffic Generation For Business

    Just like many other messaging apps, Twitter is also known as a traffic generation tool for businesses. This implies that businesses use it as a platform for generating leads whether organically or via paid advertisement. This greatly affects the revenue of the business as the first step in revenue generation is lead generation. Subsequently, this has a negative effect on the economic condition of the country.

    Researchers have shown that many businesses that rely solely on Twitter for their businesses are now trying to adapt to another platform. Hence, many of them now resolve to building their own email list as it is not dependent on any platform and gives them the liberty of having a smooth communication with their audience at any point in time.

    Negative Impact On International Relations and Trade

    Most of the resources that are used in Nigeria are importer and the banning of the messaging app has a negative effect on how the international community perceives us and our trading relationship in general. In fact, many international figures stated their opinion when the declaration of the ban was made.

    This in turn will affect the way the international relates with us in all sectors including the trading sector. Subsequently, this negatively affects the economy of the country and affects the way of living of Nigerians.

    Social media has formed an important part of Nigerian lifestyle over the past years and with the ban, the effect is greatly felt. Apart from that, the economy of the country is also affected as many Nigerians depend on the app to generate revenue for themselves.

    As the day goes by, the Nigerian Government and her economy are known to lose huge billions of dollars every month. To curb the Effect of Twitter Ban, the Government should reverse the ban as many citizens depend on the “bird app” to survive.

    However, Nigerians should also start building their email list as it is the only way to boycott the negative effect of banning of any social media platforms. To know more about internet marketing and how you can make more money with your business, visit Lead Web Praxis Media Limited.

    Patoma Admin by — August 9, 2021 in Metro 0
    Nigerian appointed university chancellor in Scotland

    By admin

     

     

    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 and has considerable industrial experience in engineering and marketing. She is Co-Founder and Executive Director at Doqaru Limited, a prominent Aberdeen-based sales and marketing consultancy.

    Otaru is also a board member of Interface, a public sector backed establishment which connects a wide range of organisations from national and international industries to Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges, matching them with world-leading academic expertise to help them grow. A bestselling author and social media expert, Otaru is also known for her innovative use of platforms such as LinkedIn.

    As Chancellor, Otaru will hold formal powers to confer degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions, and will represent UWS at key events as an advocate and dignitary.

    Reacting to her appointment, Yekemi Otaru said, “I am honoured to have been appointed Chancellor-elect of University of the West of Scotland, following in the footsteps of a remarkable individual in Dame Elish Angiolini.

    “We are all living through challenging times, and higher education plays a vital role in society and for our economy. I eagerly look forward to being part of the University, as it continues to carry out world-class research and knowledge transfer initiatives such as in the areas of healthcare and sports science,” she added.
    Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at UWS, added: “I am delighted with Yekemi’s appointment as the University’s Chancellor-elect. Yekemi’s values very much align with those of UWS, from her passion for advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to her commitment to enterprise, and her appointment is reflective of our strategic mission to make a positive difference to wider society.”

    Ellie Gomersall, President of the Students’ Union at UWS, said, “Yekemi is a great fit for the role as Chancellor of the University. UWS is a 21st century university and, with Yekemi’s impressive background in social media and as a woman in engineering, her modern approach will be really welcomed. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with her and see what we can achieve together.”

    Yekemi Otaru is the first of three children of Dr Raphael and Mrs Sarah Awoseyin of Ayedun in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State.

    She attended Auntie Rose Primary School at Ugborikoko in Warri and from there proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri, where she did only JSS1 before going to Oman with her parents in 1990. She attended American British Academy (ABA) in Muscat, Oman and returned to Nigeria in 1994 to complete her secondary education at Greater Tomorrow Secondary School (GTSS), Benin City.

    From there, she proceeded to the University of Benin where she studied and graduated with a Second Class Upper Division in Chemical Engineering in 2002.

    She got married to Gabriel Oghie Otaru – a petroleum engineer with Shell Petroleum, in Port Harcourt in March 2003 during her NYSC.

    On completing her NYSC, she was selected by TotalFinaElf in Nigeria to be one of the 20 pioneer intakes into the collaborative MSc Petroleum Engineering programme of France’s Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) and University of Port Harcourt.

    Otaru was one of only six graduates of that programme pioneer set offered a permanent employment by TotalFinaElf. She soon moved to the UK when her husband was transferred to Aberdeen by Shell.

    In 2016, she teamed up with Sarah Downs to establish Doqaru Limited, providing knowledge-driven sales and marketing consultancy services to a variety of industries.

    In 2016, Otaru was named among the top 40 under-40 business innovators by Scottish Business News.

    Another Nigerian, Professor Charles Egbu, has been Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University since 1 November 2020.

    Patoma Admin by — August 3, 2021 in Metro 0
    Stephanie Linus becomes Gree AC Brand Ambassador

    By Favour Nnabugwu

    Nigerian actress, film director and producer, Stephanie Linus, is the new face of Gree AC on Tuesday, 15th June 2021.
    Mrs. Linus was signed as the brand ambassador at an event graced by investors and business partners from Nigeria which took place at the Choice International Group headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos.
    While giving her address, she expressed her delight, narrating her personal experience with Gree ACs over the last few years and testifying to the brand’s safety and durability. “My experience with Gree is different,” she said. “It circulates effectively, it is health-friendly, and it cools like winter. I am also thrilled at how much the company pays attention to aesthetics.”
    As the United Nations Population Fund Regional Ambassador for West and Central Africa, the newly-signed brand ambassador shared how she is particular about the environmental safety that Gree AC assures its users.
    Chief Diana Chen, Chairman of Choice International Group, the sole distributor of Gree AC said that the new ambassador, beyond matching the brand’s standards, will take it to greater heights to compete fairly at the international level. She also commended Nigeria for its great potential and revealed that her brand is focused on augmenting these potentials through capacity-building and massive empowerment projects.

    Mrs. Linus remains committed to creating more awareness for the brand and enabling more people to understand the quality of Gree ACs.
    Patoma Admin by — June 17, 2021 in Metro 0
    Former Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, bounces back with “DASH ME STORE” charity

    By Favour Nnabugwu

     

    Former Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has bounced back to public glare, but this time she is involved in charity, giving help to the indigent through a Dash Me Store (DMS) for meeting their needs.

    The store is established to mobilise resources for onward distribution to vulnerable people in the society via grassroot charities.

    DMS is an outlet of the Dash Me Foundation (DMF) of Mrs. Adeosun, which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated on Sunday.

    At the event, Professor Osinbajo said one factor responsible for the impactful implementation of the Social Investment Programmes (SIP) of the Buhari administration over the years is the realization that you can’t reach Nigerians if you don’t have a plan for the grassroots

    This realisation then influenced the structure designed for the SIP and is largely responsible for the successes of the programme (which is now regarded as one of the biggest social welfare schemes in the continent).

    According to the Vice President, “I am excited to be here for several reasons, but most of all because of Mrs Adeosun’s commitment to the notion that all service to man is actually service to God, and she took that very seriously.”

    He noted that “this is why, as Minister, she prioritised the Social Investment Programmes, when for the first time, the country voted almost N500B of our annual budget to welfare programmes which are called the Social Investment Programmes, which involved engaging 500,000 young men and women, and also giving microcredit to about 2 million traders and also a home-grown school feeding programme for 9.5 million children daily in public schools across the country.

    “I am therefore really not surprised that she has decided to use some of her enormous talent and influence to establish an organisation that raises funds and provides resources for indigenous grassroot charities working with orphaned and vulnerable children, disadvantaged youth, and victims of domestic violence.”

    Speaking on the establishment of Nigeria’s first thrift-for-charity online store, Prof. Osinbajo said adding social enterprise to philanthropy with a structure that allows for resource mobilization for charity as well as creates the opportunity for people to earn a living in the process, should be the way to go.

    His words: “what I think is happening here is that philanthropy is not like it used to be when all you needed was a good and kind heart and you didn’t need to plan or organize as you would a business for-profit.

    “What Kemi and her team have done is to bring the new notion of social enterprise to this project. Philanthropy run with the discipline, attention to detail, and financial prudence of a successful business, and she can do all of that, and I am sure her team is imbibing that, given her background in finance in both private and public sector.”

    Continuing, he said “the idea of this thrift-for-charity store is brilliant and the first of its kind in Nigeria. It is a unique model which does not just give to the needy in the conventional way of merely handing out donations.

    “It is an innovative and structured way of aggregating donations to earn income to transform the lives of the vulnerable and needy while creating jobs in the process.

    “I must say that your focus on funding grassroots charities is so crucial and I know that, having campaigned with you on behalf of our party, the APC all around Ogun and in every part of Nigeria, it is clear that you can’t reach Nigeria and Nigerians if you don’t have a plan for the grassroots.”

    Earlier in her remarks, Mrs Adesoun said the idea of the store is to aggregate donations of different kinds for charitable causes, noting that Nigerians from different fields of endeavour and from across the country would be enabled via the online store to contribute to supporting the needy in the society.

    She said the organization would work closely with charitable organisations in the grassroots to ensure that funds and other materials donated via the Dash Me Store get to actual beneficiaries.

    Patoma Admin by — June 15, 2021 in Metro 0
    Nigerian man kills wife, mother-in-law & commit suicide in US

    By admin

     

    A 34-year-old Nigerian man recently separated from his wife attacked her parents’ home in Douglasville, Georgia, killing her and his 46 year-old mother-in-law before taking his own life.

    Udoamaka Nwamu, of East Point, Fulton County, took a handgun to his in-laws’ home in Douglasville on Sunday, June 6, where his estranged wife, Kaliyah Nwamu, 24 year-old was staying, and fired shots into the front and back of the house on Long Lake Drive.

    Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds said in a news release on Tuesday, June 8, that the gunshots resulted in multiple 911 calls and deputies were dispatched to the house. Before they arrived, Nwamu forced his way inside the home.

    Deputies were met with gunfire from the house and were forced to take cover, while an emergency response team and hostage negotiator were sent to the scene.

    “During the course of the negotiations with Udoamaka, a single gunshot was heard,” Pounds said.

    The response team then entered the house and found Nwamu dead from what Pounds described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound
    Deputies also found the bodies of Nwamu’s estranged wife, 24-year-old Kaliyah Nwamu, and her mother, 46-year-old Nikita Green.
    The case remains under investigation, Pounds added.

     

    Patoma Admin by — June 11, 2021 in Metro 0