General News
Africa Can End Capital Flight in Technology Space via NEPAD- Monaisa
Mokgethi Monaisa, consul-general, South African (SA) High Commission in Nigeria (since January 2012) believes that both countries share similar potentials and well-positioned to influence the continent’s economic developments.
Monaisa had worked as Ambassador for SA Embassy, Antananarivo; High Commissioner, SA High Commission, Cameroon; Ambassador, SA Embassy, Gabon and Director- Human Rights, Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Pretoria Area, South Africa.
To him, Africa shouldn’t have business importing technology from other continents. In this short interview with peter ugwu, at SAGE Software Day in Nigeria 2015, he also shares some insights into the unfortunate xenophobic incident in SA recently.
Nigeria & South Africa Economic Relationship
If we look back, we will remember that there is a bi-national commission between the two countries and normally what bi-national commission implies (at the top of agenda) is business and thus far there has been so many south African companies that have invested in Nigeria and there are also Nigerians business that are in a South Africa too.
The trade balance between the two countries is increasing but it favours Nigeria more, because South Africa imports a lot of crude from Nigeria and that is what tipped the scale in favour of Nigeria. And South Africa on the other hand exports consumer products into Nigeria.
The Trade figures are in the region of 45billion South Africa Rands (SA Currency). It is quite a huge Investment. So also our relations are not only at government to government level, industry to industry level, but also at people to people level.
Grey Areas in SA and Nigeria Bi-lateral Trades
I think there are vast manufacturing opportunities in Nigeria and that is the area which really has to be boosted.
Maybe, there could be a lot challenges that Nigeria is facing and these challenges could be based on Energy (Power) because when you drive industry you have to source plenty of electrical power and there are discussion in South Africa government also to try and boost manufacturing industry in Nigeria because we also want to be importing a lot of finished products from Nigeria and Nigeria also importing finished products from south Africa.
Also there is need for the refining of petroleum product in Nigeria which is another area that has to be boosted so as to be encouraging growth.
It is not good to be exporting a lot of our raw materials to other continents; and next thing, we don’t have to go and buy the finished product, so we need to redefine our own petroleum products.
And then we are looking forward to having more and more refined products being imported by Nigeria from South Africa.
Assessment on Level of Technology Evolvement in Africa Ecosystem
Some years ago our leaders on the continent conceived the idea of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and if we can all as, African countries implement NEPAD as proposed by our leaders I think that will go a long way to promoting technology in Africa instead of looking for technology solutions elsewhere.
We have a lot of brain-powers in Africa and we need to utilize them. And we have a lot of skills that we need to tap into too.
And we have in the Diaspora, Africans who are holding positions at certain industries abroad and we could bring them with those skills into the continent, and go into production and refines our product and NEPAD could be the vehicle to achieve that.
The aim or objective of NEPAD is to inter-trade and promote investment in the continent and also to stop cash flow outside of the continent.
While we don’t break ties with our friends abroad, either in Europe or America, we don’t wish to ‘de-capitalize’ but we wish to be equal.
They need to also come and import from us finished product so we should be dealing at the same level with them as equals.
Concern of Insecurity in the Continent
It is true we are growing and going through a tough time on the continent, we see a lot of terrorist activities now, and suddenly a lot of our countries are becoming targets of these activities.
Therefore, insecurity could be part of that but also we must remember that nobody will come from anywhere else to come and secure the continent for us.
We are the ones that will secure the continent, at the same time promoting investments, build infrastructure.
They will come and destroy that, but we should also have plans in place to rebuild and with that we can boost of stronger and improved results.
I think we need to concentrate on dealing with the insecurity. We need to be able to tell people outside the continent that they can count on Africa for investment. And we need to know that we are the one to secure the continent.
Aftermath of Xenophobia
South Africa has been safe for so many years for many Africans; that is why we find many Africans residing and doing businesses in South Africa. If South Africa was not safe then we won’t have found so many Africans in the country.
About the issue of xenophobia, xenophobia is evident all over the world, as every nation has its own brand of xenophobia.
And normally xenophobia is not a policy of any government. Xenophobia is always caused by a few people and it’s not a culture of any nation.
But you find that it is in a particular minority. You may find out that there are some tendencies like those in which most of them are driven by criminals.
For instance the last xenophobic incidences in South Africa, when you look at them, they were more of criminal elements driven by their own agenda because as much as there were lots of noise about it but when you sit down and recount, you will see that there were only one foreigner who died out of that and three South Africans.
The figures we know are seven and the other three who died were unrelated to the xenophobi. It was just that they happened during that time.
But the noise that was made you will think that people have been killed at random in South Africa and there was nothing like that. What also happen then was that some people post on social Media images that have no relevance to what was happening there.
For instance there were some other images that were picked up from what happened in Rwanda during the genocide.
And then the picture depicted scenarios there were not reflective of the happenings in South Africa then.
It was only a few people in Durban, Alexander and Johannesburg that was all; South Africa will always be safe.
Even if you look there were countries that sent planes to collect their citizens but how many did really go back home?
You can count them and those who left even came back. So they will always be lot of people going to South Africa then just that tells you that South Africa has never be unsafe for anybody.
South Africa’s Expectation from Buhari Led Government
To South Africans, we hope the new government will promote democracy, push human rights and all the tenets of good governance, because they are key issues; good governance, human rights and democracy.
So, we know that Nigeria has also demonstrated that it could be one of the strong homes of democracy.
The way the elections took place and also the fact that a sitting president could be unseated through the ballot box speaks a lot about the democracy in Nigeria and we expect that the new government of Nigeria will also follow those good steps of promoting democracy and good governance.
So, we say congratulations to Nigerians for smooth elections and congratulations for exercising their right to elect the government they want.
Guinness Nigeria has officially begun rewarding consumers under its nationwide ‘Open For More’ National Consumer Promotion (NCP), with an impressive ₦17 million in rewards to 107 winners during the campaign’s first live draw held on July 31, 2026.
The inaugural draw instantly transformed the fortunes of consumers across the country, producing seven new millionaires, who each received ₦1 million, alongside 100 additional winners, who each walked away with ₦100,000. The milestone marks the beginning of a series of weekly live draws that will see hundreds more Nigerians rewarded throughout the promotion.
The seven ₦1 million winners are Marcus Barieepie, Ani Valentine Ogochukwu, Okafor Sochima, Taiwo Adebola, Zubair Rukayat, Oluwatobi Femi, and Ebubechukwu Okolo.
The live draw was conducted under the supervision of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to ensure transparency and fairness. Representatives of the commission present included Dr. Olubunmi Otti, Zonal Coordinator, FCCPC Southwest, and Mrs. Abosede Ogundeji, Surveillance and Investigation Officer.
Speaking during the draw, Ramanathan S, representing Guinness, said the promotion reflects the brand’s enduring commitment to celebrating and rewarding the consumers who have supported Guinness over the years.
“For decades, Nigerians have made Guinness a part of their milestones and celebrations. Today, we are proud to give back by putting ₦17 million directly into the hands of 107 consumers in our very first draw. This is only the beginning. Over the coming weeks, many more Nigerians will experience life-changing rewards as we continue to celebrate the loyalty of the people who have made Guinness part of their stories.”
He added that all weekly draws will continue to be streamed live across Guinness Nigeria’s official platforms, enabling consumers to witness the winner-selection process in real time and reinforcing the transparency and credibility of the promotion. He also encouraged eligible consumers nationwide to participate, noting that every valid entry presents another opportunity to win.
The ‘Open For More’ National Consumer Promotion offers consumers the chance to win ₦1 million every day, ₦100,000 cash prizes for 1,000 winners, and a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado as the grand prize. Altogether, the promotion will reward consumers with more than ₦400 million in cash and prizes.
To participate, consumers simply need to purchase specially marked bottles of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or Guinness Smooth, locate the unique code beneath the crown cork or can lid, and enter the code via the designated campaign platform.
With ₦17 million already won in its opening draw, the campaign is off to a remarkable start, reinforcing Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to rewarding consumer loyalty through transparent processes and unforgettable experiences that go beyond the product. Consumers are encouraged to look out for specially marked promotional packs and follow Guinness Nigeria’s official communication channels for updates, winner announcements, and details of upcoming draws.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with Nigerian universities to promote research, innovation and technology-driven solutions to local challenges.
NITDA, UniAbuja
NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, stated this when the management of Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, paid a familiarisation visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Abdullahi said stronger collaboration between NITDA and tertiary institutions was essential to building a robust innovation ecosystem, developing practical skills and positioning Nigeria for technology-driven economic growth.
He stressed the need for increased investment in research, particularly in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
“We need to invest more in in-depth research with universities to build a robust research ecosystem that will help us develop solutions.
“Research will focus on harnessing AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud technology, among other emerging technologies, to improve our lives and grow our digital economy,” he said.
The DG described universities as critical talent factories required to achieve Nigeria’s digital transformation aspirations.
“NITDA has a vision to make Nigeria a digitally empowered nation. You (UniAbuja) are the talent factory, and we cannot achieve our vision without talented Nigerians.
“The only way to achieve that is by working with institutions like yours. So, we need to build talent,” he said.
Abdullahi also advocated the integration of AI education across disciplines in tertiary institutions, saying students needed practical digital skills to remain relevant in the evolving world of work.
“We can work together to explore ways of introducing AI across the board as a general study course in tertiary institutions.
“Elements of AI should be included in every field of study to equip our students with the hands-on skills for navigating the real world,” he said.
According to him, NITDA is already collaborating with key education sector stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education.
He said the agency was also working to promote digital literacy programmes across all levels of education to ensure that graduates acquire skills relevant to industry requirements.
Earlier, Fawehinmi said the university’s visit was aimed at seeking NITDA’s partnership and support in strengthening digital infrastructure and technology-based training at the institution.
He expressed appreciation for NITDA’s contributions to the Digital Geoscience Centre at the university.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university was willing to collaborate with NITDA on joint research, capacity-building initiatives and innovation programmes capable of contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
“We could go into partnership with you to provide data, collaborative engagements, staff exchanges and joint research hubs, so that we can produce high-level human resources.
“The university is committed to serving as a strategic academic partner to NITDA by providing academic expertise required to advance your national digital transformation initiatives,” he said.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen the link between academic research and industry needs while creating opportunities for technology innovation, skills development and practical solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $567 million to address the alleged harms caused to young people by its social media platforms.
Meta
The ruling by Judge Bryan Biedscheid came in the second phase of a landmark trial concerning the impact of Meta’s platforms on children and teenagers.
The judge said $420 million of the amount would be dedicated to treatment services for young people, while the remaining funds would support awareness and prevention programmes, screening services and other related costs over the next five years.
The latest financial order comes on top of $375 million in civil penalties awarded against Meta in March after a jury found that the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed information about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
During the second phase of the trial, prosecutors asked the court to order fundamental changes to Meta’s platforms, including measures to reduce addictive features, improve age verification and prevent child sexual exploitation through stronger privacy settings and increased oversight.
The court subsequently ordered Facebook and Instagram to introduce banner notifications and informational screens explaining their safety features, recommended practices and tools for addressing inappropriate comments.
The platforms must also regularly display the information, while an educational campaign in New Mexico will be subject to review by the state.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the ruling sent a clear message that technology companies could be held accountable when their product designs knowingly exposed children to risks.
“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” Torrez said in a statement.
Meta said it would appeal the ruling.
“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” the company said.
The company said it remained confident in its record of protecting teenagers online and would continue to defend itself against what it described as claims that misrepresented the facts.
On age verification, the court said federal children’s privacy laws restricted Meta’s ability to apply certain verification tools to children under 13.
The court cited the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which limits the collection of personal information from children under 13.
Rather than imposing a blanket age-verification requirement exclusively on Meta, the judge ordered the company to continue improving its age-assurance tools in New Mexico.
The tools include the use of artificial intelligence to estimate users’ ages based on signals such as their social connections and the type of content they post and consume.
Meta was also ordered to attempt to develop a dedicated model for predicting whether users are under 13 within the next two years.
Additionally, the company must request proof of age from Facebook and Instagram users in New Mexico whom it estimates to be under 13.
Where Meta determines that a user is under 13, or under 18 but cannot determine a specific age, it must treat the user as being under the applicable age threshold until the user verifies their age.
The court further ordered Meta to partner with schools or a child-safety organisation to establish a reporting portal through which school officials can flag users suspected to be under 13.
Meta must also delete personal information it has collected from users under 13 and submit progress reports twice a year detailing its compliance with the court-ordered measures.
The ruling comes as Meta faces thousands of lawsuits from families alleging that children have been harmed by social media use.
The company is also preparing for another trial in California amid the growing litigation over the impact of social media platforms on young people.
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