Telecom
UNN Set to Host Maiden Edition of National Innovation Summit

University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has announced that it’s organizing National Innovation Summit tagged “Venture Cup Nigeria” aimed to stimulate students of tertiary institutions to start thinking of innovation and entrepreneurship as the way to go in the wake of the fourth industrial revolution.
Dr. Jude Chukwu, Director of Innovation, University of Nigeria, stated this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, in Lagos.
According to the statement, “University of Nigeria Nsukka has become a model university in setting the pace in technological innovation in Nigeria having established the first university-based Science Park ‘Lion Science Park’; the first university-based incubator hub, ‘Roar Nigeria Hub’ and the first university-based laptop assembly line, ‘Lion Gadgets and Technologies Ltd’”.
The National Innovation Summit which will hold at the campus of University of Nigeria Nsukka from 6th to 8th of June, 2019, is first-ever university-led competition for start-ups.
The start-up competition will guarantee seed funding of various amounts to be won as prizes at regional and national levels.
Winner at the Grand finale takes home an equity free funding of One Million Naira (N1,000,000); while the first runner-up and second runner-up will win Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000) and Three Hundred Naira (N300,000) respectively.
At the (six) geopolitical zonal levels: winners, first runners-up and second runners-up will go home with Three Hundred Thousand Naira (N300,000), One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000) and One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000) respectively.
Professor Benjamin C. Ozumba, Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka and Chairman Board of Directors, Lion Science Park, stated that the major goal of the Venture Cup Nigeria competition is to stimulate students of tertiary institutions to begin to think innovation and entrepreneurship as the way to go and to be competitive in the wake of the fourth industrial revolution.
He added that the prizes are to support student-led innovative ideas to takeoff. This will aid easy identification of promising startups for innovation across the tertiary institutions in Nigeria”, he stated.
Chinwe Okoli, Manager, Lion Science Park, announced that “the competition is open to innovative ideas from all sectors and for students from all higher institutions in Nigeria.
“However, the best ideas for this competition need to be technology-enabled. This is to encourage the use of technology in providing innovative solutions.
Commenting on the Lion Science Park Marathon, she stated that Run to innovate is a symbolic exercise to clear our heads and unleash the energy for big innovative ideas. It will hold in Nsukka.
“Join the race for the future! The Run to Innovate Marathon also have prizes to be won – fifty thousand naira (N50,000); Thirty Thousand naira (N30,000) and Twenty thousand naira (N20,000) for the first, second and third positions respectively. There will be lots of consolation prizes as well”.
Dr. Jude Chukwu, Director of Innovation, University of Nigeria, further revealed that the 2019 UNN-National Innovation Summit theme is‘Catching-up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution:
The Role of Innovation’ aims to inspire and facilitate dialogue on the smart, safe, sustainable and innovative ways of ensuring a paradigm shift to a knowledge-based, collaborative and entrepreneurial economy as the country prepares for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Innovation Summit will play host to policy makers, top entrepreneurs, student entrepreneurs, government representatives, MDAs, innovation hubs and accelerators, innovation networks, business moguls, angel investors, international organizations, donor agencies, researchers/academics, innovators, inventors, start-ups etc.
The application for the first ever Venture Cup Competition closes on 15th May, 2019. To apply, visithttp://bit.ly/VentureCupNg
For Lion Science Park Marathon, apply via the link http://bit.ly/LionScienceParkMarathon
Register to attend the summit: http://bit.ly/UNNInnovationSummit
Telecom
US Bans Use of WhatsApp on Official Devices over Security Concerns

United States (US) House of Representatives has banned WhatsApp from all official devices as a result of data privacy and security concerns.
Harry Coker, acting national cyber security (ONCD) Director confirmed this via a statement issued on Monday, June 23 stating that WhatsApp’s high risk classification is attributed to the messaging app’s ambiguous data protection policies, inadequate encryption for stored data, and other potential security vulnerabilities.
He stated that staff have since been advised to utilize more secure communication platforms, with recommended alternatives including Microsoft Teams, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, Signal, and Amazon’s Wickr.
However, Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs for Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has strongly opposed the ban.
He said, “We disagree with this decision in the strongest possible terms, whatsApp provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps.”
This ban on WhatsApp is not an isolated incident, it follows previous restrictions on other applications, such as TikTok, which was removed from government devices in 2022.
The decision also comes just months after WhatsApp itself confirmed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted some of its users, including journalists and civil society figures.
Telecom
MTN Nigeria Receives UN Women Award for Empowering Women Nationwide

MTN Foundation has received accolades from UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The recognition, presented during a profile courtesy visit by UN Women representatives to MTN Nigeria’s Head Office in Ikoyi, Lagos, acknowledged the Organisation’s profound contributions to advancing women’s empowerment across the nation.
The UN Women delegation, led by Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, commended MTN and its Foundation for their unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive society where women thrive.
During the presentation, Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, expressed profound admiration for MTN’s efforts. “I want to congratulate MTN for all that they have been doing,” Eyong stated, her voice resonating with appreciation. “And I want to congratulate MTN Foundation specifically, because they are leaving things better than they met them especially with their Mother and Child Initiatives.” Her remarks highlighted MTN’s focused impact, suggesting a significant improvement in the landscape of women’s empowerment due to the company’s interventions.
Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, received the award and further elaborated on the company’s broader commitment to societal upliftment through women’s empowerment. ” Our Y’ellopreneur program targeted at Female entrepreneurs is about creating access for our Female Entrepreneurs – access to skills, capital and markets. Our commitment is to contribute to the success of women – led businesses in Nigeria.
This focus on economic empowerment through skills development directly benefits women seeking to improve their livelihoods. This recognition comes as MTN Nigeria continues to champion various programmes aimed at uplifting women, from promoting gender diversity within its corporate structure to supporting women-led businesses and initiatives.
The company’s alignment with global best practices, including its recent signing on to the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs), further solidifies its position as a leader in corporate social responsibility and gender equality advocacy.
The award serves as a testament to MTN Nigeria’s strategic and impactful investments in creating a more equitable future for Nigerian women.
Telecom
15 African Startups Using AI Selected for Google Accelerator Cohort 9

Google today announced the selection of 15 promising tech startups for its Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 program. These innovative startups, hailing from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address significant challenges across diverse sectors, including fintech, agritech, healthtech, and professional services.
In an era where startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across Africa, these innovators often face significant hurdles to scale their operations, particularly in securing essential support, mentorship, and funding. Programs like the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa play a crucial role in providing these opportunities, enabling tech founders and innovators to amplify their impact. By bringing together Google’s extensive resources, including cutting-edge AI technologies and a global network of experts, the program aims to equip these startups to not only thrive but also lead in addressing both local and global challenges in this AI era.
The selection follows a highly competitive application process that began in April 2025 , drawing nearly 1,500 applications from across the continent. This cohort underscores Google’s deep commitment to fostering Africa’s vibrant tech ecosystem and supporting startups in their growth journey.
“African startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across the continent, and their work with AI is truly transformative,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google. “This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply. We are incredibly excited to support these founders who are building for impact and helping to shape an inclusive AI ecosystem across Africa.”
Over the next three months, the selected startups will participate in a hybrid accelerator program (June 23rd to August 22nd, 2025). Participants will receive dedicated technical mentorship from experienced Google engineers and industry experts , up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits , and strategic support in AI implementation, product leadership, and business growth. They will also gain access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators, amplifying their reach and impact.
Since its inception in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 153 startups from 17 African countries. Collectively, these alumni have raised over $300 million in funding and created more than 3,500 jobs. Google has directly contributed $5 million through a combination of equity-free funding and product credits to support these founders.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 cohort includes:
AFRIKABAL (Rwanda): A blockchain and AI-powered platform helping farmers, buyers, and logistics firms trade crops securely and transparently.
Apexloads (Kenya): A logistics SaaS platform helping African freight brokers, forwarders, and transporters move cargo faster with verified partners.
E-doc Online (Nigeria): Simplifies compliance and credit checks by analyzing real-time banking data, enabling faster onboarding and smarter lending decisions.
GoNomad (Nigeria): Enables businesses to start and run global entities, and solopreneurs to professionally invoice and get paid globally like a local.
Midddleman (Nigeria): An intelligent sourcing and payment platform helping African businesses import and pay for goods from China faster, safer, and cheaper.
Myltura (Nigeria): An AI-powered digital health platform enabling remote care, test access, and seamless health data management in Africa.
Pastel (Nigeria): Offers Enterprise AI solutions, inc. AI based fraud detection and anti-money laundering solutions to financial institutions in Africa.
Rapid Human AI (South Africa): An end-to-end AI design-thinking platform that turns ideas into code in days, cutting development time by 80%.
Regulon (Ghana): An AI-powered compliance and onboarding platform designed to simplify regulatory processes for businesses across Africa and the EMEA region.
Scandium (Nigeria): An AI Quality Assurance suite that helps teams ship bug-free software faster with end-to-end test automation and test ops tooling.
Shamba Records (Kenya): An AI-powered platform that empowers 50,000+ African farmers with smart credit, market access, and climate-resilient, data-driven agriculture.
Smartel Agri Tech (Rwanda): Helps smallholder farmers in the Global South get ahead of crop pests and diseases early using AI-powered, solar-driven devices and SMS alerts.
TOLBI (Senegal): Leverages AI and satellite imagery to empower sustainable agriculture across Africa, providing precise crop yield forecasts.
YeneHealth (Ethiopia): An AI-driven digital health web, and mobile app streamlining access to affordable, reliable, quality medications & health care services.
Zerone Analytiqs (Ghana): A transformative two-pronged solution to the data scarcity in Africa, We are revolutionizing how data is sourced, analyzed, and utilized for decisions.
For further information and updates, visit the Google Africa Blog or follow @GoogleAfrica on social media.
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