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Microsoft, IICD Aim to Bridge Gap for Job Seekers, Others

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Microsoft Ghana on Friday, in partnership with the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) launched the TizaaWorks online platform, which will be a national one-stop online hub for employability and entrepreneurship.

With the World Bank reporting that 65% of Ghanaian youth are unemployed, the platform aims to equip young graduates and school-leavers with the right hard and soft skills to bridge the skills gap and secure first-time job opportunities, in addition to providing career guidance and resources for those wanting to build their own businesses.

The TizaaWorks platform is a Microsoft YouthSpark and Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative.

“Technology can empower young people to make a vital contribution to their community and our world.  We hope that this platform serves as a bridge, connecting Ghana’s young people to the tools, resources and people they need to find the fulfilling careers they deserve.” said Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft.

 Although there are several employment resources for Ghanaian youth, many do not know where to find them. TizaaWorks aggregates the best, ensuring access to rich e-content and exposing youth to the various learning and training organisations that can help them realise their career aspirations.

Offerings include, Plan your career – career counselling, job market info and stats; get trained – mentor matching, IT training, entrepreneurship, CV writing, soft & language skills; find a job – job matching tool; entrepreneurs – Start-up training, funding tools, social entrepreneurship and free-lance opportunities and get engaged – Community-based networking platform for users to share ideas and volunteer opportunities.

Gallup World Poll data indicates that African governments currently only employ around 14 million people aged 15-29, which corresponds to about 5% of Africa’s population in this ‘youthful’ age group.

In Ghana, many young people who cannot find employment in the public or private sector end up working in the informal sector in low quality jobs.

Research conducted by the African Development Bank shows that it is very difficult to get out of the informal sector, unless one pursues entrepreneurship opportunities.

Private companies are instrumental to curbing youth unemployment, but at the same time youth face a shortage of skills.

Microsoft’s aim through the platform is to match the right skills to appropriate jobs, and equip youth with the necessary training, tools and knowledge required to succeed in their desired job.

In a technologically-driven world, softer skills are also often overlooked.

The platform offers hundreds of soft skills training courses to equip youth with the best possible opportunity to land their dream role.

“The TizaaWorks platform is critical for expanding IICD’s impact in supporting Ghanaian youth in smart learning, working, and earning. Thanks to TizaaWorks, our programs that build market-driven digital skills and help youth find employment and start their own IT-related businesses can reach out to a much wider audience, beyond our physical presence,” said Martine Koopman, Ghana country manager, Global Advisory Services Manager for IICD. “With the current online platform, physical programs and the upcoming mobile version of TizaaWorks, any young person in Ghana will be able to access information and services enabling them to become more employable.”

Employability Platforms are being rolled out in collaboration with key local partners across Middle East and Africa as part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark and 4Afrika Initiatives.

The plan is to have 25 platforms across the region by the end of FY15, including thirteen in Africa: Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, and Nigeria within Africa.

Microsoft aims to reach a target of seven million youth across the Middle East and Africa, and create 96, 000 job opportunities and 200,000 new entrepreneurs by the end of 2015.

Microsoft has been operating in Ghana for 10 years, and continues to recognise the long-term growth opportunities in the country.

Through its programs in Ghana, Microsoft has trained 15, 000 teachers; reached over one million students; created over 1, 800 jobs, and supported 35 successful startups in Ghana.

One of Microsoft’s core projects in the country is its partnership with the Ghanaian Ministry of Education and the British Council, to set up ICT hubs in local schools and communities to accelerate digital literacy across the country.

Falling under a regional project called Badiliko, 17 digital hubs have been created in Ghana and Microsoft has trained 26 local Master Trainers who are serving as Digital Ambassadors and School Leader Facilitators in the hubs, helping over 1,700 people in Ghana become trained to date.


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E-Business

Naija Shopping Festival: Konga Offers Unbeatable Christmas Deals

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Nigeria’s leading e-commerce platform, Konga, has unveiled the Naija Shopping Festival, a Christmas sales event designed to offer shoppers extraordinary discounts and unbeatable deals.

This exciting shopping extravaganza begins on December 1 and runs through December 30, promising an unforgettable experience for all.

With discounts of up to 70% off on your favourite products, the Naija Shopping Festival is Konga’s way of spreading festive cheer and ensuring no one misses out on amazing deals.

This event caters especially to those who could not participate in Konga Yakata, giving everyone a chance to save big this holiday season.

The festival boasts a wide array of incredible offers across multiple categories, including mobile phones, electronics, FMCG, fashion, groceries, and accessories.

Shoppers can also enjoy specially curated deals such as Christmas Eve Deals, Flash Sales, Santa Shop, and Hamper Packs, ensuring there’s something for everyone this festive period.

Konga is partnering with top global brands such as Apple, Starlink, HP, Zinox, CeraVe, Lenovo, Haier Thermocool, Samsung, and Infinix to deliver the best possible deals. Customers can expect discounts of up to 70% on premium products, ensuring maximum value on every purchase.

Speaking on the launch, Onochie Melvin, E-commerce Manager at Konga, stated, “The Naija Shopping Festival is our way of giving back to our customers and making this Christmas season special for every Nigerian.

“We remain committed to easing the financial burden on Nigerian consumers, especially during challenging economic times. Also, we want to ensure shopping is fun, affordable, and stress-free. With our trusted partners, we’ve curated the best deals to meet the needs of every shopper during this festive period.”

As always, Konga is committed to making shopping easy and convenient for Nigerians.

“By offering substantial price cuts and collaborating with trusted brands, Konga continues to set the standard for e-commerce in Nigeria.

To have a feel of Konga’s Naija Shopping Festival, visit www.konga.com today and make your Christmas shopping a joyful experience.

 


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TD Africa Joins Forces with Check Point to Enhance Cybersecurity in Nigeria

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TD Africa, a leading technology distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa, has joined forces with Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a global cybersecurity leader, to enhance Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience.

This strategic partnership, announced at a partner roundtable event in Lagos and attended by industry executives, stakeholders, and IT professionals, facilitated discussions on emerging cybersecurity trends and fostered strategic partnerships.

Participants explored innovative approaches to digital security, concluding with a networking session designed to spark future collaborations and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Abiodun Idowu, Assistant General Manager for TD Africa, highlighted the company’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions, saying: “This partnership with Check Point reflects our commitment to providing advanced tools that safeguard businesses against today’s complex cyber threats.”

Check Point’s Security Manager, Victor Ugwu, who underscored the partnership’s significance in strengthening cybersecurity frameworks in Nigeria, said, “With this collaboration with TD Africa, we aim to deploy innovative solutions like Harmony and CloudGuard to protect organizations across the country.”

TD Africa now offers Check Point’s Harmony and Email Collaboration solutions, incorporating Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology to enable secure connectivity for remote and hybrid work environments.

Additionally, the partnership provides CloudGuard, an end-to-end cloud security solution, and Quantum Firewall appliances, which scale to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.

This partnership reinforces TD Africa’s position as a driving force in Nigeria’s technological advancement. By delivering robust cybersecurity solutions, TD Africa empowers businesses to navigate the digital age with confidence and resilience.


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Kaspersky Contributes to Joint INTERPOL-AFRIPOL Operation Combating Cybercrime Across Africa

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Kaspersky has recently assisted its partner law enforcement agencies INTERPOL and AFRIPOL in a joint effort to disrupt cybercrime across the African region.

Dubbed “Serengeti,” the operation has led to the arrest of more than 1,000 individuals suspected of links to cybercrimes such as ransomware operation and business email compromise (BEC) attacks, resulting in nearly US $193 million in financial losses worldwide.

As Africa is going through a rapid digitisation, the threat of cybercrime on the continent is also escalating. In the African region in general and West Africa in particular, ransomware emerges as one of the most prominent attack vectors, targeting critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and manufacturing facilities, among others.

During the first 10 months of 2024, ransomware detections in West Africa surged by 36% year-on-year, according to Kaspersky data. Other noticeable cyberthreats targeting users and organisations in the region include spyware and password stealers.

Conducted from September 2 to October 31, operation Serengeti dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks linked to cybercrimes including ransomware operations, BEC attacks, digital extortion and online scams — all identified as prominent threats in INTERPOL’s 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.

Kaspersky has contributed to the operation by sharing information on threat actors, data on ransomware attacks and malware targeting the region, as well as up-to-date indicators of compromise (IoCs) for malicious infrastructure across Africa.

Among the malware targeting African countries was also a well-known Brazilian banking trojan Grandoreiro – Kaspersky recently released new findings on this trojan at its Security Analyst Summit. Additionally, ransomware families detected in attacks on African organisations among others included LockBit, Rhysida, and Medusa.

The operation has also resulted in the identification of more than 35,000 victims of cyber offenses investigated.

Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, said: “From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern.

Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together, and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain. We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide.”

Ambassador Jalel Chelba, AFRIPOL’s Acting Executive Director said: “Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends. Our focus now includes emerging threats like AI-driven malware and advanced attack techniques.”

“We are proud to contribute to this multi-stakeholder operation orchestrated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL,” comments Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Kaspersky. “The emerging dynamics of the threat landscape in Africa requires a stronger regional dialogue on mitigating acute cybersecurity risks.

Kaspersky firmly supports INTERPOL’s and AFRIPOL’s efforts to prevent and disrupt cybercrime attacks across Africa and shares the holistic approach towards creating a more cyber-resilient environment within the continent.”

Thanks to the cooperation with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, Kaspersky has been an active contributor to fostering a more cyber-savvy environment in the African region.

In addition to the vast record of joint operations in Africa, with the latest being INTERPOL-led operation Synergia II, Kaspersky has recently sealed a five-year cooperation agreement with AFRIPOL to further strengthen its role in creating a more cybersafe climate on the continent by sharing Kaspersky’s extensive data on local cyberthreats and cybercrime trends with the organisation.


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