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AfriLabs Celebrates 10 Years of Empowering a Thriving Innovation Economy in Africa

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Pan-African network organisation, AfriLabs, is commemorating 10 years of empowering and inspiring a thriving innovation economy in Africa.

For the past decade, AfriLabs has stayed true to its goal of supporting the growth of technology hubs and their community to raise high potential entrepreneurs that will stimulate economic growth and social development in Africa.

Founded in 2011 with 5 hubs across 4 African countries, AfriLabs has grown exponentially in the last 10 years, and the organization currently stands at over 300 member hubs across 119 cities in 50 African countries.

AfriLabs has been at the forefront of enabling innovation in Africa for the past decade, serving as a nexus point for innovation hubs across the continent, providing support to the community of rapidly evolving technology hubs through financing, mentoring, networking opportunities, and other capacity-building initiatives, to produce high-potential entrepreneurs that will positively impact the continent’s socio-economic status. Some of the key milestones recorded by the organisation in its 2020 impact report include:

  • 1 million+ large community of hubs and start-ups in the African Tech Ecosystem reached and engaged in AfriLabs programmes and activities
  • Influencing policy in 5 African countries
  • 2,000+ members of the innovation enablers community in 56 countries and the 5 regions of Africa have been trained on how they can better support start-ups
  • 1200+ stakeholders have been engaged through the Virtual Meetup Grants and 58% of these stakeholders are females
  • 279,000 Euros in grants given to community members in 2020
  • 212 start-ups have been supported through business development support, mentoring, funding & 78% of these start-ups are female-led

Speaking on the milestone, Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director, AfriLabs, said “The African tech ecosystem has witnessed increased levels of growth in the past few years and this growth did not happen in a vacuum.

It is largely attributed to the innovation ecosystem, particularly support systems via tech/innovation communities like AfriLabs who have played a crucial role in nurturing startups and entrepreneurs.

“We are proud to celebrate this monumental milestone and we also use this opportunity to thank our team, partners, community members and all stakeholders who have supported our vision of building a thriving innovation economy in Africa.

“As we ring in the next decade, we are excited about the future and ready to continue the work of accelerating innovation across the continent through our impactful programmes and initiatives.”

The organisation is also set to host its 2021 Annual Gathering conference, the largest convention of brilliant African innovation hub leaders and ecosystem builders on the continent.

The theme for this year’s gathering is “AfriLabs at 10: A Decade of Empowering and Inspiring Innovation across Africa” and is scheduled to hold in Abuja, Nigeria from 25th – 27th October 2021.

The event will provide a unique opportunity for players in the innovation community – ranging from hubs, start-ups, academia, investors, corporate organizations, and development agencies – to convene, network, and share knowledge on driving innovation across the continent.

“The 2021 AfriLabs Annual Gathering is special to us as it coincides with AfriLabs 10th anniversary. Looking back at all we have accomplished in this past decade, we are so proud of our contributions to the development of the Innovation Ecosystem in Africa, and this edition provides an opportunity to spotlight the remarkable growth the African Ecosystem has witnessed over the years,” added Anna Ekeledo.

Towards the 2021 Annual Gathering, AfriLabs has also partnered with organizations that share a combined vision to propel the African innovation ecosystem including GIZ Make-IT, Mozilla, Honoris United University, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions across the globe, the AfriLabs Annual Gathering will be a hybrid event and interested participants can register here.


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NAICOM Signs Agreement with NDPC on Data Protection in Insurance Sector

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The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has signed agreement with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) with the aim of enhancing data protection within the insurance sector.

According to NAICOM, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has as its objectives training and capacity building in the area of providing training to enhance awareness and skills in data protection, establishing privacy clinics by setting up specialised clinics to address data protection concerns and provide guidance.

NAICOM said other objectives of the agreement include conducting compliance activities, regularly monitoring and enforcing compliance with data protection regulations, promoting awareness in the area of educating insurance companies on the importance of data protection and the benefits of adhering to best practices.

Developing data protection guidelines through creation of specialized guidelines for insurance institutions to ensure they are equipped to handle data protection responsibilities effectively.

NAICOM said the collaboration marked a significant milestone in safeguarding the personal data of insurance policyholders and promoting trust in the insurance sector.

The commission said to ensure the effective implementation of the agreement, an implementation committee would be established. The committee, the commission said, would comprise of representatives from the two agencies, as well as other key industry associations, including the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) and the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB).

 


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5 Benefits of MTN Mobile Ads for your Business

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Businesses worldwide are increasingly embracing mobile advertising services, allowing them to connect with potential customers directly on their smartphones and engage with them more effectively.

This trend is rapidly gaining momentum, and companies in Nigeria are also taking part in this shift.

Every day, more Nigerian businesses are seeking the most efficient strategies to reach their target audiences and convert them into loyal customers.

MTN Nigeria is redefining digital advertisement with MTN Mobile Ads. With a rich customer base of 79.5 million subscribers in Nigeria, MTN Mobile Ads continues to help businesses reach millions of customers nationwide.

Here are five reasons you should use MTN Mobile Ads for your business advertisements:
Targeted marketing

MTN Mobile Ads uses first party data to enable specific targeting of audience based on behaviour, interests and demographic. This ensures that your marketing efforts are directed toward the most relevant audiences, thereby increasing engagement and conversion.

Data-Driven Insights:

Businesses can gain valuable insights from their advertising campaigns, allowing them to fine-tune their strategies for maximum impact. This data-driven approach helps in optimizing campaigns based on real user behaviour and preferences

Diverse advertising formats

This service supports several advertising formats including targeted SMS, marketplace listing on the MyMTN app, display banners, and Rich messaging services (RCS) across both mobile and web platforms. This versatility allows your business to customize your marketing strategy to suit different audience preferences and increase engagement opportunities.

Data-free solutions

MTN Mobile Advertising provides data-free solutions. That means users can view your Ads with or without data. This feature significantly increases engagement rate as it allows your business connect with customers who may have been avoiding ads to save their data.

Cost-effective

With MTN Mobile Ads, you can choose an advertising plan that suits your budget. This flexibility allows businesses to enjoy the benefits of advertising without overspending.

As competition in businesses increase, the need to make advertising a crucial part of your marketing strategy cannot be over-emphasized.

MTN’s Mobile advertising services are the most result-oriented strategy your business should engage in so you can have the same opportunities your competitors may have.


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Zuckerberg’s Mar-a-Lago Meeting with Trump: What It Means for Tech

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Billionaire Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg met Wednesday with incoming US president Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, the latest sign of the Meta chief’s warming up to the president-elect ahead of his second term.

“It’s an important time for the future of American Innovation. Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming Administration,” a Meta spokesperson told CNN.

Politico was first to report Zuckerberg was spotted at Mar-a-Lago. It was not immediately known what the two discussed.

Zuckerberg was in touch with Trump in the months leading up to the election, according to a New York Times report. After the assassination attempt on Trump’s life in July, Zuckerberg told Bloomberg that Trump standing back up and pumping his fist in the air was “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life.”

In a book released this summer, Trump accused the Meta chief of “plotting” against him and threatened Zuckerberg with “life in prison” if he did “anything illegal” during the election.

“We are watching him closely,” Trump wrote, “and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison — as will others who cheat in the 2024 Presidential Election.”

In an interview on Wednesday night on Fox News, Trump adviser Stephen Miller confirmed the meeting and said Zuckerberg “has been very clear about this desire to be a supporter of and a participant in this change that we’re seeing all around America all around the world, this reform movement Donald Trump is leading“


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