Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Connect with us

News

Demo Africa 2015: Flippy Campus Emerges First Startup

Published

on

Flippy Campus team getting ready for DEMO Africa 2015
Kindly share this post

The first tech-entrepreneur group that would present at the Demo Africa stage in September has emerged, as Flippy Campus team has been named the most outstanding start-up in the just concluded Demo Africa pre-screening event in Accra.

Out of the 10 teams that pitched at the event, Flippy Campus was the most convincing to the jury on their ability to link innovation, creativity and scalability.

DEMO Africa’s pre-screening activities and feedback sessions are expected to raise the standards of the technology products that are produced by start-ups across Africa to ensure that the confidence of various investors is secured.

Demo Africa is one of the flagship initiatives of LIONS@frica and aims to connect African startups to the global ecosystem.

It is the place where the most innovative companies from Africa get a platform to launch their products and announce to Africa and the world what they have developed with the hope of attracting investors. Nigeria hosted this event in 2014.

The event which brought together start-ups from across West Africa, had judges Todd Holcombe, senior lecturer at Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, which has one of the leading acceleration programmes in Africa; Martin Obuya, DEMO Africa’s Accra Event Director, Erick Osiakwan, AfrISPA and Juliet Amoah  of British Council assessed the various solutions from the startups and provided feedback to the teams.

 Flippy is a product that improves campus experience by keeping students up to date on current campus happenings. By following the Flippy Campus channels, students are able to follow campus events from their halls and social groups including reminders for these events.

Speaking on their success, David Sleek, founder, Flippy Campus expressed optimism at what the future holds for the group. “I am elated at this win and I look forward to learning more from other entrepreneurs and mentors at the DEMO Africa event in Lagos in September.”

While congratulating the winner, Obuya expressed enthusiasm at the ability of entrepreneurs to create wealth in Africa using innovations. “What took place today is a clear demonstration of the great ability of entrepreneurs across Africa to create wealth from world class solutions which solve our own problems first, then the rest of the world”, he added.

Holcombe echoed Obuya’s sentiments, adding that the rate of technology adoption in various sectors across Africa has risen significantly. “Africa has taken significant strides in securing its future through technology; it is very encouraging to see young people’s enthusiasm to shoulder this responsibility”.

Flippy Campus, has secured its space to launch its product at the DEMO Africa stage later in September. The startup will also receive a ticket to Lagos and accommodation catered for during the event.

Start-up application for DEMO Africa will close June 30. The adjudication of the submitted project will happen in July where a jury of 12 persons will deliver a list of 30 start-ups, which will pitch on the DEMO Africa stage.

The DEMO Africa team will stop in Nairobi on June 12, Cairo on June 22 and in Harare on June 24 for pre-screening of projects in East, North and West Africa.

Investors, IT buyers and consumers and media are expected to congregate in Lagos, Nigeria on September 24-25 for the DEMO Africa event. To witness the unveiling of the technology product from Africa, register now.

 


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

News

ARCON to Crackdown on AI-Generated Fake Ads

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has issued a stern warning to marketers, content creators, and social media influencers amid an alarming rise in fraudulent, AI-generated advertisements circulating across digital platforms.

ARCON to Crackdown on AI-Generated Fake Ads

Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, director-general, ARCON, during a press briefing at its Lagos headquarters, decried the “porous” state of Nigeria’s online ad ecosystem and pledged to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.

Dr. Fadolapo opened the media parley by highlighting how easily unscrupulous operators deploy artificial intelligence tools to produce convincing—but entirely fabricated—advertisements.

“Our social media space has become so porous that people now freely post fake adverts, some of which claim outrageous and bogus benefits,” he remarked.

According to the Director-General, these deceptive campaigns often promise “miraculous cures” or “guaranteed returns” without any credible data or verifiable sources to back them.

Among the most alarming examples cited was an herbal remedy advertisement alleging to cure over 200 ailments—ranging from HIV to cancer—through a single “miracle” concoction.

“Imagine an advert claiming that a single herbal drug could cure HIV, cancer, and more than 200 other diseases,” Dr. Fadolapo said.

ARCON’s DG emphasized that such misleading advertisements not only jeopardize public health—by luring vulnerable individuals into purchasing untested or harmful products—but also undermine consumer confidence in legitimate businesses operating within advertising guidelines.

Dr. Fadolapo pointed to the regulatory vacuum that allows bad actors to exploit the anonymity of social media.

Unlike traditional broadcast or print media—where advertisements must pass through editorial or legal vetting—online platforms can be manipulated with minimal oversight.

Creating an ad using AI-powered design and voice generators, he warned, takes only minutes, making it difficult for regulators to identify the original perpetrators.

“The CBEX case is a painful reminder of what can happen when digital platforms are left unchecked,” Dr. Fadolapo said, explaining that the scheme purportedly defrauded unsuspecting Nigerians of nearly $2 trillion through slick, unregulated social media promotions.

He described how the CBEX promoters used AI-generated video testimonials, falsified financial statements, and cloned websites to entice victims with promises of triple-digit returns on cryptocurrency trades.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

Microsoft Sacks 300 Staff as Job Cut Hits 6,300

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Microsoft has laid off over 300 employees as part of a fresh round of job cuts.

Microsoft Sacks 300 Staff as Job Cut Hits 6,300

The latest layoffs, disclosed through a notice filed in Washington state, affected several hundred positions across various departments.

However, the tech company did not specify which units were impacted, the publication said.

Citing a notice, the report said a spokesperson for Microsoft described the move as a “recalibration” in response to shifting business priorities and a fast-changing tech landscape.

“We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” the spokesperson said.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

FG, UNICEF Partner to Train 20m Youths on Digital Skills

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday, said the Federal Government has renewed its strategic partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to train and empower 20 million young Nigerians with digital skills by 2030.

This is just as the Vice President has accepted to chair the board of Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA), a public-private-youth partnership platform constituted to help young Nigerians between the ages of 10 and 24 transition from learning to earning through digital connectivity.

Shettima, while speaking during a meeting with Mohammed Fall, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator; Rownak Khan, UNICEF Deputy Representative and Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of the UNICEF Lagos Field Office, at the President Villa, Abuja, warned that Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, currently estimated at over 230 million with an average age of 17, presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Shettima described his invitation to serve as Chair of the Generation Unlimited (GenU 9JA), as a great honour, adding that ” This platform provides a vista of opportunities for our young people. Beyond rhetoric, if we want to survive and thrive, we must empower our youth through digital means. That’s the only way forward,” the Vice President said.

The GenU 9JA initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises inclusive development, digital innovation, and youth empowerment as tools for national transformation.

Shettima stressed that Nigeria is not seeking handouts but sustainable, equitable partnerships. “We are not looking for charity. We want a mutually beneficial relationship—one based on respect and shared interests. This is why I’m very passionate about the digital initiative. Beyond leadership in our enlightened self-interest, if we want to live in this part of the world, we have to involve them, we have to empower them,” he said.

He described the initiative as a beautiful programme that would enable the Nigerian youths trade their skills in the global market, saying “from earning to learning is a beautiful initiative and more than any other platform, the digital space gives us the easiest window to get the youth engaged effortlessly.

“They can trade their skills in the global market. I know of a lot of young Nigerians who are working for global firms from the comfort of their homes,” he added.

Fall had in his remarks earlier, praised Nigeria’s leadership under President Bola Tinubu, noting that the GenU platform is central to addressing youth unemployment, educational inequality, and digital exclusion.

“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, youth-focused initiatives—skills, digital access, and employment—are critical. And GenU is helping to drive those priorities,” Fall said.

Also, Khan, in his remarks, revealed that the GenU 9JA is one of UNICEF’s most successful global youth empowerment programmes, with Nigeria showcased as a model.

“We’ve seen incredible results from Nigeria. Few countries globally have recorded the level of youth impact that GenU 9JA has achieved,” she said.

According to Khan, the programme is built on three pillars: digital connectivity, pathways from learning to earning, and youth engagement and empowerment—all designed to prepare Nigerian youth for today’s job market.

On her part, Celine Lafoucriere, noted that since its launch in 2022, GenU 9JA has impacted over 10 million young people, with 1,500 job linkages already secured.

“To reach our target of 20 million youth by 2030, we must now strengthen coordination among partners and align even more closely with national policy,” Lafoucriere said.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending