Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) through The Directorate of Centre for Research, Innovation, and Discovery (LAUCRID) has announced the LAUTECH Innovation Challenge 2021 for Students.

Categories:
Agriculture: – Priorities:
Farmer and food security: Solution to herdsmen attack
Smart farming: Solution to food security

Renewable Energy:- Priorities:
Solar Energy
Biogas, biodiesel, Bioethanol etc.
Bioelectricity.

Security:- Priority:
Kidnappings

Health

Education...


https://www.techawkng.com/2021/05/06/apply-lautech-innovation-challenge-2021/

Facebook is inviting community leaders from South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria to apply for the 2021 Facebook Community Accelerator Programme.

The programme offers participants training, mentorship and up to $50,000 in funds to invest in an initiative that extends their community’s positive impact.

The aim of the community accelerator is to help leaders of Facebook communities to harness the power of their community to turn ideas into action. The selected leaders will spend five months learning from experts, coaches and a customised curriculum so they can strengthen their community...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/05/05/apply-50000-facebook-community-accelerator-programme-2021/

The Federal Government has extended the deadline for the linkage of the National Identification Number (NIN) and subscriber identity module (SIM) for the 5th time. The latest deadline falls on June 30. The extension is coming two days before the May 6 expiration date last declared by the government.

January 19 was the first deadline, but it was moved to February 9, April 6, May 6, and now June 30.

The June 30 deadline was announced via a statement jointly signed by Ikechukwu Adinde, director of public affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Kayode Adegoke, head of corporate communications at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/05/04/fg-extends-nin-sim-linkage-deadline-for-the-fifth-time/

Bill and Melinda Gates have divorced after 27-years of marriage. The split of the Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, and his wife was announced in a joint statement posted on their official Twitter accounts. They have a joint fortune estimated at $130 billion.



The statement reads: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.

“Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” they wrote...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/05/04/after-announcing-divorce-social-media-users-ask-bill-gates-and-jeff-bezos-to-get-married/

MTN Nigeria lost 5 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2021. The telecom giant ended the 1st quarter of 2021 with 71.5 million compared to N76.5 million in the final quarter of 2020. All these and more were disclosed in MTN’s unaudited financial statements.

Additionally, active data users declined by 71,000 to 32.5 million during the same quarter. MTN blames the decline on a series of regulatory restrictions on new SIM sales and activations...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/05/03/mtn-nigeria-loses-5m-subscribers-in-1st-quarter-ended-31-march-2021/

Microsoft has partnered with the Federal Government of Nigeria to introduce several projects aimed at intensifying the nation’s move to become a more digital economy.

After extensive consultations with the government, Microsoft identified three key pillars that will help to build strong foundations for a digital economy in Nigeria: connectivity, skilling and digital transformation.

Research points to internet penetration in Nigeria of around 50 percent and while the pandemic has increased the pace of digitisation, much needs to be done to empower all citizens to take advantage of the opportunities of a digital economy...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/05/03/microsoft-partners-fg-to-fight-corruption-provide-high-speed-internet-and-digital-skills-to-five-million-nigerians/

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has wielded its regulatory big stick on First Bank of Nigeria, by removing all directors of FBN Limited and FBN Holdings Plc. The apex bank also announced the reinstatement of Sola Adeduntan who was sacked by the bank’s board and replaced with Gbenga Shobo.

The CBN revealed the sweeping changes at a press conference addressed by its Governor, Godwin Emefiele on Thursday. He stated that the bank has been afflicted by “bad credit decisions, significant and non-performing insider loans and poor corporate governance practices” over the years...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/29/cbn-removes-ibukun-awosika-other-first-bank-board-of-directors-reinstates-sola-adeduntan-as-md/

Most Nigerians want to use high-end smartphones like iPhone and Samsung. However, your bank account shouts and says a big NO to you. What do you do? Well, there are budget phones out there that are inexpensive and affordable. The features are good enough to perform the expected functions of a smartphone.


Lenovo A1000

The Lenovo A1000 specs feature a 4.00-inch touch screen display with a screen resolution of 480 pixels by 800 pixels at a PPI of 233 pixels per inch density. Though it is powered by 1.3GHz Quad-core Spreadtrum SC7731 processor and a 2000mAh battery, it also comes with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory which also supports up to 32GB by means of a microSD card. While the Lenovo A1000 smartphone is equipped with a 5 megapixels primary camera located at the rear of the smartphone, its secondary front-facing camera for selfies packs 0.3 megapixels. A1000 by Lenovo is a dual SIM smartphone. For connectivity, it has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3G. Price: ₦20,000.

Itel S11

Itel S11 is a low-end device perfect for users who are using a phone for the first time. It offers modest features with a 5-inch IPS display that offers 480 x 854 pixels resolution and 5 megapixels cameras on the front and back. Despite its modest specs, the Itel S11 offers a premium look and feel with its metal back cover. 8GB Storage, up to 32GB memory card support. Additionally, it has 5MP Rear Camera and 5MP Front Camera, Dual Micro SIM, 3G, and 2400 mAh Li-ion Battery. The range of Itel S11 is from ₦25,000 Naira to ₦35,000.

Motorola Moto C

The Motorola Moto C is a smartphone launched on May 16, 2017. It features a 5.0-inch screen, quad-core processor, and Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. It also has a 5 Megapixel camera, 4G connectivity and a 2350mAh battery. The RAM is 1GB and has 16GB of storage. Price: It is ₦24,000 while the 4G-enabled version is close to ₦32,000...


https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/29/best-budget-smartphones-in-nigeria-2021/

Google for Startups Accelerator Africa is a three-month accelerator program for seed to series A technology startups across the African continent.

The Google for Startup Accelerator is designed to bring the best of Google’s programs, products, people and technology to startups that leverage machine learning and AI in their company today or plan to in the future.

In addition to mentorship and technical project support, the accelerator also includes deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development for founders, specialized training, media opportunities, and access to Google’s network of engineers and experts.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/29/apply-google-for-startups-accelerator-africa-6th-cohort/

Jumia has announced the appointment of Tolulope George-Yanwah as Ghana’s new Chief Executive Officer. She takes over the leadership mantle from former CEO, Diana Owusu-Kyereko.

Previously, Tolulope was the Country Manager for Jumia Logistics in Nigeria from February 2017 to January 2021 and has served the company in other capacities since 2013.

“It is an honor to take up this very distinguished leadership role and to be part of Jumia’s journey in transforming Africa through e-commerce. I look forward to growing the industry with the team in Ghana. I believe that my love and passion for eCommerce coupled with my experience in the field of logistics will propel us to greater heights...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/28/tolulope-george-yanwah-appointed-new-jumia-ghana-ceo/

MultiChoice Nigeria has unveiled fintech startups Abeg and Patricia as sponsors for Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) season 6. While Abeg is the headline sponsor, Patricia is the associate sponsor of one of Nigeria’s popular reality shows...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/28/multichoice-unveils-fintech-startups-abeg-patricia-as-sponsors-of-bbnaija-season-6/

Nigeria’s fast-growing tech ecosystem now features venture capitalist firms that are continuously in search of innovative and scalable startups to back and support.

This was not the case in the past when the turf was dominated by foreign investors interested in Nigeria. The biggest economy in Africa now has a list of viable venture capitalist companies that can hold their own.

Investopedia defines Venture Capital as a form of private equity and a type of financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses that are believed to have long-term growth potential...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/27/top-venture-capitalist-firms-in-nigeria/

Autochek has partnered with Mono, a Nigerian API fintech startup, to make it easier and seamless to verify vehicle loan applicants.

According to a press statement, the teamwork will enable Autochek to access the creditworthiness of users and help determine the type of vehicles that users could buy and layout affordable, monthly installments.

How does the Autochek-Mono partnership work?

1. Users make the loan request and are asked to link their bank accounts to get their account statement
2. Users link their accounts by entering their bank username and password on the Mono widget...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/27/autochek-partners-with-mono-to-deliver-easy-vehicle-loans/

Despite Nigeria’s seemingly vibrant tech ecosystem, the country has been ranked 5th in the inaugural fDi report on African Tech Ecosystems of the Future.

The report notes that Nigeria performed poorly due to the unfriendly Lagos business environment and lack of infrastructure/insecurity in other parts of the country.

“Lagos is renowned for its startup ecosystem, but there is a significant disconnect between the city’s tech ecosystem, its surroundings, and the wider country, which suffers from chronically poor infrastructure and education, and recurring political instability and security issues.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/26/south-africa-kenya-tops-african-tech-ecosystems-as-nigeria-ranks-5th-fdi-report/

Davido has become the most followed African artist on Instagram after the singer hit 20 million followers.

The Omo Baba Olowo (OBO) as he is fondly called has over the years grown to become one of Africa’s biggest artists alongside his 30 billion gang including Peruzzi, Zlatan Ibile, Mayorkun, and Dremo among others...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/23/davido-hits-20m-followers-on-instagram-becomes-most-followed-african-artist/

James Olarenwaju Omiyinka aka Baba Ijesha has been arrested for sexually assaulting a teenager. The unnamed teenager was repeatedly defiled by the 48-year-old popular Nollywood actor since age 7. She is currently 14.

Baba Ijesha’s sexual impropriety or defilement was blown open after he was reportedly caught on CCTV camera harassing the teenager. He even confessed to the defilement.

Afterward, a case of defilement was reported on 19th April 2021 by one Princess Adekola Adekanya at Sabo Police Station and transferred to the Gender Unit of the State CID, Panti, Yaba Lagos for proper investigation. Baba Ijesha who got married in 2013 to his wife, a Samsung top executive was therefore arrested...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/23/nigerians-express-shock-disappointment-after-baba-ijesha-was-allegedly-arrested-for-defiling-teenager/

Definitely, It will bounce back. I think its just following trends and knowing when to put your money and withdraw.

Novartis:
It will bounce back

The price of bitcoin dropped below $50,000. The world’s most valuable crypto hit as low as $48,500 but has since recovered slightly. The bitcoin price today is currently at just over $49,000.

The price fall comes after several surges which has seen it rise from below $5,000 in March 2020 to an all-time high of $64,486 on 14 April.

Other major cryptocurrencies have also experienced significant losses in recent days, with more than half a trillion dollars wiped from the market according to CoinMarketCap.


https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/23/bitcoin-price-crashes-below-50000/

Amazon is scaling its presence in Africa by officially establishing its headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa. The headquarters will take up around 70 000m2 of space of the River Club mixed-use precinct which has just been given the construction go-ahead by the city of Cape Town.

This won’t probably come as a surprise to many as the retail giant already has a very grounded presence in Cape Town with smaller offices and data centres for its Amazon Web Services...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/21/what-african-headquarters-of-amazon-in-sa-means-for-e-commerce/

The Minister of Communication, Dr. Isa Pantami has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. Pantami was appointed the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 and was later elevated to the post of Minister in 2019.

Since his appointment, he has been at the forefront of the drive to ensure that Nigerians enroll for their National Identity Number– a responsibility of the National Identity Management Commission and its DG. Also, he has more or less outshone the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communication Commission, Umar Garba Danbatta when it comes to interacting and dealing with the telecommunications companies...

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/19/battle-of-the-hashtags-pantamimustresign-vs-pantamimuststay/

Late January last year, the Lagos State Government banned the operations of motorcycles and tricycles on major highways in the state.

The then on-demand motorcycle-hailing startups including ORide, Gokada and Max NG that were cashing in on the terrible and particularly tiring/frustrating Lagos traffic were not exempted.

It came as a rude shock that these startups that were organised, fast, and relatively safe unlike the regular okadas went under as a result of a random government policy. Unfortunately, the millions of dollars spent by these startups were wasted....

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/16/a-year-after-the-okada-ban-in-lagos-how-has-ex-motorcycle-ride-hailing-startups-fared/

The buyer of Shoprite Nigeria has been revealed as the exit of the South African retail giant from the country draws nearer.

According to Shoprite’s statement, the Nigerian division will be sold to a local property group, Persianas subject to regulatory approval.

While the asset has been valued by the seller at 30 billion naira ($73 million), it’s not yet clear how much Persianas has agreed to pay.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/16/the-buyer-of-shoprite-nigeria-has-finally-been-revealed/

uduX, Nigeria’s first indigenous music streaming platform, has partnered PiggyVest to launch a new product called PopRev.

PopRev, which will be launched in May 2021, will allow fans to become investors in the music catalog of artists, and share in their earnings. This will enhance the connection that exists between the artists and music lovers as fans will be able to make money whilst supporting the artists they love.

“PopRev will give artists access to funding, with no intention of buying out their masters. We’re creating a new artist revenue model driven by fans’ social engagement and the new normal of ‘sharing’. We want to give investors access to metrics and the performance of their investments on-demand. For the wider industry, we’re providing a leg-up to the untapped potential of musical talent in the African diaspora,” says Chidi Okeke, CEO of uduX.


https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/16/udux-and-piggyvest-partner-to-launch-poprev-a-platform-that-allows-nigerians-to-invest-in-artists/

The Federal Government has lifted the ban on new Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) card registration. The ban is expected to be government said, is Monday, April 19, 2021. It however placed NIN registration as mandatory for registering new SIM cards.

The latest development was contained in the revised National Digital Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

A statement by Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Femi Adeluyi, reads in part: “The implementation of the Policy will commence on Monday, 19th of April 2021.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/15/federal-government-ends-ban-on-registration-of-new-sim-cards/

Samurai Incubate Inc. has officially closed its second Africa fund “Samurai Africa 2nd General Partnership” after successfully having raised 2.026 billion yen ($18.6 million).

Since January 2020, the firm kept fundraising despite the COVID crisis, and a total of 54 corporate and individual investors participated. The raised amount surpassed the targeted amount of 2 billion yen ($18.4 million).

Kentaro Sakakibara founded Samurai Incubate, and in 2018, the firm began investing in Africa by establishing a subsidiary called Leapfrog Ventures. From August 2018, Samurai Incubate invested $2.5 million in 20 African startups via the newly established firm. Then in June 2019, renamed itself Samurai Incubate Africa.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/15/samurai-incubate-closes-its-oversubscribed-fund-at-18-6m/

Endeavor Nigeria has welcomed auto tech company, Autochek to its global network. Launched in 2020 by serial entrepreneur Etop Ikpe.

With a mission to build strong entrepreneurship ecosystems in high-growth markets including Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe & North America, Endeavor selects, mentors and accelerates the best high-impact entrepreneurs, supporting them to scale their companies as well as drive economic growth and job creation.

Along with Etop Ikpe, Endeavor Nigeria supports 16 entrepreneurs who lead 10 companies including Flutterwave, Carbon, 54gene, Paga, Migo, Daystar Power, HealthPlus, Kobo360 and FilmHouse & FilmOne...


[url]https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/15/endeavor-nigeria-welcomes-autochek-into-its-global-network/
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No.

BrainRider:
Have luno introduced p2p payment method?

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The registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede has disclosed that hackers recently had unautorised access to its website and stole over ₦10 million meant for its adhoc staff.

Prof. Oloyede stated that the cyber hack was uncovered after thorough investigations which led to the gang leader Sahabi Zubairu from Takum in Taraba State.

[url]https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/14/hackers-divert-over-%e2%82%a610m-meant-for-adhoc-from-jamb-website/[/url]

Zeepay, a Ghanaian fintech startup, has acquired a 51 percent stake in Mangwee Mobile Money Zambia. In a private placement, Zeepay and Mangwee agreed to a sale of 51 percent of Mangwee shares to Zeepay. The deal makes Zeepay Ghana the majority shareholder of the entity.

Mangwee has been in operations since 2018 and was initially set up to operate as an alternative wallet targeting university students in Zambia with the aim of assisting to drive the cost of mobile money services downward.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/14/zeepay-ghana-acquires-zambia-mobile-money-operator-mangwee/

Revix, a South African cryptocurrency investment platform, with offices in Cape Town and London, has raised $4.1 million (R58.5 million) in off-shore capital funding – showcasing the attractiveness of cryptocurrency investment in South Africa.

Founded in 2018 on the principle that everyone should be able to invest their own money and become their own wealth manager, the business’ customer growth has mirrored the exponential rise in the cryptocurrency market which is valued at over $2 Trillion – making the digital asset class more valuable than Apple.



https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/14/revix-raises-4-1m-in-off-shore-capital-funding/

Luno, recently announced that it has reached the momentous milestone of 7 million customers worldwide, just seven weeks after passing 6 million customers.

2021 has seen exponential growth in the business, with January 2021 seeing a 60% increase in the number of app installs compared to December 2020 and over 300% growth year-on-year when compared to January 2020.

Luno’s expansion is telling of the bigger-picture market demand for cryptocurrencies globally, as the industry continues to prove its reputation as building a sustainable financial infrastructure.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/14/luno-achieves-300-yoy-growth-with-7m-customers/

Oliver De Coque, Nigeria’s legendary highlife musician if alive was to have celebrated his 74th birthday today.

Sadly, Oliver Sunday Akannite who was born in 1947 in Ezinifite, Anambra State in southeastern Nigeria is no longer with us. He died on 20th June 2008.

However, his music legacies still linger in the hearts and mouths of many. His guitar prowess is unforgotten. This is why Google is celebrating and honouring De Coque, one of the leading lights in contemporary Igbo popular music with a well-deserved doodle. The doodle was illustrated by Nigerian visual artist and illustrator Ohab TBJ.

De Coque first took up the guitar at the age of 11. He was taught to play the guitar by Piccolo, a Congolese guitarist living in Nigeria. As a teenager, studied the traditional Igbo music of the region and Congolese soukous.

In 1970, at a performance by the popular Sunny Agaga and his Lucky Star Band, De Coque convinced Sunny to let him stand in as their guitarist; he was hired on the spot, providing a massive boost to his young career.

Also a skilled player of the Nigerian board game okwe, he became known as “Oliver de ka Okwe,” which he later adapted into his stage name, Oliver De Coque.

https://www.techawkng.com/2021/04/14/google-honours-nigerian-highlife-singer-oliver-de-coque-with-doodle/