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YouTube Announces the Next Round of Applications for the Black Voices Fund Class of 2023

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YouTube has announced that applications for its Black Voices Fund, Class of 2023, are now available. The fund created in 2020 recognizes and quips Black creators, artists, songwriters, and producers with the resources and support to enable them to thrive on YouTube.

Since its inception in 2020, the program has welcomed over 300 grantees from Australia, Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United States, and includes musicians, beauty entrepreneurs, comedians, activists, poets, personal trainers, parents, photographers, gamers, and more.

“The African creator community is filled with so many talented, brilliant, passionate, and driven creatives, and we’re honored to equip these talented creators and artists with additional resources to match their drive.

“At YouTube, we’ve always tried to facilitate the rise of diverse voices, all inclusive of gender and race. Through the Black Voices Fund, in the past two years we’ve been able to amplify the perspectives and experiences of these diverse creators,” says Solafunmi Sosanya, YouTube Lead for Nigeria.

Creators selected for the program will receive funding that will be invested into the development of their channels. They will also receive dedicated partner support and get the opportunity to participate in bespoke training, workshops and networking programs.

Apart from having committed $100M for the YouTube Black Voices Fund, YouTube has also partnered with community-based groups to build the Future Insiders program, – specifically targeting over 180 at-risk and underprivileged students who are interested in a future in the music and creative professions. Participants in the program take part in quarterly sessions that cover YouTube success, career routes, accessing talent and thought leaders, and well-being.

The 2021 BVF cohort included 133 grantees hailing from the United States, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, and Nigeria-with 26 creators and artists from Africa.

Alumni from the continent include reality star entertainer Lasizwe Dambuza, personal trainer and health and wellness advocate Mitchelle Adagala, musician Sho Madjozi and TV presenter, entrepreneur and actress Tomike Adeoye.

“Africa is overflowing with incredible talent. We are excited to discover the amazing creators the next round of applications will bring with it as we continue to invest in the amplification of Black creators,” concludes Sosanya.

For more information on the Black Voices Fund or to apply, you can visit the application page at https://www.youtube.com/creators/black-voices-fund/


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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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ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

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Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.

ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.

According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected  (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.

Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.

It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.

This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files

“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”

In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.

Here’s what users should be doing now:

Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.

Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.

Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.

Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.

If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.

ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.

“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.

This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.

 

 

 


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MTN and Ecobank Launch Chess Championship to Empower Nigeria’s Youth

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MTN Nigeria is set to host the National Schools Team Chess Championship, Nigeria’s largest inter-school chess competition, scheduled to take place from June 26th to 28th, 2025, at the Ecobank Pan African Center in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The championship, organised in partnership with Ecobank and the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), aims to promote intellectual development, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among young Nigerians, while also identifying and nurturing future chess champions.

The championship is open to primary, secondary, and tertiary level students, and this year’s edition will host an impressive 1,600 students from 400 schools across 36 states and the FCT.

The competition will feature team-based play, with each team comprising four players from the same school. A significant prize pool of over N40 million is at stake, with winning schools also having the invaluable opportunity to represent Nigeria internationally.

Onyinye Ikenna Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at MTN Nigeria, expressed the company’s commitment to the initiative, stating, “Our investment is driven by our commitment to fostering youth development, just as our shared value initiative.

“By supporting, we not only contribute to the growth but also engage with the younger demographic in a meaningful way, as we believe we are good together”.

MTN’s sponsorship of the National Schools Team Chess Championship is a natural extension of its long-standing dedication to empowering young people through various initiatives in sports, education, and skill development, including programs like MTN Champs and MTN Campus Invasion.

The company aims to establish itself as the leading driver of youth empowerment, education, and strategic thinking through chess in Nigeria.

The event will also feature the presence of Tunde Onakoya, a renowned chess master and inspiration, who will join the championship week to share his experiences and further inspire the young participants.

His involvement underscores the profound impact strategic thinking can have on transforming lives and building dreams.


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NCC and Stakeholders Unite to Bridge Nigeria’s Rural Connectivity Gap

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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has collaborated with the Association for Progressive Communications and other institutional stakeholders towards addressing challenges confronting rural network connectivity in Nigeria.

The collaboration resulted in a two-day workshop hosted in Abuja from June 3-4, 2025, to explore policy framework for enabling community networks towards bridging the digital divide and accelerating socio-economic development in Nigeria’s underserved and unserved communities.

The forum brought together regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign investors, among others, to examine policy and regulatory barriers, explore innovative funding mechanisms, ensure sustainable renewable solutions and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders.

Addressing participants at the workshop, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the workshop is important to bridging the digital divide in Nigeria and foster inclusive social economic development.

“This workshop is an opportunity for all of us to harness the expertise, insights, and experiences of diverse stakeholders present here which includes the regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign providers to address the critical challenges such as affordable devices, access, licensing, spectrum allocation, infrastructure development, sustainability and institutional monitoring,” said Maida, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC at the event, Abraham Oshadami.

Maida said the workshop demonstrates the Commission’s commitment to advancing digital inclusion, particularly in underserved and unserved areas. “At NCC, we recognise the transformative potential of community center networks in achieving this important goal,” he said.

The EVC said NCC was committed to “this journey and views this workshop as a catalyst for meaningful change,” stating that the expertise, perspectives and commitments will shape the future where every Nigerian, regardless of his or her status, will have meaningful access to opportunities from digital connectivity.

In her remarks, Co-manager of the Association for Progressive Communications’ Local Network (LocNet) initiative, Kathleen Diga, noted that the collaboration was to tackle identified hindrances to digital inclusion. “This is a space where we can be open and exchange ideas of possibilities, opportunities that will remain in realising values of a diversified ecosystem.”

Diga said, “I believe this workshop presents a moment in time that we can explore the bottom-up approach in local communities, small social enterprises, corporative among others, which have the ability to fill some of the digital gaps that remain unfilled,” she said, adding emphasising the need to recognise that community centre connectivity exists and they are grow throughout the global south, which, she said, are a “strategic response to digital exclusion.”

The workshop featured presentations from the NCC, the Association for Progressive Communications and other institutional stakeholders such as the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) all geared towards exploring a joint policy framework to address rural digital divide.

The Association for Progressive Communications is a 35-year-old international network member-based organisation encouraging digital inclusion in the unserved communities, particularly with communities in the global south and the workshop, through its LocNet initiative aimed at crafting an enabling inclusive regulatory framework for community networks in Nigeria.

 

 


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