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“Every May, we commemorate Africa Month, marking a time when the colours of African heritage and the bright promise of its future are brought to the forefront through vibrant celebrations. This year, we're thrilled to partner with the African Union to amplify these celebrations, inviting the world to #DiscoverMyAfrica through the power of YouTube Shorts,” Google reveals
“The #DiscoverMyAfrica Challenge is part of the African Union’s collaborative effort in driving innovation through strategic partnership with Google, through the Office of the Youth Envoy, Make Africa Digital (MAD) initiative,” an AU release, dated May 2, states.
This initiative celebrates Africa's diversity and heritage, empowering youth to share their stories globally. The challenge covers various aspects of African life, including music, art, food, fashion, and landmarks.
Hikmatu Bilali
The Agency for Information Systems and Digital (ASIN) announced on Tuesday, April 30, it is hosting an Artificial Intelligence hackathon from May 13th to 16th, 2024. Participants can join virtually or attend in person at the Palais des Congrès in Cotonou.
BongoHive, Zambia’s leading innovation and technology hub, in collaboration with the German Cooperation (GIZ) and Zanga African Metrics, a Zambian firm, has recently unveiled the FIT4Mentorship program. This initiative is specifically designed for African women in the ICT sector. The program aims to bring about substantial transformations in the industry by offering mentorship, networking opportunities, and capacity-building for women. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by May 31.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Prime Minister, Beugré Mambé, recently advocated for responsible use of social media. During the conference of the French-speaking regulators' network, REFRAM, and the African Communication Regulation Authorities Network, ACRAN, on Tuesday, April 23, he called on these networks to protect digital platforms from toxic content and to strengthen regulation to ensure a healthy online environment. He also emphasized the importance of dialogue in promoting responsible digital usage.
On Wednesday, April 17, Dr. Batakao Grégoire, advisor to Chad's Ministry of Public Health and Prevention, initiated a workshop to develop the National Digital Health Strategy Plan for Chad. This plan will serve as the primary reference for all actions and developments related to digital health in Chad, aiming for its effective implementation at the national level.
The Future World team emerged as the champions of the inaugural First Lego League, which took place on Saturday, April 13, at Sèmè City Open Park in Cotonou, Benin. The competition, a collaborative effort between Sèmè City and STEM Inspires, was themed “Quand l'art et la technologie se rencontrent (When Art and Technology Meet).”
The event offered a platform for young individuals aged 9 to 16, divided into various teams, to explore and apply concepts from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through an engaging and educational robotics program. In addition to winning the best team award, Future World also took home the prize for the best team with the most innovative project. The "Design du Robot," "Match de Robot," and "Valeurs fondamentales" awards were won by the Tech BoT Warriors, Dixitbot Squad, and Agodjié, respectively.
AfriLabs, in collaboration with Intel Corporation and Prosper Africa, recently announced the launch of the Intel Community Reach program. The initiative aims to support tech players who leverage artificial intelligence or high-speed connectivity to catalyze social change in Africa. Interested organizations, companies, startups, SMEs, and institutions can submit their applications before June 7.
On Wednesday 10 April, Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lemogang Kwape, and France's Secretary of State for Development and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, signed a partnership declaration dubbed the "𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒆".
The declaration outlines the primary areas of cooperation where Botswana and France aim to bolster their partnership. These areas include digital entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, and tourism.
The African Union, in collaboration with the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ) and AfriLabs, a pan-African innovation-centric organization, has launched a fellowship program centered on the digital and innovation. The program seeks to enlist 16 individuals who will be assigned to various departments or organizations within the African Union. Their task will be to pinpoint key sectors that could benefit from enhancements in digitalization, technology, and innovation. Applications are open until April 27.
On April 2, Mauritania’s Minister for Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Modernisation of the Administration, Mohamed Abdallah Ould Louly, met with Leila Peters Yahya, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Mauritania. The meeting, held in Nouakchott, centered on exploring opportunities to enhance cooperation, particularly in digitization.
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On March 21 in Porto-Novo, Louis Vlavonou, the President of Benin's National Assembly, met with Ouanilo Medegan Fagla, the Director General of the Centre national d'investigations numériques (CNIN). Fagla noted the dynamic nature of the National Assembly and the urgent need for digitization. In response to the clear intent of the President of the National Assembly, Fagla expressed CNIN's readiness to support the digital transformation underway at the national assembly, while upholding the principles of digital security integral to this transformation.
Côte d'Ivoire's Telecommunications/ICT Regulatory Authority (Artci) has issued a warning to US-based Starlink, prohibiting the satellite internet provider from operating in the country without due approval, according to a release issued on Tuesday. This follows last week's internet disruptions in several West and Central African nations, caused by damage to the WACS, MainOne, ACE, and SAT3 submarine cables.
Zone, a Nigerian fintech company specializing in blockchain-based payment processing, announced the completion of an $8.5 million funding round on Monday.
"With the support of our new investors, we will enhance our technology, launch new use-cases and expand our network coverage. We will also complete preparations to conduct a comprehensive pilot program to test our cross-border capabilities in 2025. This will further solidify our position as a pioneer in decentralized payment infrastructure for Africa," the startup said.
Moroccan e-commerce startup ORA Technologies secured $1.5 million in a seed funding round led by local entrepreneurs, the company announced on Wednesday. ORA Technologies plans to use the funds to further develop its technology, launch a digital wallet, and accelerate growth.