The collaboration underscores a growing commitment to harnessing technology for sustainable development, with a strong emphasis on inclusive innovation and South-South cooperation.

The MOU, which was signed on the sidelines of the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, aimed to empower governments, youth, and women with advanced digital skills in areas such as AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and digital governance.

The hub will also support the development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI ) to help startups and entrepreneurs scale impactful solutions.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, the Assistant UN Secretary General and Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, said that the MOU reflects a shared commitment to inclusive, resilient, and sustainable digital development in Africa.

“This partnership with CAICT is a bold step toward realising Africa’s digital future. By combining UNDP’s development expertise with CAICT’s technological leadership, we are laying the foundation for people-centered digital transformation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.

On his part, the Vice President of, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), Mr. LI Guanyu, stressed that the innovative hub will leverage open-source technologies, digital public goods, and local innovations to modernise Africa’s digital ecosystem.

“The Africa Digital Empowerment and Innovation Hub will serve as a collaborative platform to co-create digital solutions, build institutional and human capacity, and promote South-South cooperation. We are excited to partner with UNDP to drive digital innovation in Africa.

“This MoU marks a significant milestone in our efforts to leverage technology for inclusive growth and development,” he said.

Due to the fast-growing technological landscape in Africa, the Hub will foster cross-border collaboration between African and Chinese firms in key sectors, including health, agriculture, education, and green energy through accelerators, mentorship, and investment dialogues.

REUTERS/Christopher Ojilere

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The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has announced the opening of applications for its timbuktoo Fintech Startup Accelerator program, where selected African startups will receive $25,000 equity-free funding.

According to the program’s announcement published by the UNDP, in addition to the funding, startup founders in the program will also receive mentorship and coaching from Africa’s leading industry experts and seasoned entrepreneurs.

Other benefits include access to a network of fellow startup founders and entrepreneurs from across the African continent; the opportunity to connect with and access potential investors as well as customers; and access to technical resources, tailored to accelerate the growth and impact of the startup.

The program announcement indicated that the applications are open to technology-focused entrepreneurs and startup founders across Africa aged between 18 and 35, who can build, or are already building, fintech startups that meet the following criteria:

• Startups with founders who are citizens of an African country.
• Startups must be locally owned and based in any African country.
• Startups leveraging technology in the financial services sector to capitalise on complex development opportunities and solve challenges.
• Startups with a minimum viable product.
• Startups with existing corporate governance systems, accountability, and social and environmental safeguards.

In addition, UNDP said the program will be supporting startups that have a technology-enabled solution at its core, utilizing digital tools and platforms to drive innovation and efficiency in the financial sector.

Attention will also be paid to startups whose solutions contribute towards one or more of the SDGs, by promoting growth, industrialization, trade, education, health, and inclusive governance among others.

According to the organizers, the application portal will be open from May 31st, 2024, to the 21st of June 2024. Interested and qualified startups can apply here.

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In view of the relatively low visibility of the Innovation ecosystem in Northern Nigeria, despite being a region with hub of innovators, creatives, startups and several success stories, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has reiterated the Agency’s commitment to support, and catalyse the emergence/growth of the region’s innovation ecosystem.

Inuwa said this while delivering a Keynote Address during a ‘Stakeholders’ Engagement on the State of the Northern Innovation Ecosystem’, which held in Abuja.

Describing the event as “‘setting the sense of urgency for something to be done in favour of the Northern Innovation Ecosystem’, the Director-General noted that the timely call amplifies the opportunities, challenges as well as the need to build strategic partnerships toward achieving the overall goals.

“This platform has spurred the necessary conversations that we need to have in order to tackle some of the bottlenecks that have over the years stifled the growth of the ecosystem in the region”.

“As an Agency under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, we are here to add our collective voice and render relevant support targeted at fostering economic growth and development in the North and Nigeria as a whole”, Inuwa affirmed.

The DG Aligned the thrusts of the discussions to the Federal Government’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ and one of the Priority Areas of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Adminstration, which is ‘Accelerating Diversification through Industrialisation, Digitisation, Creative Arts, Manufacturing and Innovation’.

According to the DG, the involvement of NITDA in the quest, further aligns with some pillars of the Agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan, which deal with ‘Nurturing an Innovative and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem’ and Forging Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration amongst others.

Inuwa expressed the hope that the Northern Innovation Ecosystem will be used to create jobs, solve agricultural problems, healthcare, transportation, education and many more in the region.

“In the North and Nigeria in general, our biggest opportunity is the large market and expansion we have, because we have a young population where more than 60% is under 25, which means they are digitally natives”.

“Given the fact that our greatest resource as a country is human capital, we therefore, want to harness this population to make Nigeria a talent net exporter”, the DG avowed.

The NITDA Boss who took time to explain the Strategic Blueprint (five Pillars) of the Ministry and of course the Agency’s eight Pillars of the SRAP document, and how they directly address some of the issues raised, urged for the need to co-create and co-design the solutions with the ecosystem, in order to build trust between the ecosystem and the government.

“We want them to know that the government is here to handhold and support them in terms of interventions, building the talents, and infrastructures in unserved and underserved communities, as well as providing the incentives for them to grow”, Inuwa assured.

Inuwa however challenged Northerners not to allow the identifed challenges in the area to hinder their innovative ideas, as there are silver linings in each difficulty.

“Lack of funding is always one of the issues, yes, but we can start with the small we have. It is not enough to always mention the challenges, let us also look for innovative ways to tackle them”, Inuwa urged.

Inuwa informed the audience that the Agency is conceptualising the idea of establishing Technology Development Zones, one in each geopolitical zone of the country, adding that there are plans to also have an average innovation hub in every state of the federation.

“To sustain and deal with the recurring challenge of monopoly of the hubs by some facilities in Universities, we are trying to come up with a framework where we can build innovation hubs outside of Universities, then sign an M.O.U with the ecosystem to bring in anyone that is willing to manage the facility, we will give the person targets and KPIs to aid the management of such hubs”.

“It is an idea we are trying to conceptualise and we are open to co-designing it with the ecosystem, so anybody who is interested can reach out to us, so that we can figure out how to achieve that”, the Director-General said.

Head of Experimentation, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Jamila Mohammed, while speaking on the essence of the meeting, maintained that the whole idea around having the conversation with the stakeholders for the northern innovation ecosystem is to begin to engage key players in the innovation space to come together and help in positioning the ecosystem, in order to address developmental challenges in the region.

“The essence of all this is to galvanise action to catalyse action, to be able to disrupt the way innovation is done in the region itself”.

“There is a need for us to pull all our resources together to be able to position the resource system to accelerate the SDGs, because we know we are far behind in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and there is that urgency to be able to come up with new methodologies, and solutions that will take us to that promised land”, Ms. Jamila noted.

Other stakeholders took turns to share their thoughts, as they unanimously affirmed the fact that the Northern Ecosystem Working Group (NEW-G) which was established in collaboration with UNDP remains a significant rallying point to nurture and fuel the Northern Ecosystem’s emergence with strategic levelling up initiatives.

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The Federal Government has partnered with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to provide 3,000 paid internships to participants in the 3 Million Technical Training (3MTT) program.

Dr Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, revealed this collaboration, stating that the first cohort of 30,000 will kick off on November 15, 2023, with a live-streamed launch event on YouTube.

Despite receiving over 1 million applications for the 3MTT program, only 30,000 will be accommodated in the initial cohort, with notifications expected soon.

The Minister emphasized that the internships, spanning 12 months, aim to allow participants to apply the skills acquired during the program.

The selection process for the 3,000 interns remains unclear, as the Minister did not specify whether they would be chosen from the first cohort or across multiple batches.

This partnership with UNDP marks the second major agreement, following a previous announcement of a N1 billion funding from IHS Telecom, covering salaries for 37 learning community managers over the next 3 years.

The initial phase of the 3MTT program will focus on technology-driven skills, such as Digital Marketing, Project Management Software, Cloud Platforms Navigation, Data Analysis and Visualization, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), CRM Management, Accounting Software, Graphics Design, and UX/UI Design, among others.

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TECHDIGEST – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and PwC Nigeria have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on strategic initiatives with focus on facilitating skills transfer, knowledge and competencies.

It is also aimed at catalysing development and policy dialogues that connect and link the private and public sectors with the start-up ecosystem.

The signing ceremony was held at PwC’s innovation centre, The Experience Centre, in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, UNDP Nigeria’s Resident Representative, Mohamed Yahaya, said the collaboration will promote usage of new technology and data to create innovative solutions to some of the complex development issues facing the continent.

“We all need digital solutions, we need technology, and we need new ways of getting data to assist in finding a way to spot entrepreneurs and young Nigerians in becoming part of the larger developmental agenda.

’’Signing this agreement today is a testament to the commitment between the two organisations,” Yahaya said.

He explained that the UNDP’s choice of PwC was informed by the track record of the company in the area of providing professional services to clients thereby translating into a partnership for sustainable development and professionalism.

The Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNDP Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, said the initiative, which is geared towards achieving the shared objectives of both institutions, would develop the culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and employment creation.

Also speaking, the Regional and Country Senior Partner at PwC, Uyi Akpata, expressed the organisation’s excitement to collaborate with the UNDP to solve Africa’s important problems and drive the development of the continent through creative thinking and technologically-enabled approaches.

“This strategic collaboration with the UNDP is in line with our refreshed global strategy, The New Equation. We in PwC Africa have six focus areas based on this refreshed strategy. I’m excited to note these focus areas speak directly to achieving the SDGs.

’’Most importantly, one of the focus areas is partnering to achieve international development goals. The UNDP is arguably the best partner in this regard. So, signing this MoU is a giant step that adds up to The New Equation.”

Partner and Technology Leader, West market, PwC, Femi Osunubi, described the centre as “the home of disruptive innovation and emerging technologies” as it is a purpose-built space, equipped with interactive digital spaces and a demo lab.

“We are excited to be collaborating with UNDP to solve Africa’s important problems and drive the development of the continent through creative thinking and technology enabled approaches,” he said.

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TECHDIGEST – The Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme Designed to empower youths across the country, is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Rolling for 12 months, the programme seeks to resolve the issue of unemployment and underemployment among young graduates. The goal is to connect talented Nigerian youths with job opportunities in respectable organisations, also helping these organisations get the skills needed to scale.

The programme’s uniqueness stands at granting highly skilled Nigerians, with little or no work experience, access to work at the most sought-after private sector organisations on the market, opening them to a world of opportunities.

Benefits

Clear pathways are available to Jubilee Fellows at the end of their active engagement in the fellowship

High performing Jubilee Fellows may go on to be retained by their respective host organisations

Fellows with interest in entrepreneurship would have garnered sufficient and competitive skills and knowledge on the job to face the world

Although Fellows cannot choose which organisation to be deployed to, they can choose a preferred location. They will be matched with host organisations, as well as those aligned to the organisation, based on their interests. All through the period, monthly stipends will be given to the Fellows.

Organisations joining the NJFP will receive the following benefits:

Cost savings – No HR agencies, advertising costs, lengthy triple-round interview process, or salary costs

Increased productivity – Access to a wide range of highly qualified candidates with cutting-edge skills relevant to your organisation. This will help increase your organisation’s productivity

Improved brand image – Boosting your corporate social responsibility work. By showing commitment to give back to the community engagement, the programme will contribute to a positive brand image for your organisation

Expanded network – You will be a part of the NJFP network of national, regional private and public sector entities and gain access to an expanded pool of experienced, employable young Nigerian expertise to draw from

Increased policy influence – Access to a national platform for deliberative public policy reform discussions on education, employment and relevant industry policy issues

Eligibility

The programme requires no advanced requirements from applicants, qualification does not determine the organisations involved, there are no limitations in terms of origin, individuals from the North, South, East and West can participate.

Also, the programme is open to recent Nigerian graduates from the university or other tertiary institutions of corresponding level not earlier than 2017. Completion of the NYSC programme is essential and the least results of applicants must be a second class lower.

The 12-month work opportunity would provide the jubilee fellows with an opportunity to acquire ‘on-the-job’ skills and gain work experience to improve employability and competitiveness for the job market.

How to apply

To achieve your goals, start by taking a step. Apply for Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme before the deadline on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.

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TECHDIGEST – The federal government has opened the application portal for the Nigeria Jubilee fellow programme, a post–NYSC work placement programme for Nigerians.

The portal was opened on Monday to interested applicants and the process will run for six weeks, “between September 6 and October 20, 2021.”

Recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari launched the programme last Tuesday.

The fellowship is a youth empowerment partnership initiative between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The programme seeks to connect talented graduates with local job opportunities that apply their expertise while equipping them with world-class practical knowledge and relevant skills.

“The programme is expected to create new opportunities for 20,000 graduates annually while the beneficiaries will maximise the opportunities presented to them and also aims to equip Nigerians, with practical knowledge and relevant skills for 12 months, with or without job experience, thereby connecting them with local job opportunities,” Buhari had said.

It would also give three options for applicants upon completion of the fellowship, including retained with respective host organisations, entrepreneurship opportunities, and a platform to compete and access future jobs and employment opportunities.

Criteria for application

To be an eligible fellow, the applicant must be a Nigerian citizen and a fresh graduate (Bachelor’s Degree) from any discipline and graduate no earlier than 2017.

Applicants must graduate with at least a Second Class Lower (2.2) and above and must be at most 30 years old.

Applicants must not be currently engaged in any employment and would have completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or have a certificate of exemption.

Other requirements are: applicants must demonstrate interest/commitment in the chosen career field and also demonstrate interest/commitment to contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

They must also have excellent time management and a professional attitude and have good verbal and written communication skills.

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TECH DIGEST –  The government of Rwanda in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP) will on Tuesday, deploy another set of robots, in a move that will strengthen the country’s fight against the pandemic, officials have said.
Under the partnership, Rwanda will receive three ‘THOR UVC’ robots which are expected to play a crucial role in Infection Prevention Control.

This is the second time the country will be deploying robots to minimise the contact between healthcare workers and persons infected with the virus.

“The new robots are cutting-edge THOR UVC robots which will help in cleaning and disinfecting treatment centres, hospitals and places of mass gathering, such as markets, offices or borders as means to limit the spread of the Covid-19”, a statement from the Ministry of Health reads in part.

THOR ultra-violet (UVC) is a high output UVC disinfection robot, which utilizes room mapping technology to deliver a fast and effective germicidal dose of continuous-wave UVC energy killing germs and pathogens.

Since March 14, when the first case of coronavirus was recorded in Rwanda, the country, just like many in the world, has been grappling with the pandemic.

The pandemic has so far claimed 223 lives, leaving 21 patients in critical condition.

Covid-19 preventive measures which mainly include physical distancing, washing hands and properly wearing masks have become part of everyday life.

To step up the measures, however, the country has rolled out various innovations to enable people to live with the virus as they go about their routine activities with relative safety.

According to experts, the virus has shown that disease does not respect geographic boundaries, but that emerging technology such as robotics will make it easier for prepared countries to combat both the Covid-19 pandemic and future pandemics.

The robots will be handed over on Tuesday, February 9 at the recently launched Nyarugenge District Hospital in Nyarugenge District.

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Onu made the call during the matriculation and graduation ceremony of participants of leather and leather products manufacturing training programme sponsored by Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) and UN Development Programme (UNDP).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 34 trainees from Kogi and Plateau states formed the first batch of the programme, having completed three months leather production training programme.

Also, 48 trainees from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps from Borno matriculated to undergo six months training programme in NILEST Abuja centre.

The minister said that the country’s drive for industrialisation would better be actualised if leather technology was properly utilised.

He added that “If we try to do leather and textiles properly, our path to industrialisation will be better realised and we will be in a better position to ensure that the drive will be irreversible.

“This is because, all the industrialised nations of the world started with leather and textile.

“At the level that you are starting your industrialisation process, the cost of labour is always low, so, Nigeria is at advantage because the cost of labour is relatively low now.

“If we can start with leather and textiles and master the technology then we will be in a position to upgrade the sector, and quickly move into more sophisticated areas.”

The minister then urged the graduating trainees to put the acquired knowledge into useful practice, saying that they had been empowered to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour.

He said “we believe very strongly that the best way to fight poverty is to empower our people by giving them the technology they require to make them entrepreneurs.

“We do not expect that you will be looking for jobs because we believe that with the knowledge you have acquired, you will put it into practice and produce goods that you can sell to earn money.”

The acting Director General of NILEST, Dr Eucharia Oparah, described the programme as a giant step toward capacity building, national development and economic recovery.

Opara said that the leather industry, with capacity to create jobs directly and indirectly, was a significant foreign exchange earner, contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Khardiata Lo Ndiaye, encouraged beneficiaries of the programme to take advantage of the opportunity given them.

Represented by Mr Mathew Alao, the Team Lead, Governance Unit of UNDP, Lo Ndiaye said that the opportunity could serve as life changing for the beneficiaries.

She said “for some of you, this training will be a life-changing opportunity.

“The skills you will acquire should enable you to support your families, your communities and also contribute to rebuilding the North-East.

“Our returns from this investment will only be positive when you succeed after undergoing the training. `

“We will therefore be counting on your commitment and dedication to this programme.”

On behalf of the matriculating trainees, Malam Maidala Abdulrahman, assured that they would take the programme seriously.

He said “we will adhere to the rules and regulations and maintain a positive mindset.”

Mr Shaibu Emebi, on behalf of those who graduated, said that the programme increased their knowledge about leather and leather production.

He said “with the knowledge I gained now, I can do a whole lot with leather, especially shoe making.” (NAN)

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