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YouTube Announces Black Voices Fund for Nigerian Artists and Creators
YouTube has announced that artists and creators from Nigeria can now apply for grants from its Black Voices Fund.
The global $100m fund will, over the next three years, offer support to Black artists and creators so that they can thrive on YouTube.
According to Alex Okosi, managing director, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA, The Black Voices Fund, will invest with the intention to “present fresh narratives that emphasise the intellectual power, authenticity, dignity and joy of Black voices, as well as to educate audiences about racial justice”.
The $100m fund was first announced in June. It has since been officially named the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund.
This year, says Okosi, the fund will be focusing its efforts on creators within the US, Brazil and Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
“Our goal is to expand funding to more countries over the course of the next three years.
“Additionally, we hope to provide a consistent drumbeat of educational training, workshops, and community events to Black creators and artists globally.”
The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund is part of the work currently underway to ensure that YouTube is a place where Black artists, creators and users can share their stories and be protected.
“Along with our commitment to amplifying marginalised voices on the content side, we are also investing in product and policy changes that will continue to advance YouTube’s mission of giving everyone a voice and showing them the world,” Okosi added.
YouTube believes that it is only by taking a stand against those who would try to bully, harass, silence and intimidate others that it truly moves closer to achieving this mission.
Its new efforts include ramping up enforcement and terminating more accounts that repeatedly post hateful comments.
It is also in the process of rolling out product changes to make creator moderation tools more streamlined.
Interested artists and creators can apply for funding here.
MTN Champs Season 3 Lagos Continental Relays concluded on April 12, 2025, with a vibrant closing ceremony at the Yabatech Sports Complex.
This event marked a historic moment in Nigerian athletics, featuring the debut of the Olympics-approved mixed relays and showcasing exceptional talent across various track and field events.
The final day was a blend of intense competition and entertainment, drawing families, friends, and MTN Nigeria staff to the stands. Guests enjoyed music, games, and the much-anticipated MTN Staff Relays, where teams from different departments competed for medals and bragging rights. The Innovators emerged victorious, clinching gold in both male and female categories.
MTN executives also joined the fun, participating in 50m sprints and emphasizing the importance of physical activity. Chief Human Resources Officer, Esther Akinnukawe, highlighted the company’s Go M.A.D (Make A Difference) campaign, encouraging individuals to stay active and impactful in their fields.
The Lagos Continental Relays attracted over 2,500 entries from 155 schools, with participants competing in four age categories: Cadet (U-14), Youth (U-17), Junior (U-20), and Senior. The event not only celebrated athletic excellence but also reinforced MTN’s commitment to nurturing future Olympians and building a legacy of sports development in Nigeria.
Season 3 of MTN Champs continues with the grand finale scheduled to take place in Uyo at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium from April 30 to May 3.
MTN Group, Africa’s leading telecommunications provider, has joined forces with Meta to improve the quality and reliability of voice and video calls on real-time calling applications such as WhatsApp across 12 MTN markets.
The collaboration, which began at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, focuses on optimizing application-aware networks and network-aware applications to deliver a seamless and high-quality user experience. By leveraging data analytics and conducting comprehensive testing, MTN and Meta have successfully developed solutions that enhance the interaction between mobile networks and real-time calling applications.
Nigeria, MTN’s largest market, was the first to implement these enhancements. Early results indicate a remarkable 50% improvement in key performance indicators (KPIs), significantly enhancing the user experience for MTN Nigeria mobile users.
“This implementation further demonstrates our commitment to enhancing our customers’ digital experience.
“We’re pleased with the remarkable improvement in our real-time communication services, reflecting our commitment to innovative customer solutions,” said Yahaya Ibrahim, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at MTN Nigeria.
Diego Marí, Head of Network Ecosystems Engineering at Meta, added, “The collaboration allows us to deploy advanced solutions for an unparalleled real-time experience in Nigeria and showcases our dedication to elevating service quality and improving user experience, while striving for continued efficiency in traffic delivery.”
The partnership underscores MTN and Meta’s shared vision of delivering cutting-edge solutions to enhance digital communication across Africa.
Rack Centre, West Africa’s premier Tier III carrier and cloud-neutral data centre, has unveiled its state-of-the-art 12MW IT Load Data Centre, the LGS2, in Lagos, Nigeria.
This innovative facility is set to redefine the digital landscape of Nigeria, offering unparalleled infrastructure, scalability, and reliability.
Speaking at the official commissioning on April 10, 2025, Rack Centre’s Chairman, Maher Jarmakani, emphasized the company’s dedication to innovation and sustainability.
He highlighted the LGS2 facility’s role in providing uninterrupted, energy-efficient solutions for enterprises, cloud providers, and financial institutions, reinforcing Rack Centre’s pivotal role in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“This facility exemplifies our commitment to powering the nation’s digital future,” Jarmakani stated.
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Sam Egube, praised the milestone during his keynote address.
He described the LGS2 facility as a cornerstone in Lagos’s journey toward becoming a globally competitive digital hub.
Sanwo-Olu also commended Rack Centre for prioritizing sustainability and energy efficiency in the centre’s design.
Rack Centre’s CEO, Lars Johannisson, expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for fostering an enabling environment to support the company’s vision.
Johannisson described the facility as a symbol of Nigeria’s commitment to cutting-edge technology, sustainable digitisation, and artificial intelligence.
He noted that with the LGS2 operational, Rack Centre’s data centre capacity would increase eightfold, solidifying its leadership in sub-Saharan Africa’s digital infrastructure space.
As a key player in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, Rack Centre continues to connect people, businesses, and ideas, driving technological progress and cementing its legacy as a trailblazer in Africa’s digital economy.
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