News
Phase3 Partners on Higher Representation of the Girl Child in ICT
in the wake of its education development initiatives for 2017 – Phase3 Telecom once again partners on campaigns geared towards higher representation and active engagement of girls in the ICT space.
This year’s renewed collaboration with eBusiness Life Communications marks the company’s fourth partnership on the International Telecommunications Union member states’ global effort to raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICTs.
To date over 240,000 girls and young women have taken a part in more than 7,200 Girls in ICT events held in 160 countries around the world.
According to Stanley Jegede, Phase3 chief executive officer; the company’s focus in this regard as always been to champion or support programs that aggressively drive early ICT education for girls; digitalized training as well as developing technology skills for women. And to ensure those skills are promptly and effectively harnessed for Africa’s rapid socio-economic development and sustainability.
He said it is notable that in West Africa, women are significantly under-represented across the board in ICT sector – from education and training programs right through to high level careers both in the academia or industry.
That faster results can also be recorded locally if several global pushes to see more girls encouraged for active career pursuits in the ICTs are consistently encouraged and replicated in Nigerian schools – especially through bespoke technology designed for local context and means such as IT/ICT career fairs; competitions; mentoring and work shadowing programs; experience targeted workshops; Open days at ICT based companies, institutions and government agencies.
More so, the ITU recently stated that “there is an estimated shortfall of over two million skilled ICT professionals worldwide.
Despite the obvious benefits, many girls never even consider a career in ICTs. At the same time, many companies are looking to increase the number of women in the sector.
The ICT sector is a growing sector for employment in both developed and developing countries. This means that highly qualified women in technical fields around the world have significant opportunities available to them”.
Jegede concluded by commending eBusiness Life commitment to the initiative year-on-year to mentor and support girls who have keen interest in walking the ICT career path whether in engineering, design, operations or research. That he is optimistic that this global evolution will gain greater influence in Africa as more and more institutions and agencies advocate ICT skills for women on the continent. He believes that “young African girls must be encouraged early to see the advantages and dividends of the dynamic and fast-evolving-sector”.
EFCC
The African Development Bank Group last week approved an investment of €6.5 million in the Saviu II fund in order to support technology start-ups through their seed phase and first institutional fundraising, mainly in French-speaking Central and West Africa.
The Bank will invest €4.5 million as equity and €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission, under the Boost Africa Programme.
This participation of the Bank Group will enable the Saviu II fund to give priority to companies with a strong technological or digital component.
Saviu II, the second investment vehicle of Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 technology or technology-oriented business-to-business start-ups in the seed phase or carrying out first institutional fundraising.
The Saviu II venture capital fund aims to make at least 60% of its commitments in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa: Côte d ‘Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The fund can also co-invest in promising technology companies in East Africa that have a strong team and business model, and whose strategy includes entering the market in French-speaking West African countries and establishing a strong presence there.
In addition, the fund will devote a dedicated envelope to pre-seed investments, focusing on minority equity investments, usually in co-investment with studios, incubators or other ecosystem partners.
Nigerian Government has signed a $1.3 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) via the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to fund an alumina refinery, national geoscience mapping, and a strategic investment vehicle for mining growth.
Special Assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the refinery will process one million tonnes of bauxite yearly using a modern Bayer process, powered by an on-site gas-fired cogeneration plant.
Minister Dele Alake called it a transformative milestone boosting GDP, aligning with reforms that improve investment climate, regulations, and licensing to attract private capital. He directed agencies to fast-track permits.
The 20-year project at 95% utilization eyes 19 million tonnes total output, $1.2 billion annual GDP addition, $25 billion economic impact, and $8 billion forex earnings, per feasibility studies.
SMDF Executive Secretary Fatima Shinkafi termed it the agency’s biggest funding deal, supporting value-addition policy.
The partnership extends to geoscience mapping for mineral data, de-risking exploration, and a joint vehicle for mining assets.
Permanent Secretary Engr. Farouk Yabo praised the reforms. Shinkafi signed for government; AFC’s Franklin Edochie for the corporation, witnessed by AFC CEO Samaila Zubairu.
Tomori positioned it as Nigeria’s largest private mining investment and FDI magnet.
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