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Google Commits $50m to Close Education Gap

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Google’s philanthropic arm wants to back nonprofits using tech to bring educational resources to kids around the world in need.

There are 130 million students around the world who haven’t learned basic math or reading, even after being in school for several years, according to UNESCO.

Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, wants to whittle down that number. Over the next two years, it’s giving $50 million in grants to nonprofits focused on improving education in developing countries using tech-based learning tools, the company said Tuesday. There are nine grantees so far, and Google.org intends to give grants to nonprofits in 20 countries by the end of the year.

“Technology can bypass the geographic and financial boundaries that block educational resources from reaching students, while also making those resources more engaging, interactive and effective,” Brigitte Hoyer-Gosselink, the education lead for Google.org, said in a blog post.

These grants are aimed at three main areas: getting to students in combat zones, providing quality learning materials and aiding in teacher development.

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Tackling the education gap, or the disparity between the performance of certain groups of students, is just one of Google.org’s priorities. It’s invested in nonprofits supporting a variety of causes, including racial justice, refugees and migrants, and diseases like Zika and Ebola. It gives about $100 million in grants every year. In the past five years, it’s given $110 million, just aimed at closing the education gap. In February, Google.org announced $11.5 million in grants for racial justice organizations.

In addition to donating grant money, Google’s employees volunteer their time. For example, engineers and product folks will spend four weeks with Learning Equality, a nonprofit organization that creates open-source software delivering things like books, quizzes and video tutorials to people without reliable internet access. Google employees will work on issues like video-compression technology, user experience and content integration.

Learning Equality’s $5 million grant will go toward developing a platform called Kolibri, which gives kids in areas with limited internet connectivity access to learning resources.

“We’re thrilled that Google.org and our fellow grantees are so aligned in this shared effort to close the learning gaps in global education by enabling universal access to tools, content, and pedagogy that support the success of both students and teachers,” Jamie Alexandre, Learning Equality’s co-founder and executive director, said in a statement.

Other grant recipients include Khan Academy, Million Sparks Foundation, Pratham Books’ StoryWeaver, Pratham Education Foundation and War Child Holland.

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Google.org has also given a grant to the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which is actor George and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney’s organization for the education of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.

Other tech companies have taken up philanthropic causes over the years. Salesforce has partnered with and supported public schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Facebook’s Internet.org includes several initiatives to bring connectivity to everyone, like a solar-powered drone named Aquila delivering Wi-Fi, or Free Basics, which provides basic websites relating to jobs, news and education for folks without connectivity.

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Guinness Rolls Out Nationwide Consumer Rewards Promotion

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Guinness Nigeria has launched a nationwide National Consumer Promotion (NCP) tagged ‘Open For More’. This is a consumer rewards initiative that will see more than ₦400 million in cash and prizes won by consumers across the country.

The promotion, which runs nationwide, offers consumers the opportunity to win ₦1 million every day, ₦100,000 cash rewards for 1,000 winners, and a brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado as the grand prize. The campaign is designed to reward loyal consumers while creating more opportunities for everyday Nigerians to celebrate life’s meaningful moments.

To participate, consumers are required to purchase specially marked bottles of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or Guinness Smooth, check for the unique code beneath the crown cork, and enter the code at www.guinnessng.com/1759 for a chance to win.

Speaking on the launch, Ramanathan Solayappan, Marketing and Innovations Director, Guinness Nigeria, said the promotion reflects the brand’s longstanding relationship with consumers and its commitment to creating memorable experiences beyond the product itself.

“Nigerians have made Guinness part of their celebrations, milestones, and everyday moments for over seven decades. The ‘Open For More’ promotion is our way of rewarding that loyalty by giving consumers genuine opportunities to win prizes that can make a meaningful difference in their lives.”

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Solayappan added that the promotion was deliberately designed to make participation simple and accessible to consumers across the country.

“We believe, at Guinness, that there is always room for more possibilities, more progress, and more reasons to celebrate. Through this campaign, we are inviting consumers and beloved Nigerians over the age of 18 years to take part in an experience that goes beyond enjoying a Guinness. Every eligible purchase could open the door to something more.”

Beyond rewarding consumers, the promotion comes at a time when many Nigerians are placing greater value on opportunities that offer tangible returns. By putting more than ₦400 million in cash and prizes directly into the hands of consumers, Guinness Nigeria is creating a campaign that celebrates loyalty and delivers meaningful rewards that can support personal aspirations, family needs, and everyday goals.

As part of the campaign, winners will emerge weekly throughout the promotion period, with regular winner announcements and prize presentations aimed at ensuring transparency and public confidence in the process.

The Open For More National Consumer Promotion strengthens Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to rewarding consumers while creating excitement around the brand through meaningful and impactful experiences. Consumers are encouraged to look out for specially marked promotional packs and follow Guinness Nigeria’s official communication channels for updates, winner announcements, and further information on participation mechanics.

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Nigeria Lost N34 Trillion to Import Waivers in 2025, Customs Tells Senate

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Bashir Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) approvals granted by the Federal Government rose to about N34 trillion in 2025.

Nigeria Lost N34 Trillion to Import Waivers in 2025, Customs Tells Senate

Adeniyi made the disclosure on Monday during an investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja.

He said the import duty exemptions had significantly affected the service’s revenue generation, although many of the waivers were introduced to support critical national priorities.

According to him, about 60 per cent of the approved waivers were granted for the importation of military hardware in response to the country’s security challenges.

He said other beneficiaries included importers of compressed natural gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery, manufacturing inputs and food intervention programmes.

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“IDEC approvals reached about N34 trillion in 2025, about 60 per cent of which was rightly granted for military hardware procurements due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges,” Adeniyi said.

The Comptroller-General noted that the introduction of the IDEC scheme in March 2020 had remained one of the major fiscal policies affecting Customs revenue.

He said the service would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government fiscal measures and other external factors that reduced its revenue base.

Adeniyi, however, maintained that fiscal policy should not be evaluated solely on the basis of revenue generation.

He said government interventions through duty waivers were intended to stimulate economic growth, improve healthcare delivery, encourage industrial production and address national security concerns.

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He urged the Federal Government to strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure that beneficiaries of import duty waivers achieved the intended objectives, including reducing prices, increasing production and improving access to essential goods and services.

The Customs boss also disclosed that the service generated N7.28 trillion in revenue in 2025.

He added that out of the N11.04 trillion revenue target for 2026, the service had realised N4.5 trillion as of June 30.

Adeniyi expressed optimism that the service would continue implementing measures aimed at improving revenue collection while supporting government fiscal policies.

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DataPro Upgrades Dangote Cement’s Credit Rating to AA+

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DataPro Rating Agency has upgraded the long-term credit rating of Dangote Cement Plc to AA+ from AA, citing the company’s strong financial performance, market leadership and ability to meet its financial obligations despite Nigeria’s challenging economic environment.

In its latest rating report, the technology-driven credit rating agency also affirmed Dangote Cement’s short-term rating at A1, with a Stable Outlook. The ratings are valid until June 16, 2027.

DataPro said the upgrade reflects the cement maker’s sustained financial strength, resilient operating performance and dominant position in Nigeria and across Africa.

According to the agency, the assessment followed a comprehensive review of the company’s capital base, earnings, liquidity, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and the sustainability of its financial performance over the medium to long term.

It noted that Dangote Cement’s strong brand, leading market share, solid earnings, robust asset base and experienced management continue to strengthen its ability to meet financial commitments on time.

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The agency also highlighted the company’s outstanding financial performance in 2025.

According to the report, Dangote Cement posted N4.31 trillion in revenue during the year, representing a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. Profit before tax more than doubled, rising 109 per cent to N1.53 trillion, driven by higher sales, improved operating efficiency, lower finance costs and a stronger capital structure.

DataPro said the AA+ long-term rating indicates low credit risk and reflects excellent financial strength, business profile and operating performance relative to its rating benchmarks.

It added that the A1 short-term rating signifies good credit quality and shows that the company has a strong capacity to meet its short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

The rating agency, however, noted that the credit rating has a maximum shelf life of 12 calendar months in line with international best practice and should be used only as a reference, not as an offer to trade in securities or as a substitute for investors’ independent judgement.

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