News
Facebook Targets Over 200m Visual Impaired with Automatic Alternative Text

The Facebook Accessibility Team on Tuesday announced Automatic Alternative text – a new development that generates a description of a photo using advancements in object recognition technology.
Every day, people share more than 2 billion photos across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.
While visual content provides a fun and expressive way for people to communicate online, consuming and creating it poses challenges for people who are blind or severely visually impaired.
The Team cited this as why they are making this announcement.
Starting Tueaday, people using screen readers on iOS devices will hear a list of items a photo may contain as they swipe past photos on Facebook.
Facebook said it is keeping faith with its mission to make the world more open and connected.
“This means that we want everyone to have equal access to connect with others,” the team said.
Worldwide, more than 39 million people are blind, and over 246 million have a severe visual impairment.
As Facebook becomes an increasingly visual experience, we hope our new automatic alternative text technology will help the blind community experience Facebook the same way others enjoy it.
What is Automatic Alternative Text?
Automatic alternative text, or automatic alt text, is a new development that generates a description of a photo using advancements in object recognition technology.
People using screen readers on iOS devices will hear a list of items a photo may contain as they swipe past photos on Facebook.
Before the announcement, people using screen readers would only hear the name of the person who shared the photo, followed by the term “photo” when they came upon an image in News Feed.
“Now we can offer a richer description of what’s in a photo thanks to automatic alt text. For instance, someone could now hear, ‘Image may contain three people, smiling, outdoors.'”
While this technology is still nascent, Facebok said that tapping its current capabilities to describe photos is a huge step toward providing our visually impaired community the same benefits and enjoyment that everyone else gets from photos.
“We are testing this feature first on iOS screen readers set to English, but we plan to add this functionality to other languages and platforms soon.
“You can try this technology for yourself. On an iOS device, enable VoiceOver by asking Siri to “turn on VoiceOver,” or by tapping on Settings > General > Accessibility > VoiceOver. Once enabled, you can open the Facebook app and swipe to scroll through your News Feed or a profile. When you swipe past a photo, you’ll hear this technology tell you some of the items the photo may contain”.
AI-Powered tech
Facebook said that its object recognition technology processes images uploaded to Facebook and the family of apps.
The technology is based on a neural network that has billions of parameters and is trained with millions of examples. Each advancement in object recognition technology means that the Facebook Accessibility team will be able to make technology even more accessible for more people.
Facebook’s Accessibility Team
The Facebook Accessibility team began five years ago to help make Facebook’s existing products usable by everyone.
Now the team also works on new products specifically for people with disabilities.
Automatic alt text is part of our effort to improve Facebook for people with blindness and vision loss, but the team has made progress in helping people with other disabilities including providing closed captions to help people who are deaf or hearing impaired, and ensuring Facebook can be used by people with limited mobility who use eye-tracking devices.
Facebook is also committed to making improvements that help the whole field of tech accessibility.
“We created the Accessibility Toolkit, a public resource covering best practices for designing and implementing an accessibility program. React, Facebook’s open source front-end framework for building web and mobile products, supports accessibility, and Facebook is a contributor to the Accessibile Rich Internet Application (ARIA) standard,” the social network giant said.
News
NACCIMA, TETFund Forge Alliance to Boost Innovation, Skills, Economic Growth

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have agreed to a new strategic partnership aimed at driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness.
Led by its National President and Chairman of the Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN), Engr. Jani Ibrahim, a high-level NACCIMA delegation visited the TETFund headquarters in Abuja today.
The team was received by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, during what both parties described as a milestone engagement.
Discussions during the meeting focused on collaborative initiatives including entrepreneurship development, support for the green economy, commercialization of academic research, industry–academia synergy, and skills development to better equip graduates for the evolving demands of the labour market.
A key outcome of the meeting was the mutual agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and establish a NACCIMA–TETFund Joint Technical Committee that will oversee the implementation of agreed initiatives.
Both sides also expressed commitment to developing additional partnership frameworks that will bolster Nigeria’s competitiveness and economic resilience.
Also present at the engagement, Prof. Umar Bindir lauded the collaboration, highlighting the need for structured, long-term partnerships between academia and the private sector to generate practical solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
Arc. Echono, in his remarks, praised NACCIMA’s leadership in promoting enterprise and innovation, and reaffirmed TETFund’s readiness to work closely with the Organized Private Sector to foster research, innovation, and economic transformation.
This collaboration positions NACCIMA as a key driver of national development, helping to bridge the gap between education, enterprise, and policymaking, while empowering young Nigerians and strengthening the foundation of the country’s knowledge economy.
News
Winners Emerge in the PalmPay, Glo Campaign

PalmPay, a digital banking platform, in partnership with Nigeria’s telecom giant, Glo, is celebrating winners in the ongoing PalmPay & Glo Recharge. The exciting campaign, which kicked off on June 19, 2025, will run until August 23, 2025, rewarding loyal customers with fantastic prizes and exclusive bonuses.
Since the promo commenced, users have won prizes ranging from Oraimo Earbuds to Infinix Hot 40i.
The ongoing weekly campaign has recorded 20 winners, which include:
- Michael Emmanuel from Lagos emerged as the winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Perpetual Amos, winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Semiu Adekunle Abegunde, winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Josiah Oluwasegun Adewale, winner of an Oraimo Earbuds
Michael Emmanuel from Lagos recounted his experience as the lucky winner of the Infinix Hot 401 as he couldn’t hide his excitement. He noted, “I am so excited! I didn’t even expect it. I received a call while I was sleeping, informing me that I’d won, and I went live immediately to confirm it was real. I’ve been using PalmPay for about two years now, and winning this is such a great feeling. I’ll keep using PalmPay, and I encourage everyone to recharge their Glo line on the app; you could win too.”
The campaign, which is in its last week, has winners revealed every Friday during a live raffle draw streamed across PalmPay’s social media channels. The campaign gives customers the chance to get amazing prizes, including an iPhone 15 Pro, an Infinix Hot 40, and many other exciting rewards. Users also enjoy up to 6% cashback when purchasing Glo airtime or data via the PalmPay app.
New Glo data subscribers who have not signed up for a plan in the past 90 days will also receive a 100% bonus on their recharge during the promo period.
How to participate:
- Download the PalmPay app.
- Link your Glo number in the app.
- Purchase airtime or data via PalmPay; every transaction increases your chances of winning.
- Join the live draw
News
Telcos See Biggest Growth Post-COVID – ALTON

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has said that the telecommunications sector in Nigeria is once again on a strong growth trajectory.

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, ALTON
Engr. Adebayo stated this over the weekend on the side-lines of the unveiling of Nigeria’s first Digital Museum, an initiative that preserves and showcases the nation’s history and cultural heritage.
He commended IHS Towers for spearheading the project, describing it as another clear demonstration of the industry’s commitment to the Nigerian project. He noted that by investing in the preservation of Nigeria’s past while building the infrastructure of the future, IHS has set a remarkable example of corporate citizenship.
Speaking on the state of the telecoms sector, Engr. Adebayo said: “After addressing sustainability concerns earlier in the year, we are now witnessing significant new investments in the sector: the highest we have seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of ALTON are optimising networks, building new sites to meet rising capacity demands, upgrading existing infrastructure, and migrating more sites from old radio links to high-speed fibre connections.”
He further noted that Tower Companies (TowerCos) are enhancing security across telecom sites to mitigate against vandalism and theft. “Removable batteries and generators are now fitted with trackers to trace stolen items, and we strongly advise the public to desist from buying equipment suspected to have been stolen from telecom sites,” he cautioned.
Engr. Adebayo also highlighted ongoing capacity development within the sector: “We are training and retraining our workforce to adapt to emerging technologies. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set strict service level requirements, and we are committed to not only meeting but surpassing them. Though network optimisation may occasionally cause service disruptions, we appeal to the public for understanding as these efforts will ultimately deliver a much-improved user experience nationwide.”
On industry governance, the ALTON Chairman expressed delight at the inauguration of the new Board of the NCC, chaired by Mr. Idris Olorunimbe.
“We are very excited about the appointment of Mr. Idris. His reputation as a man of excellence precedes him. Working with the competent and visionary Executive Management Team led by the Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, and the other Executive Commissioners, we are confident the sector is set on the right path to sustainability and growth. The new Board will strengthen the remarkable progress already achieved.”
Engr. Adebayo further welcomed the rebranding of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services (EMTS) from 9Mobile to T2, describing it as an important milestone for the industry.
“EMTS is a very important member of ALTON, and we are pleased to see their rebirth as T2. This rebranding enhances investor confidence and underscores the value of collaboration. It assures the public that there are good times ahead for our industry, and we are very excited about what the future holds,” he stated.
Turning to issues of Right of Way (RoW), Engr. Adebayo stressed that investments can only thrive in enabling environments:
“The digital train is moving very fast. States that create hostile conditions for telecom operations risk being left behind. We will not continue to solicit endlessly for cooperation. Where deployment is unwelcome, investments will move to more supportive neighbouring states, and citizens of unfriendly states will inevitably suffer limited connectivity. We urge all state actors to partner with us so that no one is left behind in this rapid transformation.”
On the issue of multiple taxation, Engr. Adebayo commended the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the Presidential Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform Committee, for its ongoing reforms. Engr. Adebayo described the reforms as a pivotal step toward streamlining Nigeria’s tax system and eliminating the burden of multiple taxation. He highlighted the positive impact on small and medium-sized businesses, noting that the changes will promote entrepreneurship, attract investment, and foster a more business-friendly environment.
“We eagerly await the commencement of the implementation in January 2026. We are confident that the over 56 taxes and levies currently borne by our members across various jurisdictions will soon become a thing of the past.”
Engr. Adebayo concluded by appreciating all industry stakeholders and reaffirming ALTON’s commitment to the Nigeria project:
“The transformation we are witnessing in our sector has not been experienced in recent years. We thank the leadership of the NCC for their commitment, we congratulate and welcome the new Board under the leadership of Mr. Idris Olorunimbe, and we look forward to even greater milestones ahead.
The industry is on the march again, and together, with the support of the public in protecting our critical infrastructure, there is no stopping Nigeria’s telecommunications sector as a driver of national economic stability and growth.”
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