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Tony Elumelu Foundation, Google.Org Announce Inaugural Fellowship Program to Support African Entrepreneurs

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L-R: Ifeanyiwa Ugochukwu, CEO, Tony Elumelu Foundation; Juliet Ehimuan, Director, West Africa, Google; Tony Elumelu, Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation; and Ochuko Angela Ege, Partnerships strategist, UNICEF at the announcement of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Google.Org Inaugural Fellowship Program
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The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and Google announced today an inaugural Google.org Fellowship to provide one million additional Africans with access to TEFConnect, as part of the Foundation’s mission to empower young African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries.

L-R: Ifeanyiwa Ugochukwu, CEO, Tony Elumelu Foundation; Juliet Ehimuan, Director, West Africa, Google; Tony Elumelu, Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation; and Ochuko Angela Ege, Partnerships strategist, UNICEF at the announcement of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Google.Org Inaugural Fellowship Program

The announcement was made during an event held at the Foundation’s headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, which was attended by several African political and business leaders.

This partnership is the first Google.org Fellowship in Africa and will offer enormous opportunities for Africa’s digital community. Nine full-time Google employees, including software engineers, UI/UX researchers, and policy experts, will work with the Foundation to design and build an upgraded version of the TEFConnect platform.

TEFConnect is already home to over one million African entrepreneurs and offers tailored tools, market partnerships, and access to coaches and investors to small businesses.

This fellowship builds on an initial $3 million grant by Google.org to support the 2021 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme by empowering an additional 500 African women to start or scale their businesses.

The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme is a US$ 100m initiative that has supported over 15,000 African entrepreneurs and is the largest entrepreneurship programme in Africa.

“Before the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, my water company suffered financial setbacks. Since TEF support, I have purchased new machines and impacted more communities to ease the water purification process. I deliver clean water to villages that lack access to clean water at an affordable price.

“The Tony Elumelu Foundation Grant was a dream come true for me and a great opportunity. More people should partake, this is the most innovative platform in Africa,” TEF Beneficiary, Lungile Marhungane, CEO, Jesu Puro Water.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, catalysing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and job creation across all 54 African countries. TEF has disbursed over $85 million in seed capital to date to support small business growth across Africa.

Speaking, the co-Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Dr. Awele V. Elumelu said, “We are pleased to continue to share our unique ability and platform to identify, train, mentor and fund young entrepreneurs across Africa with like-minded institutions like Google.org who share in our commitment to empower young African entrepreneurs.

“It will be exciting to see the ways in which the refreshed TEFConnect platform will continue to provide a space for growth, personal development, and meaningful exchange for African entrepreneurs.

“In line with our founding philosophy of Africapitalism, we believe that entrepreneurs are the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.”

Jen Carter, global head of technology at Google.org, commented on this exciting partnership, “We are delighted to kick off our first Google.org Fellowship in Africa.

“The Tony Elumelu Foundation does so much to empower African entrepreneurs, and we are thrilled to be able to lend the expertise of Googlers to expand the reach of the TEFConnect platform to an additional 1 million entrepreneurs.”

“Google’s commitment in Africa has progressed from sponsoring projects to collaborative partnerships with established African organisations like the Tony Elumelu Foundation, dedicated to developing young African talent.

“As Africa’s digital economy grows, African entrepreneurs are in a prime position to establish a powerful digital footprint, and this fellowship is one step closer to transforming the landscape” she added.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Stakeholders to Brainstorm on Implementation of CNII Bill & Sustainability @ALTON/NITRA Forum

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As the telecom industry grapples with the challenge of how to secure its infrastructure and ensure that investments in the telecoms space are protected, following the recent Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) status granted it by the Federal Government, the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) has called for an all-stakeholder approach.

NITRA, the umbrella Association for technology reporters in Nigeria, in a statement announcing a joint-industry forum, being organized in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), noted that mere declaration of the CNII order cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators, further disclosed that the forum will bring stakeholders together to address pertinent issues and questions begging for answers.

Scheduled to hold at CitiHeight Hotel, Ikeja on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the event, tagged “Industry Sustainability And CNII Conference 2025 – Way Forward” will gather stakeholders to discuss the practical way forward, noting that passage of the Bill along will not achieve desired results.

According to the organisers, questions that stakeholders will provide answers to at the event include:

Ø  How do we ensure that this law is implemented to the letter?

Ø  Are there areas worth looking into once more, or is the Bill perfect as it is?

Ø  What are the roles of each stakeholder in the industry – Federal, States, Operators, Consumers, and other actors?

Ø  Are individual telecom companies and service providers keying into the CNNI provisions, and how?

Ø  What are the roles of regulators in ensuring public compliance to the Bill?

Ø  How do we ensure security?

Ø  What is the place of collaboration?

Ø  Publicity: how much of the CNII provisions are the public aware of?

Ø  How can we sustain the growth and development of telecommunications in Nigeria?

The Panel Discussion sessions will look into some of the questions arising from industry sustainability and CNII implementation.

Expected at the event are the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, network operators, security agencies, regulators, the media, infrastructure companies and decision makers in private and public firms, among other guests.

According to a statement from NITRA, “It is a known fact that the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is crucial to the survivability of a nation, and that the destruction or disruption of these systems and communication networks would significantly affect the economic strength, image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety.”

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, had in a forum stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and tech-upgraded installation to prevent vandalism and theft.

He highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers, fibre cables and poles; community resistance to infrastructure projects; unauthorised installation of infrastructure without government approval; malicious destruction of telecom infrastructure; among other challenges to be curbed.

Chairman of NITRA, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, spoke of the importance of the Industry Sustainability and CNII Conference, noting that industry stakeholders need to come around a table to broker an understanding on how to secure telecom infrastructure, standing on FG’s proclamation of CNII.

He noted that with the CNII Bill in place, stakeholders will have to formulate measures to take to implement the provisions of the Bill and enforce compliance. These he disclosed, will be the outcome of the forum to be held in Lagos.

According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum, which will have other industry Associations also make their inputs, will afford the public opportunity to share their thoughts, especially as it regards the security of infrastructure in their localities.


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Starlink Resumes Customer Activations Across Nigeria

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Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has restarted fresh activations for Nigerian customers, following months of regulatory suspension and subsequent infrastructure upgrades.

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) had halted new residential orders in November 2024 pending regulatory approvals, leaving thousands of potential users unable to complete purchases and onboarding.

According to a statement, the company has now expanded its network capacity and resumed full activation services, particularly targeting high-demand zones such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

“This is a significant stride towards bridging the digital divide and revolutionising connectivity across the nation,” a leading internet service provider said in an official communication to Saturday PUNCH.

In support of the rollout, Konga—Starlink’s largest authorised distributor in Nigeria—announced that it is offering free nationwide delivery of Starlink kits. Customers can order online or walk into any retail outlet in key cities including Asaba, Owerri, Uyo, Warri, Ibadan, and Kano.

Industry analysts say the resumption of Starlink activations is a boost to Nigeria’s efforts in expanding access to fast, stable internet—especially in areas where traditional infrastructure is either unreliable or unavailable.

The upgraded system is expected to deliver enhanced bandwidth, improved speeds, and greater reliability for residential and commercial users, further supporting remote work, e-learning, and digital innovation across the country.


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V-Malaysia 2025: QNET Strengthens Global Network with Landmark 5-Day Event

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QNET, leading global wellness and lifestyle direct-selling company, has successfully concluded V-Malaysia 2025, its flagship annual convention, at the Penang SPICE Convention Centre in Malaysia. Held from 21–25 June, the five-day event drew over 8,000 participants from more than 30 countries, including Nigeria, reinforcing the company’s global reach and strong foothold in the African market.

For over a decade, QNET has chosen Penang as the destination for this transformative event, which blends business networking, entrepreneurial development, and immersive personal growth experiences.

The 2025 edition underscores the continued collaboration between QNET, its event partner V Global Management (The V), Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), and its state-level affiliate, Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB).

In Nigeria, QNET has steadily gained recognition as a key player in the direct selling and wellness space, empowering thousands of Nigerians with entrepreneurial opportunities, health-conscious products, and financial education.

Through its innovative business model, QNET has fostered a growing community of independent distributors across states like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. Events such as V-Malaysia provide distributors a platform to connect with the global QNET network, learn from top leaders, and gain exposure to cutting-edge tools and products that can be leveraged in their local businesses.

V-Malaysia has evolved into a premier platform for business networking, entrepreneurial development, and cross-cultural collaboration. The synergy between QNET and The V — an internationally recognised organisation specialising in large-scale training and events has been pivotal in building the convention’s global draw.

YB Wong Hon Wai, Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACH), emphasised the regional impact of V-Malaysia: “Penang’s vibrant tourism and business events ecosystem continues to attract top-tier events like QNET’s V-Malaysia.

In 2024 alone, Penang recorded an estimated RM1.29 billion in economic impact from such events – a testament to their significance. QNET’s long-term commitment brings not only economic value but also strengthens Penang’s global reputation.”

Trevor Kuna, Chief Marketing Officer of QNET, added: “For QNET, Penang is more than just a venue; it’s a home for inspiration, collaboration, and transformation.

“Our strong base in Nigeria and across Africa makes this event especially meaningful, as we bring together entrepreneurs from across the continent to share ideas and build cross-border relationships that accelerate personal and economic growth.”

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), a government agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and parent body of PCEB, plays a pivotal role in Malaysia’s business events ecosystem. In 2023 alone, MyCEB facilitated 248 business events, brought in over 180,700 international delegates, and generated about RM 2.8 billion in economic impact.

For V-Malaysia 2025, MyCEB’s expertise in destination marketing, strategic facilitation, and coordination between federal and state levels (through PCEB) has been instrumental in elevating Penang’s standing as a premier MICE hub.

Complementing this effort is Tourism Malaysia, whose targeted incentives and logistical backing helped deliver V-Malaysia 2025 as a high-impact global event. Their support underscores the government’s broader commitment to positioning Malaysia as a top-tier host for international conferences and high-impact corporate events.

As part of the event’s activities, QNET also unveiled new wellness innovations, including Harmoniq, a bio-signaling patch designed to enhance energy and well-being, and QWIK, a line of oral health and nutrition strips — products set to expand into markets like Nigeria in the coming year.

V-Malaysia 2025 is not just a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship; it is a dynamic platform that exemplifies how global vision and local action, especially across Africa, can reshape the future of direct selling. For more information about V-Malaysia 2025, please visit QNET’s official website.


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