Telecom
Meta Launches ‘Creators of Tomorrow’ Campaign Across Sub-Saharan Africa
Meta on Tuesday announced the launch of ‘Creators of Tomorrow‘, a new campaign that celebrates emerging talents from around the world who are inspiring a new movement of creative content online. The campaign spotlights creators in Sub- Saharan Africa from East Africa, Southern Africa and Francophone Africa.
The selected Creators of Tomorrow are breaking out amongst their communities online, and are showcasing a best-in-class approach to video formats, technology and interactive entertainment. The global campaign is the first of its kind, starting in Europe, The Middle East and Africa, and expanding to more countries around the world in the coming months. Meta will be working closely with these creators over the next year, as they continue to grow their audience and turn their passions into professions across Meta technologies.
Commenting on the campaign, Moon Baz, Creator Partnerships Lead, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, Meta said, “With this campaign, we aim to highlight creators who are innovating through tools such as Reels and short-form video content formats, as well as those who are leveraging, exploring new content formats such as AR/VR.
“We are excited to work closely with these creators, and we’re committed to help them grow their audience, build a business and unlock new possibilities for the future as we build for the metaverse.”
African creators have creatively used Meta technologies and apps, Facebook and Instagram to express themselves and tell the African story to Africans and people from across the world. Using fashion, comedy, food, travel and political commentary, over the years creators from sub-Saharan Africa have increased the recognition of the cultural contribution of the continent, improving its perception to the world.
Meta will be hosting exclusive events across the region to celebrate the Creators of Tomorrow, sharing the latest news, tips as well as tools and resources across Meta technologies. In Kenya, Creators including Creator featured in the campaign will attend an exclusive brunch consisting of a Reels School, and in South Africa over 50 Creators will attend a Creator Day filled with dedicated tailored workshops and training to help them thrive in this evolving digital and creator economy .
The 10 identified Creators of Tomorrow from Africa include:
- Kwambox, Kenya: A radio presenter who entertains her followers with her dance moves and bubbly personality. She is also a renowned MC and event host.
- Crazy Kennar, Kenya: An award winning Nairobi based comedian whose content is centred around comedy addressing everyday experiences of young people.
- Nadia Matovu, Uganda: An influencer, wife and business woman based in Kampala who uses her day to day life to create content that inspires her followers.
- Pamela Mtanga, South Africa: An award winning multimedia entrepreneur. She’s a fashion and beauty content creator whose brand is rooted in authenticity, relatability and empowerment.
- Ruth Ronnie, Zambia: An award winning recording artist, live performer and content creator. She’s a versatile creative who is best known for her musical genres such dancehall, reggae, afropop, Rnb, afrosoul and trapsoul.
- Ruvarashe Hapaguti, Zimbabwe: An up and coming actress and content creator. Her content ranges from comedic skits to make-up tutorials which she showcases in an engaging way that her audiences enjoy.
- Mishaa, Ivory Coast: A dance enthusiast who shares her love for dance art and performances with her followers on social media. Ambassador of Trace music and Universal music Africa, Mishaa dances on African urban rhythms such as coupé-décalé, afro-beat, RN’B and many others, and shares her choreographies in Reels on Instagram and Facebook.
- Saraï D’Hologne, Ivory Coast: An artist painter who’s the head of an artistic universe dedicated to the interior and exterior wall decoration of the house called SARTAÏ. In Ivory Coast, Saraï is the torchbearer of natural hair that she proudly advertises on her social media accounts.
- Fatou Jupiter Touré, Senegal: An actress, producer, UN ambassador, entrepreneur, and founder of the film festival Les Teranga. She has been named for the second time among the 700 most impactful Africans by the South African magazine Tropics. Her talent and love for theatre and cinema allowed Fatou to turn her passion into a profession.
- Ngorbatchev Niang, Senegal: a fashion stylist, producer, and film director. He is the owner of “Ngorbatchev Maison de Couture” and “Ngorbatchev Nprod”. M. Niang is passionate about what make life more beautiful and aims to reflect this beauty through his clothes collections that he sells and showcases via Instagram and Facebook.
In November 2022, the Creators of Tomorrow will get the opportunity to attend the EMEA Creator Week being hosted in London at the iconic Tate Britain for the first time. There, Creators of Tomorrow will be joined by other regional Creators at various stages of their careers to collaborate, learn from each other, and continue to find inspiration in the future of content creation on our platforms.
Viral rumors about a “Tesla Pi Phone” a new phone, being developed by Elon Musk, CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and SpaceX, are entirely fake.
AI Generated Tesla Pi Phone and Elon Musk
Instead, the tech giant said on Monday it has filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy the constellation by 2028.
It said the system would provide voice, messaging, data and emergency services.
A quick fact-check revealed that Tesla Inc. has never manufactured, developed, or released a smartphone.
Videos and articles claiming a release (often priced between $150 and $800 with solar charging or satellite-only connections) rely on AI-generated concept art and recycled internet hoaxes dating back to 2021.
Musk has only mentioned a phone in hypothetical remarks, stating Tesla would build one only if major app stores completely blocked or censored essential apps like X (formerly Twitter).
On Monday however, his company said that “Amazon looks forward to delivering on the promise of D2D [direct-to-device] connectivity, including to the millions of people living, travelling and working in places beyond the reach of existing networks today,”
The filing is the first step from Amazon into satellite mobile connections, which has until now been dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Musk’s group has signed partnerships with existing operators such as T-Mobile US and the UK’s Virgin Media O2 to provide phone services for customers where their conventional networks do not reach.
Starlink operates across more than 150 countries, offering high-speed internet connections through its constellation of satellites.
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has attributed rising mobile data consumption to increased use of smartphone applications, cloud services and emerging digital technologies.
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) conference in Lagos.
Adebayo said smartphones had transformed access to digital services, with many applications consuming data continuously, even when users were not actively browsing the internet.
He explained that automatic software updates, cloud backups, application synchronisation, video streaming, social media autoplay and location services significantly increased data consumption.
According to him, internet usage had changed considerably from a decade ago when consumers mainly relied on direct browsing with fewer digital applications running simultaneously.
He said growing adoption of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other emerging technologies would further increase demand for reliable connectivity and greater network capacity.
“The evolution of smartphones has fundamentally changed how consumers access digital services, with many applications now consuming data continuously,” Adebayo said.
He stressed that digital literacy had become increasingly important because consumers needed to understand how their devices and applications consumed mobile data.
He advised subscribers to monitor application activity, adjust device settings and use built-in data management tools to better control their data consumption.
Adebayo said greater understanding of digital tools would help dispel misconceptions about data usage and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Responding to allegations that operators deliberately depleted customers’ data, Adebayo dismissed the claims, insisting telecommunications companies had no commercial incentive to engage in such practices.
He said every megabyte consumed on telecom networks was recorded through internationally standardised billing systems supplied by recognised technology vendors and regulated by authorities.
“Such a practice would be unlawful, unethical, commercially self-defeating and subject to stringent regulatory oversight by the Nigerian Communications Commission,” he said.
Adebayo explained that operators’ billing systems were designed to guarantee accuracy, transparency and verification, while genuine consumer complaints were investigated through established protection channels.
He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission’s complaint resolution mechanisms and technical audits provided consumers with credible avenues for seeking redress over billing concerns.
According to him, trust remains essential to expanding Nigeria’s digital economy because telecommunications infrastructure supported banking, healthcare, education, commerce and government services.
He said the telecommunications sector had evolved beyond basic communication services into a critical driver of productivity, investment, innovation and national economic growth.
Adebayo noted that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, financial technology, smart manufacturing and digital agriculture, depended on resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
He said Nigeria could only maximise these opportunities through sustained collaboration among government, regulators, telecommunications operators and consumers.
Adebayo reaffirmed operators’ commitment to improving customer experience, strengthening network resilience and promoting transparency in telecommunications service delivery.
He urged stakeholders to encourage evidence-based discussions on digital services, stressing that public trust remained indispensable for the sustained growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
(NAN)
Telecom
Galaxy Backbone Soft Launches Government Service Portal to Simplify Access to Public Services
Galaxy Backbone (GBB), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), officially conducted the soft launch of the Government Service Portal (GSP), a groundbreaking digital platform designed to transform how citizens, businesses and government institutions interact.
The event, held at the Galaxy Backbone National Shared Services Centre (NSSC) Headquarters in Abuja, brought together senior government officials, development partners, technology stakeholders and members of the media to unveil services.gov.ng—Nigeria’s new one-stop digital gateway for accessing government services.
The Government Service Portal is designed to provide a single, trusted platform through which Nigerians can easily discover, access and interact with digital services offered by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). By consolidating government services into one unified portal, the initiative aims to improve accessibility, enhance service delivery and create a more seamless citizen experience.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone. Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, stated that the launch represents another significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to building a more connected, efficient, transparent and citizen-centred public service.
He emphasized that the Portal is more than a website; it is the foundation of a unified digital gateway that places the needs of citizens and businesses at the centre of government service delivery.
He further noted that while the event marks the beginning of the Portal’s journey, the soft launch provides an opportunity to onboard pioneer MDAs, gather user feedback, strengthen system integrations and continuously improve the platform ahead of a wider national rollout.
Representing key stakeholder institutions at the launch were the Deputy Director of KOICA Nigeria, Mr. Ki Yun Baik; the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, represented by Mr. Joseph Bareiye, Director of e-Government; the Permanent Secretary, State House, represented by Mr. Oguntuyi Olusegun, Head of ICT; and the Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Technical Services, Galaxy Backbone, Olumbe Akinkugbe.
The Government Service Portal aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and supports Nigeria’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) agenda by creating a citizen-facing gateway that complements existing investments in digital identity, secure infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity and digital government platforms. It can be accessed using the link: services.gov.ng . The initiative is expected to strengthen public service delivery, increase transparency, improve operational efficiency and foster greater trust between government and citizens.
Galaxy Backbone reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all Ministries, Departments and Agencies in integrating their digital services into the Portal, noting that collaboration across government will be critical to building an inclusive, interoperable and efficient digital ecosystem that benefits every Nigerian.
The Government Service Portal is expected to evolve into Nigeria’s central digital gateway for public services, making government services simpler, faster and more accessible for citizens and businesses alike.
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