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Lil Kesh, Reminsce Storm FUTA with Etisalat Cliqfest

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It was fun and excitement at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) as Etisalat, most innovative telecommunications company in Nigeria, staged its special two-day Cliqfest programme. Etisalat Cliqfest which held at the university’s premises last weekend is a youth-centric, empowerment, and educative initiative that aims at boosting all-round development of the Nigerian youth.

Anchored by ‘king of humour’ and fast growing Comedian of the Federal Republic (CFR), Bashiru Ahmed Adekunle, the event witnessed performances from several sensations in the music industry such as Skales, Reminsce, Evelle, Lil Kesh, and Mo Easy.

Manager, Youth Segment at Etisalat Nigeria, Idiareno Atimomo, stated, “Etisalat is happy to bring fun and educative programmes to university students as it encourages young adults to connect with their peers and make them understand that the ability to succeed is available to anyone that believes. It is for this reason that Etisalat Nigeria is impacting students with the needed skills to prepare the Nigerian youth for the ever-dynamic world.”

Climaxing the event was the winning of a brand new car by Onoriukpe Timothy Efemena. A 100 level Mechanical Engineering student at FUTA, Efemena rode home a brand new Hyundai i10 car courtesy of Etisalat Nigeria.

An obviously excited Efemena, who had just resumed at the university as a fresher, commended the brand for giving him such a great opportunity. “Winning the highly coveted grand prize of a car is truly a dream come true for me and I am forever grateful to Etisalat for it,” he quipped.

During the course of the two day initiative, several students were rewarded with amazing prizes such as laptops, mobile phones, and other prizes.

It will be recalled that the maiden edition of the Etisalat Cliqfest held at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, on September 8, 2012. Since then the youth empowerment initiative has gone through several Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria, impacting on the lives of students.

                   

 


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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.

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Northern Broadcasters Sue Arewa 24, 7 Others over Licensing   

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Board of Trustees of the Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) has filed a lawsuit against the broadcast company Arewa 24 Limited and seven other entities, alleging they are operating without proper licenses.

Northern Broadcasters Sue Arewa 24, 7 Others over Licensing   

The case, set for hearing before Justice Omotosho at the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), lists the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), MIPAN, MultiChoice, StarTimes, and ADVAN as defendants.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Alhaji (Dr.) Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, chairman of the NBMOA Board of Trustees, highlighted concerns that the unlicensed operations of the defendants pose a threat to Nigeria’s established legal and competitive media landscape, impacting media owners and audiences nationwide.

Ramalan stated, “Our objective is to ensure a fair, regulated media environment in line with established broadcasting standards, while maintaining a commitment to the rule of law.”

The NBMOA affirmed its commitment to lawful broadcasting standards and noted that it would refrain from further public comments until the legal proceedings are concluded to respect the judicial process.

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s broadcasting industry are closely watching the case, as its outcome could have significant implications for media regulation and licensing across the country


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Africa’s AI Transformation: Unlocking Potential and Driving Progress

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By Matt Brittin, President of Google Europe, the Middle East and Africa

AI has the potential to drive progress and prosperity across the world. But nowhere is this more apparent than on the African continent. The next decade is set to be Africa’s digital decade – with emerging technologies like AI and the Cloud set to significantly accelerate the continent’s development, and over half the population accessing the Internet for the first time. Simply, AI presents an opportunity too significant to ignore for Africa.

Google is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, but we’re prouder still of those driving this change. Across the region, African entrepreneurs, nonprofits and organisations are using innovation to solve complex challenges.

Earlier this week I visited Jacaranda Health in Nairobi, who are working to reduce Kenya’s high maternal death rate by using AI to ensure expectant and new moms get the care and information they need. Then there was AirQo, tackling the huge public health problem that is pollution by using AI to track and predict pollution – including in Lagos city.

And in the past few days, I’ve been fortunate enough to explore Nigeria with our Nigerian-born Head of Google Africa, Alex Okosi, and our wonderful local team of Nigerian experts. We’ve had inspiring conversations with business leaders already at the forefront of their industries and explored how to leverage the power of AI to scale their businesses. We also engaged with startups like Towntalk, Farmspeak, and BetaLife, who are using AI to solve some of Nigeria’s biggest challenges.

But AI’s opportunity can only be realised when everyone is included. This week, to help unlock the benefits of the digital economy to everyone, our Speech team in partnership with Google researchers in Accra, launched Voice Search, talk-to-type and voice input on Translate for 15 more African languages – enabling 300 million more Africans the freedom to interact with the web and communicate with their friends and family in the way that comes most naturally to many people: their voice. This includes Nigerian native languages Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin, and is another great example of AI built with Africans for Africans.

We believe AI has a pivotal role to play in developing Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. For Africa to fulfil its potential as an AI leader, we need to invest in the skills and knowledge base of local talent. That’s why we’ve backed several initiatives to boost AI skills among developers, individuals and businesses in Nigeria and beyond.

Our Google Career Certificates are enabling Nigerians to develop work-readiness in skills like AI, cybersecurity, digital marketing and programming languages like Python and SQL. Meanwhile, skills-based initiatives like our Hustle Academy provide AI-focused training for small and medium-sized businesses in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

And this week, we’ve announced an additional $5.8 million in funding to support foundational AI and cybersecurity training across these countries. That includes $1.5 million for Data Science Nigeria, who will train unemployed and at risk Nigerians in foundational digital and technology – while Raspberry Pi will also work with Data Science Nigeria to roll out AI literacy for Kenyan and Nigerian youth.

To further inspire the next generation, we are launching a program to train 25,000 educators, equipping them with the knowledge and resources to bring AI education to 125,000 students across Nigeria. By fostering an understanding of AI’s potential among young people, we can inspire them toward sustainable future jobs and empower them to shape a better future for themselves and their communities.

This progress is underpinned by infrastructure. In late 2022, our Equiano subsea fibre-optic cable launched in Lagos – providing a new generation of Nigerians with greater connectivity to expand their horizons. Technology alone is not the answer to everything, but it can provide the foundation that enables the next generation of African businesses to thrive. Ultimately, technology is the means by which we can improve lives.

If we measure this progress numerically, AI is a bet worth taking. For every $1 invested in Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital economy, we can generate $2 in economic value by 2030. For some nations, like Nigeria, the growth will be even greater, with an $8 return for every $1 invested.

But beyond the numbers are the stories of the lives we can transform. For every student at the start of their journey, or the budding entrepreneur with a great idea, investment truly matters. We can empower individuals with the knowledge to understand the digital tools at their fingertips. And just as importantly, we can inspire a mindset shift – a renewed belief in the power of education and skills to shape a better future.

We’re proud to have seen this development up close. Our commitment to the digital transformation of the continent began in 2007 with the opening of our first office in Nairobi, Kenya, where we later announced the launch of our Product Development Center in 2022. And in 2018, we opened an AI research centre in Accra, Ghana, where our teams on the ground explore how AI can be used to solve problems in Africa and beyond.

Collaboration is key, and we’ve worked to foster partnerships and develop programmes with institutions and innovators across Africa. By enabling governments and businesses to integrate technologies like AI into the way they operate, we believe we can improve efficiency and bridge divides.

But this is not just a Google story – it’s a true African success story in the making. AI is not something to be imposed on Africa from the top-down, but rather, built from the bottom-up. It’s about collaboration, partnerships, and putting local entrepreneurial talent in the driving seat.

The task now is to ensure that all Africans benefit from these technological breakthroughs – and to use AI responsibly and equitably. Africa is no stranger to leveraging technology for the greater good. African innovators have pioneered technology like mobile money systems – starting with M-Pesa in Kenya – that have influenced financial inclusion and the way the world does business.

So there is nowhere better placed than Africa to ensure the future of AI is in good hands. And if we succeed, it’s not just Africa that will benefit – but the whole world.


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Fire Razes 3 Radio Stations in Abia

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Three radio stations lost their electronic broadcasting equipment worth millions on Saturday night in Aba, Abia state, when they were gutted by fire.

Fire Razes 3 Radio Stations in Abia

The affected radio stations were Enyimba 94.3 FM, Rose 101.9 FM and Legend 98.3 FM which were all located in the same building located o on the PZ axis of Aba-Owerri Road.

But for the intervention of the officials of the Abia State Fire Service, the fire may have spread to other buildings within the vicinity.

No life was lost in the raging inferno.

According to The Nation, a personnel of the Abia State Fire Service, who pleaded anonymity, called on owners of big factories and companies to procure fire extinguishers and hydrants to help assist manage and attack fire during such incident.


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