Former Windows and Windows phone partner architect returns to the company as Managing Director in new Microsoft initiative in Nigeria.
Gafar Lawal will lead the Microsoft Africa cognition team as Managing Director. Helping the team based in Lagos develop a suite of mixed reality and artificial intelligence cloud services. These will be Azure services that power new augmented reality experiences for Microsoft’s mixed reality platform.
“I am looking forward to embarking on this incredible new journey with the Microsoft team and effectively playing my part in bringing digital transformation to the continent at large. I hope that as we continue to not only identify and nurture talent but also bring about unprecedented change, that we will continue to aid every individual involved to achieve more.”
Gafar Lawal, MD Microsoft ADC Nigeria
Gafar Lawal worked at Microsoft for six years. Serving as Partner Architect in the Windows server group and Windows phone services division. Before moving on to take up the role of Managing Director and Global Chief Technology Architect for the Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley. He spent ten years as First Vice President and Chief Technology Architect at Merrill Lynch.
Microsoft says Africa Development Centre engineers are already working with local partners and customers on key issues. Furthermore new graduates and experienced technologists will be able to join the Microsoft Africa Development Centre site in Lagos. To begin or continue exciting careers in areas that include AI, mixed reality and application development.
South and central Africa telecommunications company, Liquid Telecom, introduces 21CSkills online learning platform. To help technology workers in Africa develop the skills they need to succeed in the 21 st century.
21CSkills, 21st Century Skills for Africa, will offer training skills and development programmes for African students, techies and entrepreneurs. Tracks of study in over 200 courses include Data Science, Blockchain, Game Development, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). “You will earn industry recognized certifications that will open new doors“, Liquid telecom says about learning on the platform.
21CSkills, is helping African students, developers and start-ups gain the tech skills they’ll need to succeed in the 21st century.
Head of Digital Education at Liquid telecom, Helinna Ayalew shares the platform is for everyone who wants to learn more. She encourages anyone with a university degree, just curious or an industry professional who wants to gain industry certification to give it ago.
There’s a proliferation of smart connected devices across the continent. So it just makes sense to be able to reach people with the required set of skills through an online platform like 21st Century Skills for Africa. – Mark Ihimoyan, Director of Business Development Microsoft Middle East Africa.
21CSkills at Nairobi Garage meetup
Liquid telecom is partnering with Microsoft and education platform, Open edX to power the learning platform.
Data enthusiasts from Zambia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, etc. get the opportunity to improve their skills. Earning an accredited data science certificate by completing the Microsoft Professional Program in Data Science.
169 out of 374 enrolled participants have completed the required modules. They will go on to receive a Microsoft Professional Program in Data Science certification when they complete the final project.
DataHack4FI is an initiative by Insight2impact (i2i) to drive data science digital skills development for African youths. Providing a platform that encourages data enthusiasts across Africa to use data and data analytics to solve challenges experienced by individuals or communities.
Microsoft and Liquid telecom are sponsoring Season 3 of DataHack4FI. Data enthusiasts will get an opportunity to take the $999 Microsoft Professional Program for free. While Liquid telecom will host the Microsoft Professional Program for Data Science on its 21st Century Skills for Africa platform.
DataHack4FI says top performers will be paired with an emerging technology company. To collaborate in the design of innovative products and services that advance financial or economic inclusion.
Microsoft through its business and market development engine in Africa, 4Afrika is partnering with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The collaboration will see Microsoft co-create technology solutions in agriculture. Supporting AGRA’s digital transformation initiative to improve food security in Africa.
In a report, continued use of outdated technologies and practices is the biggest hurdle to increasing farmer productivity in Africa. Microsoft will therefore work with AGRA to build locally relevant technology solutions. Solutions that are mindful of challenges local farmers face says Microsoft 4Afrika director Amrote Abdella.
We’re excited to work with AGRA in building locally-relevant technology solutions that are mindful of challenges local farmers face. Offering solutions to farmers and policy makers alike to deliver meaningful impact.”
Amrote Abdella
The partnership is part of Microsoft’s ongoing investment in agritech across Africa. This year the company introduced a $100 million Africa Development Center investment with sites in Lagos and Nairobi. The center according to Microsoft will help to advance AI innovation in agriculture.
Technology to transform sector
The collaboration will see Microsoft supporting farmers to adopt new technologies through digital training. As well as help them develop digital skills in agriculture through an internship program. Microsoft will also support policy advocacy and government engagement around the design of national agriculture digitization strategies in the region.
Agriculture is a priority sector of investment for us not only because it sustains some 70 percent of livelihoods. But because we believe technology can significantly contribute to the transformation of the sector.
Africa has many farmers with varying farming practices. We believe technology can augment this knowledge to improve crop yields.
Amrote Abdella
Microsoft will begin to expand its FarmBeats initiative across Africa, having piloted it in Kenya.
AGRA’s digital transformation in agriculture wants to improve food security for about 30 million farming households across 11 African countries by 2021. These are Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
AGRA president, Dr. Agnes Kalibata says “digital technologies are now firmly with us. It is increasingly important that we keep finding use of such innovations in our farms“.
“Going forward, digitalization will transcend every sphere of our life and it is highly likely that most of our farming investments will gain more yields as a result. Overall, with more innovation, farmer-centric products and services can now be deployed with great success. The goal, ultimately, is to adopt digital technologies in ways that positively impact whole agricultural and food systems.”
Microsoft announces thirty one new Azure edge sites.
Bringing its cloud customers a faster network and their consumers increased satisfaction. The announced sites will include new edge sites in Kenya and Nigeria. With upcoming sites in Egypt, Turkey and Israel later. The sites will be located in Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo and Tel Aviv.
Providing users fast and reliable access to their cloud services, apps and content is pivotal to a business’ success.
Yousef Khalid
Microsoft CVP Azure networking, Yousef Khalid talks about the latest development. He says the Azure Edge sites will provide application development teams increased visibility and higher availability. To access services that improve how they deliver global applications.
Through deployment and operation of globally and strategically placed edge sites, Microsoft dramatically accelerates the performance and experience when you are accessing apps, content, or services such as Azure and Office 365 on the Microsoft global network. – Yousef Khalid
What does this mean?
Infrastructure and development teams will now have; Improved optimization for application delivery. An enhanced customer experience and Private connectivity and dedicated performance through Azure ExpressRoute.
This will significantly improve user experience. Providing fast and reliable access to cloud services for our customers in the region. Local ISVs and startups can provide services to customers competitively and with confidence. – Wale Olokodana [Intelligent Cloud (Azure) Business Group Lead at Microsoft]
Microsoft announced datacenters in Middle East and Africa this year.
Let’s think differently and use IoT to solve local problems says Jack Ngaare, MD of Microsoft Africa Development Center, Kenya site. He was sharing insights on Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Internet of Things(IoT) during keynote address at the third East Africa IoT and AI Summit.
Speaking to delegates at the conference he emphasized the need to focus on the problems Africa has and be more deliberate about solving these problems using such emerging technologies.
Let’s think differently and use IoT to solve local[Africa] problems
He asked “What problems do we have? What are the focus areas and what are the simple solutions?
40% of farm produce in Kenya goes to waste, talking about use cases of IoT in the East Africa region. IoT can help solve some of agriculture’s most vexing challenges. By helping farmers connect fields and herds, reduce risks, streamline operations as well as increase yield. IoT technology and data driven agriculture Jack says is one answer to solving the agriculture challenge.
Microsoft research scientists are testing Farmbeats; a data driven solution which help farmers improve their yields and lower costs in Kenya. Microsoft plans to later scale Farmbeats across Africa.
