E-Business
Get Back to School Ready Using Technology at your Fingertips

By Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, communications & public affairs manager, Google West Africa,
With schools starting next week, there is so much to do. From re-establishing routines, stocking up on school supplies, and setting aside time for studying, there’s so much more to think about as your child heads into the new school year.
As students, parents, and teachers prepare for the year ahead, here are a few ways you can use Google Maps and Google Assistant to make the transition as painless as possible.
Ace the school commute with Google Maps:
Google Maps helps you navigate anywhere, fast: search for places, get alternative routes, real time information about traffic jams and delays, and an up-to-date ETA so you know exactly when you’ll be at your destination. Here are 5 ways you can use Google Maps to navigate during this new school year.
Never miss your stop again: Use Google Maps to get transit navigation times, ETAs and a notification that tells you when to transfer or get off your bus or train, so you can stop worrying about missing your stop and focus on getting the most out of your day with your family.
OK Google, what’s my ETA? Keep your focus on the road by using voice commands on Google Maps. Just say “OK Google, find petrol stations” or “Show alternate routes” to get the information you need, hands free.
Wait time estimates and popular times: When school is in session you likely have even less time to get everything done! Use Google Maps to find out what the estimated wait times and popular times are at your favorite businesses so you can beat the crowds and save time.
Add detours to your route: We’ve all been there – you’re on your way to school drop-off and you’ve forgotten supplies. Cue panic – or not. With Google Maps you can easily search for places along your route while in navigation mode, so you can find the nearest store and get back on the route as quickly as possible.
Create lists to keep track of often-visited places – like the locations of after-school activities – and share them with others.
Let the Google Assistant help with homework:
Google Assistant is Google’s voice assistant, which grew out of Google Now, and is available on many Android devices and the iPhone. You can use Google Assistant to trigger apps and devices, ask all kinds of questions, make plans, and carry out a variety of useful tasks.
The Google Assistant offers the easiest way to get things done whether you’re at home, in the car, or on the go. Just ask for what you need and get instant help, saving you time so you can focus on the things that matter most.
Set reminders. If your child struggles with remembering when and what to study, set up reminders using Google Assistant. Just say “OK Google, set a reminder” and answer the Assistant’s questions to save the reminder. At the beginning of study time ask, “Hey Google, what are my reminders?” to know exactly what needs to be studied that evening.
Set study timers. Studies show that frequent breaks during tasks can lead to better concentration and higher productivity. With Google Assistant, you can schedule homework breaks to help make study time more effective. “OK Google, set my homework timer” will create a timer named ‘My Homework’ and ask you how long you want the timer to last. Once the time goes off, let your child know it’s break time.
Translate. Studying foreign languages can be tricky, especially if you don’t know the language for the course your child is taking. Google Assistant can help get you up to speed by answering questions like:
Hey Google, what is the French word for bathroom?
OK Google, what does “n’est-ce pas” mean?
Hey Google, how do you say milk in Spanish?
Use it as a calculator. Have you ever checked your child’s math homework and had no idea if the answer is correct? Thankfully, Google can help with equation solving abilities. For example, you can ask, “OK Google, what is pi times 49 squared?” Google Assistant will answer back, “The answer is 7,542.96.”
Learn how to solve complex problems and explore more niche info. Google Assistant can also teach you and your child how to solve more complex problems by pointing you to tutorials. For example you can say, “Hey Google, show me how to find the second derivative of a function” and Google will search for a YouTube video on the subject like this one from Khan Academy and display it on devices with a screen like Google Nest Hub. You can also explore education-related Actions for the Assistant that can help you learn more about particular topics — just say “Hey Google, talk to Physics Buddy” or “Hey Google, ask Chinese Tones to play a game”.
E-Business
Transcorp Hotels Delivers Stellar H1 Results, Declares Over ₦1Bn Dividend

Transcorp Hotels Plc has delivered a stellar performance in the first half of 2025, recording a 60% year-on-year surge in revenue to ₦47.57 billion, up from ₦29.72 billion in H1 2024. Gross profit climbed 71% to ₦36.21 billion, maintaining a strong 76% margin despite inflation and operational headwinds.
The hospitality giant, a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc, also announced an interim dividend payout of ₦1.024 billion — offering ₦0.10 per 50 kobo ordinary share to shareholders.
In a bold move, the company unveiled Nigeria’s largest corporate venue — the 5,000-seat Transcorp Centre — staking its claim as the new leader in event hospitality. Chairman Emmanuel Nnorom described the results as proof of Transcorp Hotels’ transformative strategies and unwavering investor commitment. MD/CEO Uzo Oshogwe attributed the success to relentless execution and a resilient business model.
Transcorp Hotels, renowned for iconic assets like Transcorp Hilton Abuja and its digital platform Aura, says it isn’t just leading Nigeria’s hospitality sector — it’s redefining excellence across Africa.
E-Business
Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

Chinese “threat actors” have hacked Microsoft’s SharePoint document software servers and targeted the data of the businesses using it, the firm has said.
China state-backed Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon as well as China-based Storm-2603 were said to have “exploited vulnerabilities” in on-premises SharePoint servers, the kind used by firms, but not in its cloud-based service.
The US tech giant has released security updates in response and has advised all on-premises SharePoint server customers to install them.
“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing,” Microsoft said in a statement.
The firm said it had “high confidence” the hackers would continue to target systems which have not installed its security updates.
It added that it would update its website blog with more information as its investigation continues.
Microsoft said it had observed attacks in which hackers had sent a request to a SharePoint server “enabling the theft of the key material by threat actors”.
Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant Consulting firm, a division of Google Cloud, told reporter, it was “aware of several victims in several different sectors across a number of global geographies”.
Carmakal said it appeared that governments and businesses that use SharePoint on their sites were the primary target.
A number of adversaries who stole material encoded by cryptography were then able to regain ongoing access to the victims’ SharePoint data, he said.
“This was exploited in a very broad way, very opportunistically before a patch was made available. That’s why this is significant,” Carmakal said.
Carmakal said the “China-nexus actor” was deploying techniques similar to previous campaigns associated with Beijing.
Microsoft said Linen Typhoon had “focused on stealing intellectual property, primarily targeting organizations related to government, defence, strategic planning, and human rights” for 13 years.
It added that Violet Typhoon had been “dedicated to espionage”, primarily targeting former government and military staff, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, higher education, the media, the financial sector and the health sector in the US, Europe, and East Asia.
Meanwhile, Storm-2603 was “assessed with medium confidence to be a China-based threat actor”.
E-Business
NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a public warning that it is not associated with NINcard.com.
According to the commission, the website has been circulating online to offer services for Nigerians seeking National Identification Number (NIN) services.
NIMC, in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, said, “NINcard.com is not in anyway affiliated to NIMC. Stay vigilant!”
The warning was accompanied by screenshots of fake payment receipts and OTP request pages from the website, both of which were boldly stamped “FAKE” by NIMC to alert the public.
- General News2 days ago
FG Plans N50m STEEM Grant to Support Student Innovation in August
- E-Business2 days ago
Transcorp Hotels Delivers Stellar H1 Results, Declares Over ₦1Bn Dividend
- Telecom2 days ago
MTN Media Innovation Programme Fellows Gain Insight into Nigeria’s Connectivity Backbone
- E-Financial2 days ago
Cardoso, CBN Boss Risks Arrest over Alleged N5.2 Trillion Unremitted Funds
- General News2 days ago
Experts Champion Sustainability at Lagos Green Economy Forum
- General News2 days ago
UK Businesses Look to Africa As Strategic Growth Partners
- Telecom3 days ago
Airtel Africa Grew Customer Base to 169m as Q1 Revenue Hits $1.4 Billion
- Telecom2 days ago
Driving Digital Inclusion: Anambra’s Mobile Tech Hub Brings Free WiFi to the People