Google announces fund to support online safety in Africa.
Marking World Safer Internet Day Google though its philanthropy arm is launching a one million USD pan-African fund. To help in promoting online safety and keeping children safe online. To achieve this, google will empower social enterprises and non profits with project ideas focused on digital literacy and online safety.
Google also launched a children online literacy program, Be Internet Awesome initiative in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. It will work with partners to teach kids how to be safe, confident explorers of the online world.
The company announced this in a statement on its Africa social media page.
“Today we are launching Be Internet Awesome in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa. We will be working with our partners across the region to teach kids how to be safe, confident explorers of the online world. To help in promoting online safety, @Googleorg will be launching a $1M fund. Will be open to nonprofits to work on project that is focused on keeping children safe online.“
Google notes the core of its Be Internet Awesome initiative is working as a unit with parents, children and educators. On the ground rules that keep them safe online.
“Be Internet Awesome” is designed to help children practice smart tactics for analyzing and evaluating information, sharing media with caution, protecting and securing private data, and handling cyberbullying, for example.
Google is currently receiving an expression of interest from organizations who will like to access in the grant.
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Delivering on a promise, Google announces the launch of its first Developer Space on the African continent. The space similar to the Microsoft Reactor will serve developers, entrepreneurs and startups across Africa. It will be based in Lagos, Nigeria and co-located and in partnership with Impact Hub.
In 2017, then Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai visited Nigeria and made a number of promises. These include extending the Google digital skills training program, from one million to ten million people. Providing one hundred thousand Africans with mobile developer training. The Launchpad Accelerator Africa program and a space to house its efforts in Nigeria.
Google says the Developer Space will provide a hub where entrepreneurs, developers, mentors, VCs and investors can connect and collaborate. The hub will also house the Google Launchpad Accelerator Africa program.
Onajite Emerhor, Head of Operations Launchpad Accelerator Africa, Google, says this about the space.
Starting today, members of the African tech community can use this Space for free. In addition to housing Google Launchpad Accelerator Africa, the Space will support developer meetups, training, experts office hours, Women in tech events, Startup programs (outside of Launchpad), partner events that support the wider entrepreneur and developer ecosystem, as well as Google initiatives for empowering people through digital skills training.
Africa’s startup ecosystem is growing and we’re looking forward to working with startups and other players in the ecosystem from across the continent at the Space, continues Onajite.
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Microsoft announced the Africa Development Center with plans to recruit about 100 full-time software engineers by the end of 2019. Latest details show the company is far from reaching this target. As only about seventy roles and positions have been filled as at January 2020.
Jack Ngare, Managing Director, Africa Development Center Kenya, made this revelation speaking as a panelist on the Monday Report’s town hall session on Citizen TV Kenya. The town hall discussion was on the ‘Future of work – Rethinking Our Education, Training in Relation to Work Opportunities’.
Jack was answering a question on if Microsoft considers only technical skills for employment. He shared the “Africa development center is nearing seventy [software] engineers. We recognize at a lot of things related to skills. The last thing we look at is your university degree. We have a couple of engineers who did not go to university. These are Kenyans we are talking about. We respect more the skills and what your capabilities are. Your work ethics and attitude towards work.”
He noted that Microsoft is pumping resources into organizations through partnerships such as the AppFactory with Africa Digital Media Institute to upskill students.
Watch Microsoft Africa Development Center recruitment conversation below.
Microsoft plans to recruitment 500 software engineers for the Africa Development Center by 2023.
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Microsoft Nigeria is hosting an official store on the Jumia Nigeria online mall.
Microsoft now has an official store page on the Jumia Nigeria online mall. A move to help consumers and businesses buy and use genuine Microsoft products and solutions. This solves an earlier challenge as payments are in the local currency, Naira.
The Microsoft store page currently features only Microsoft Office 365 product suites. Offering Office 365 business, Office 365 Business Essentials and Office 365 Business Premium. The store page mentions buying Windows 10 software, that is not presently available.
Get the best tools you need on Microsoft official store page on Jumia mall. Find the best deals on this page. Do more with Office 365 for less. Are you are interested in Windows 10 software? Everything you are looking for is available online at the lowest prices.
Microsoft Nigeria earlier this year also partnered with FirstBank Nigeria. To provide SME’s with an education platform and access to its productivity suite tools at discounted rates payable in Naira.
Microsoft discourages piracy as it has so many negative effects it brings to a software user. Malware ransomware being a major one that opens a software user to cyber attacks. But buying genuine software was a challenge in the African region. This narrative is however changing.
We are unable to confirm to you at this moment if there will be products targeted at individuals. As well as if other Microsoft products like the Surface and Xbox devices will be available in the near future. Or if the Microsoft store will become available in Jumia’s other ten online malls across Africa.
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Global AI Bootcamp is here again. Interested in learning about artificial intelligence(AI) and Microsoft Azure? Then the Global AI Bootcamp presents you with that opportunity. Join others learners worldwide in the one day, free event at a local meetup near you.
The Global AI Bootcamp is a free one-day event. Organized by local communities all over the world that are passionate about Artificial Intelligence on the Microsoft stack. The next event takes place on the 14th of December 2019 on venues all over the world, supported by Microsoft.
There are Global AI Bootcamp meetups taking place all over Nigeria. Know of other Global AI Bootcamp meetups in Nigeria we haven’t included? Share them with us.
Don’t forget to join the communities for updates on future events.
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