General News
Microsoft-backed FAST Accelerator Launches 2nd Cohort of AI Program to Boost African Startups

Flapmax, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) company on a mission to enrich the lives of everyone on the planet through innovation, has announced the launch of the second FAST Accelerator program.

It is designed to support and fund the next generation of innovative companies and entrepreneurs throughout the African continent.
Building on the success of the inaugural program, FAST Accelerator 2023 offers a transformative experience for startup founders seeking to scale rapidly and sustainably. More than 800 startups from 25+ countries applied to join the inaugural program.
“FAST Accelerator represents our commitment to supporting ambitious entrepreneurs who are driving sustainable innovation across the continent of Africa and emerging markets,” said Dr. Dave Ojika, CEO of Flapmax.
“Through this comprehensive program, we are dedicated to connecting startup founders with a global community, industry-leading technology, and the essential startup funding necessary to forge the path towards local, sustainable, and AI-powered technological solutions of the future.
“Together, we unite in building a brighter future for Africa and the world, fueled by the transformative power of technology and innovation”.
In partnership with Microsoft, the FAST Accelerator initiative combines business development, technology integration, funding opportunities, and community building to empower startup companies based in Africa and emerging markets to deliver sustainable solutions. It also provides dedicated venture funding and invaluable mentorship opportunities.
The top ten FAST Accelerator 2023 startup participants will be selected for a five-week program in Silicon Valley, California, to forge relationships with industry experts, potential investors, and global partners through Flapmax’s vibrant ecosystem of over 600 corporate partners.
Startup leaders are encouraged to apply to FAST Accelerator this July. To be eligible, startups must be based in Africa, prepared to scale or expand throughout the continent, and have demonstrated established product-market fit and revenue generation. The program is prioritizing business-to-business startups for this cohort, with the areas of healthcare, fintech, Edutech, and industrials/agtech of particular interest. Sustainability and deeptech startups are also encouraged to apply.
Program participants must be available and committed for the entire duration of the program, which includes a two-week virtual bootcamp in August 2023, followed by a five-week accelerator program in October in California. The journey begins with an intensive virtual bootcamp designed to validate startup ideas, refine business models, and prepare founders for the next stage of growth.
Next, the top startups are selected to join a five-week accelerator program on the ground in Silicon Valley to experience unparalleled acceleration, networking, and fundraising opportunities, while immersing themselves in the dynamic startup ecosystem of Silicon Valley.
“As a HR technology company dedicated to building world-class software solutions for businesses, we are delighted to have participated in the transformative FAST Accelerator program in 2022,” stated Lekan Omotosho, co-founder and CTO of Pade.
“The technology and business masterclasses offered through Flapmax Learn were truly exceptional, and the invaluable network of mentors and advisors has played a significant role in our growth. With the successful raise of $500,000, we are poised to scale our cutting-edge HCM solutions across the continent, catering to both SMEs and large corporations.”
“At Snark Health, we are pioneering a novel approach to healthcare payment solutions, and our collaboration with FAST Accelerator has been instrumental in driving our growth,” said Edwin Lubanga, co-founder and CTO of Snark Health.
“Through FAST’s support, we have gained access to critical infrastructure, enabling us to deploy our services at scale. Working in conjunction with Microsoft and Azure services and partnering with hospitals in Kenya, we are determined to deliver equitable and affordable healthcare to tens of thousands of SMEs and health centers across Africa, creating a lasting impact on the healthcare landscape.”
“Our collaboration with FAST Accelerator has opened doors to an extraordinary opportunity, one that I fully endorse,” said Innocent Orikiiriza, founder and CEO of KaCyber Technologies. Guided by FAST Accelerator, we have developed a comprehensive sustainability framework that now underpins our business operations, emphasizing the vital importance of sustainability in the public transport sector.
“Additionally, we have achieved a major milestone of processing 11 million travel tickets to date, amounting to a transaction value of 200 billion Ugandan shillings, immensely bolstering our revenue pipeline. With major corporate partnerships underway, we eagerly anticipate unlocking even greater possibilities with FAST as we work towards realizing a seamless and sustainable mobility experience throughout Africa.”
General News
Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.

Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.
As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.
In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.
Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.
The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.
General News
NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.

The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.
The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.
According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.
The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.
NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.
“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.
However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.
According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.
He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.
The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.
NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.
The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.
The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.
General News
EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.

The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.
The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.
EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.
The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.
The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.
Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.
The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.
The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.
Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.
If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.
The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.
Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.
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