General News
GE Set to Announce Winners in Off-Grid Energy Challenge
General Electric and the United States Africa Development Agency (USADF) are set to announce winners in their Off-Grid Energy Challenge which was recently kicked-off in Kenya and Nigeria.
Entries have closed and the judging process has started, which will culminate in the announcement of this year’s winners from both countries.
Over the next 3 years, not less than 20 individuals and indigenous African companies who come up with innovative solutions that address the Energy challenges of African communities and businesses stand a chance of winning up to $100,000 in grants to support their initiatives.
The judges will be looking out for off-grid energy solutions that have created innovative approaches to metering, payment, collections, or transmission. They will also look out for entries that deliver sustainable energy to underserved marginal populations without degrading the environment.
The Off-Grid Energy challenge is the initiative of global infrastructure giants, General Electric (GE) and the United States Africa Development Agency (USADF).
The initiative rides on the back of the Power Africa initiative announced by President Barack Obama during his recent visit to Africa.
The Power Africa initiative seeks to drive growth in Africa by increasing access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable power and by helping to ensure responsible, transparent and effective management of energy resources on the continent.
Jay Ireland, President and CEO, GE Africa, said he is excited that the Off-Grid Energy challenge is generating increased awareness about the plight of communities that are either underserved by the national grid or are not connected at all. He said, “we have no doubt that great solutions will emerge from this initiative, which will ultimately provide some insight to how to tackle some of the off-grid energy challenges in Africa”.
On her part Shari Berenbach, President and CEO of USADF said the initiative will help leverage more marginalized and underserved communities into positions where they can engage in and benefit from inclusive economic growth. She said over the last 30 years, the USADF has championed initiatives that have contributed in catalyzing Africans out of poverty.
“We are proud to be in partnership with GE on this initiative, which clearly resonates with everything that USADF stands for,” said Shari Berenbach.
Winning entries are scheduled to be announced on November 21 at a grand event in Lagos, Nigeria.
General News
Nigeria Recovers $52.88m in Assets Linked to Former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke
Federal government has received $52.88m recovered Galactica assets linked to a former Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison-Madueke from the USA.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi disclosed this at the formal signing ceremony of the asset agreement between Nigeria and the United States of America in Abuja on Friday, January 10.
While speaking at the ceremony, Fagbemi explained that $50m of the recovered assets will be deployed through the World Bank to the development of the rural electrification project and the remaining $2m will be deployed to the International Institute of Justice to expand the Justice system and also counter corruption.
Speaking further, Fagbemi noted that the asset return marks a milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in combating corruption and upholding the rule of law
He said the event is also a significant effort by President Bola Tinubu to address the issue of corruption.
Meanwhile, in his remarks, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills called for the monitoring and effectively utilizing the recovered assets by the Ministry of Justice to benefit Nigerians.
Diezani served as Minister under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
General News
TikTok Announces Plans to Cease Operations in the U.S. by January 19, 2025
TikTok has officially announced plans to cease its operations in the United States by January 19, 2025.
“Absent such relief, the Act will take effect on January 19, 2025,” TikTok said in a Dec. 9 legal filing. “That would shut down TikTok—one of the Nation’s most popular speech platforms for its more than 170 million domestic monthly users on the eve of a presidential inauguration.”
Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law, a legislation to remove TikTok from U.S. app stores and prohibit internet providers across the nation from allowing access to the platform if ByteDance cannot sell to an American company by Jan. 19.
The legislation was put in place amid concerns of China possibly using TikTok to spy on U.S. residents.
In response, TikTok filed an emergency motion for an injunction to stop the ban from taking effect, arguing that it violates the First Amendment and will generate “substantial losses,” per legal documents.
The Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 over whether or not the law should be upheld.
Meanwhile, several entrepreneurs have launched a bid to purchase TikTok, including Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary.
“This isn’t just about buying TikTok’s U.S. assets,” he wrote in a Jan. 6 message on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s about something much bigger: protecting the privacy of 170 million American users.”
O’Leary continued, “It’s about empowering creators and small businesses. And it’s about building a platform that prioritizes PEOPLE over algorithms. TikTok has immense potential, not just as a tool for creators but as a driver of meaningful economic and social impact.”
However, O’Leary said he’ll likely need an assist from President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn into office on Jan. 20.
“Trump will be who we have to work with to close the deal in the months ahead,” he explained during a Jan. 6 appearance on Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum, per The Wrap. “So, I wanted to let him know—as well as others in his cabinet—that we’re doing this, and we’re going to need their help.”
General News
Transform Your Health with QNET’s BELITE 123: The Ultimate Weight Management Solution
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