Telecom
Meta Announces Llama Impact Innovation Awards to Support AI-Driven Organisations in Africa
Meta on Wednesday announced the launch of the Meta Llama (Large Language Model Meta AI) Impact Innovation Awards, building on its commitment to open science and empowering developers in every industry to drive breakthroughs, create new products and solutions, and benefit from accelerations in technological advancement and economic growth.
The Meta Llama Impact Innovation Awards supports organisations across Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey that are leveraging Llama 2 or Llama 3 to drive social impact. With awards of up to $35,000 USD, this program will identify and empower organisations that use Llama as a core element of their work to address challenges in the region.
The Awards is a global program and it’s open to all countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their use of Llama 2 or Llama 3 addresses specific issues relevant to their primary location of operation:
Education: Leverage Llama to improve learning outcomes, increase access to quality education, and enhance the teaching experience. Applications might include AI-powered tutoring, personalized learning platforms, and intelligent tools for teachers.
Public services: Harness Llama to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government services. Applications might include but are not limited to solutions for citizen engagement, AI-driven data analysis, and virtual assistants for navigating government processes.
Healthcare: Apply Llama to improve health outcomes, streamline clinical workflows, and enhance patient experiences. These might include AI-powered diagnostic tools, intelligent tools for healthcare workers, or personalized medicine platforms.
Safety and Security: Employ Llama to develop innovative solutions that enhance public safety, prevent fraud, and protect vulnerable populations. For example, AI-powered fraud detection, chatbots for emergency response, and predictive analytics for crime prevention.
Application Details
The application window for the Meta Llama Impact Innovation Awards is open from Monday, June 17, 2024, to Friday, July 26, 2024. Organisations in eligible countries are encouraged to submit their applications. All proposals will be evaluated using a selection criterion that assesses:
Demonstrated utility of Llama: Llama should be a fundamental component of the project or product, and its utility should be clearly defined. As a part of this evaluation, applicants are required to submit public reference to their use of Llama (e.g., blog post, news article, or Github repository outlining how Llama is used for the project or product).
Applicability: The proposed solution measurably addresses the challenge outlined in their designated track.
Impact: The proposed solution articulates a vision for how their solution impacts the broader problem space and provides social benefit. This might include how the solution works across geographies, addresses the needs of additional communities, or similar.
Responsibility: Ideal winners will be able to demonstrate how they utilized the Responsible Use Guidelines in the development of their project or product.
Winners will be notified by September 2024 while applicants-of-interest and runners- up may be notified by or beyond September 2024. If your organisation has a submission for how to use Llama to address the relevant issue topic, Meta invites you to send in your applications before the application window closes and expect more program updates.
Airtel Africa reported a profit after tax of $376 million for the half year ended September 30, 2025 as compared to $79 million in the corresponding period last fiscal, benefitting from a $90 million gain largely arising from Nigerian naira appreciation during the current quarter (Q2’26) and the Central African franc (CFA) appreciation during the previous quarter (Q1’26).
Revenues at $2,982 million for the reported period saw strong growth as compared to $2,370 million in the six months of the last fiscal, rising 24.5% in constant currency and 25.8% in reported currency.
The company said constant currency revenue growth reflects the consistent execution of its strategy, supported by tariff adjustments in Nigeria and continued strong growth momentum in Francophone Africa.
“Our strategy has been focussed on providing a superior customer experience and the strength of these results is testament to the initiatives that we have been implementing across the business,” Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer of the company said in a statement.
He said the company has been scaling the network to build additional capacity to facilitate the rise in both digital and financial inclusion.
“The increase in smartphone penetration to 46.8% reflects the substantial demand for data services across our markets but also highlights the scale of the opportunity to further develop the digital economy,” Taldar said.
Capex for the period stood at $318 million. “We have increased our capex guidance for FY’26 to between $875m and $900m – from ‘between $725 million and $750 million’.
This reflects our decision to accelerate our ability to capitalise on the significant growth opportunity that is available across the region, as is reflected by these strong H1’26 results,” the company said.
During the period, the company continued investments in network with the rollout of over 2,350 new sites to over 38,300 sites and an expansion of its fibre network by approx. 4,000 kms to over 81,000 kms.
Vitel Wireless Limited, a GSM second level operator, licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to begin nationwide operations on October 30.
Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless
Themed “Blue is Here,” the launch event will unveil E-SIMs, physical SIMs, and smart connectivity solutions for individuals and businesses
With the tagline “Everything Connected,” Vitel aims to redefine communication in Nigeria through innovation, speed, and trust.
In a statement earlier, Vitel Wireless, said it combines reliability with innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver seamless connectivity and intelligent solutions across the country.
“The company’s services go beyond communication — they integrate safety, mobility, and smart systems to enhance how individuals, businesses, and communities connect,” the statement reads.
According to Engr Kenneth Nwabueze, executive chairman, Vitel Wireless, at the heart of the telco’s mission is a bold vision to redefine mobile communication through technology that not only connects people but also protects them.
He highlighted the features saying the device is embedded with IoT-driven devices, smart logistics solutions and AI-powered safety analytics.
“Vitel Wireless is more than a telecom brand — it’s a movement toward a smarter, safer, and more connected Nigeria. Our goal is to bridge technology and humanity, using mobile innovation to improve lives, empower businesses, and strengthen national security,” Engr. Nwabueze said.
He stated that the Vitel Wireless team has interconnected with all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria, including MTN, Airtel, and Glo, and has a roaming agreement with MTN for nationwide rollout, extending Vitel Wireless coverage as one of the largest networks in Nigeria.
“Vitel Wireless has partnered with NCC and various law enforcement agencies to define and support key regulatory frameworks that now govern the nation’s telecom space in personal and public safety,” he said.
He added that the value added service includes Xphone -free phone calls and low international calling rates, SecureMe -location awareness solution for personal safety, Oga-App -employment enhancement and performance tool, ISEEYOU -AI-based CCTV with real-time alerts, AssetNow -LBS/GPS-based asset tracker, and many more.
“Vitel Wireless’s nationwide rollout signals a new era for the telecom industry — one where connectivity meets intelligence, and technology serves both purpose and people,” Nwabueze added.
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, in collaboration with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) through the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria, has announced the shortlist of 100 young Nigerian innovators for the second phase of the 2025 Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge.
The initiative, launched in 2024, is aimed at fostering home-grown solutions to Nigeria’s most pressing environmental challenges, including climate change, pollution, community conservation, and sustainability.
According to a joint statement by the organisers, the top 100 were selected from a pool of 2,169 applications received nationwide. The selection process involved a rigorous multi-stage evaluation conducted by 20 expert assessors, guided by a robust framework to ensure fairness and consistency.
“The shortlisted innovators represent the brightest minds committed to environmental resilience,” the statement read. “Their solutions span high-impact sectors and are designed to address both national and continental environmental issues.”
The PachiPanda programme offers participants access to mentorship, technical workshops, seed funding, and a network of industry experts. The next phase will see a further evaluation to determine the Top 10 finalists, who will be unveiled ahead of a three-day sprint pitch and masterclass event scheduled for November 2025 in Lagos.
During the event, finalists will undergo intensive training to refine their business strategies and enhance their solutions for broader impact. Winners of the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge will advance to the continental Africa PachiPanda Contest, where they will compete with other national champions.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek reports that the programme underscores MTN Nigeria’s commitment to eco-entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability, empowering youth-led enterprises to drive green innovation across Africa.
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