The Winners of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Get $370,000 and Qualify for the 2024 Olympic Marathon

The Winners of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Get $370,000 and Qualify for the 2024 Olympic Marathon

East African athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia once again dominated the 2023 Access Bank (www.AccessBankPLC.com) Lagos City Marathon. Edwin Kibet Koech of Kenya won the $50,000 first-place prize for the men’s category, and Guta Alemenesh Herpha of Ethiopia took home the $50,000 first-place prize for the women’s category, bringing the event to a thrilling conclusion at the posh Eko Atlantic City in Lagos.

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WINNER

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Access marathon girl winner

 

Koech of Kenya won the 42km race, beating out more than 200 other marathon runners to take first place in the men’s division. The 39-year-old breast the tape ahead of Bernard Sang of Kenya and Dekeba Shefa of Ethiopia, who came in second and third, respectively. Bernard and Dekeba went home with $40,000 and $30,000 out of the $370,000 in prize money provided by Access Bank and its parent company, Access Corporation.

In the women’s division, Guta Alemenesh Herpha of Ethiopia finished the race in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds, winning for the second time in five years after her victory in 2018. Urisa Kebene Chala of Ethiopia came in second with 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 44 seconds, and Naomi Maiyo of Kenya repeated her victory from 2018.

One of the largest sports and lifestyle events in Africa, with exponential growth in participation and rewards, the event drew elite athletes from Africa and around the world as well as fitness and lifestyle aficionados to Lagos, Africa’s commercial and cultural capital.

The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has been running for just eight years, yet it has already earned the Gold title from World Athletics, the organisation that oversees international athletics.

Ajoritsedere Awosika, Chairman of Access Bank PLC, commented on the marathon, saying, “As you know, sport unites Africa. We are succeeding in our corporate social responsibility goal of raising Africans’ awareness of their wellbeing and improving their quality of life thanks to the substantial number of participants from all over the continent.”

“At Access Bank, we collaborate with the government to support sports & cultural development in Africa,” she noted.

The eight-year-old marathon, sponsored by Access Bank, one of the business verticals of Access Corporation, aims to promote tourism, healthy living, and the exposure of Nigerians and other Africans to opportunities on a global scale in the fields of sports, culture, tourism, and other industries.

Over 75 elite international athletes competed for the $370,000 total prize money at the 2023 Marathon which drew over 50,000 participants. It has since evolved into a high-octane lifestyle and cultural occasion that offers Africans limitless opportunities to push the boundaries of leadership, excellence, and innovation.

At Access Bank, we collaborate with the government to support sports & cultural development in Africa

Top Nigerian musicians Niniola and Zlatan Ibile, among others, gave performances that increased participation among athletes and lifestyle enthusiasts around the nation and boosted the tourism industry with thousands of visitors to the upscale Eko Atlantic City, the last point for the marathon.

Commenting, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, said, “You cannot have the talent to represent your nation in international contests without grassroots sports development. Our efforts to promote sports development in Nigeria will continue to gain pace with the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon in 2023. The widespread engagement of sports fans in the nation is proof that we have athletes that can compete on a worldwide level.”

Babajide Sanwolu, the governor of Lagos State, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, claimed that the Marathon had drawn attention throughout the world.

“With the help of Access Bank, we have maintained the Lagos City Marathon for the past 8 years, and this has helped position the event as a part of the global athletic calendar, luring more sports and lifestyle tourists into the nation to experience the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos and contributing to the economy of the state. The Marathon is now a gold label event driving more participation globally”.

Victor Etuokwu, Deputy MD, Retail North, Access Bank, also spoke at the event. He said the goal of the marathon is to encourage people from all walks in the African society to lead healthy lifestyles and to promote sports tourism in Africa by providing participants from all over the continent who travel to Nigeria for the event with memorable experience.

“We have developed the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon to a gold label, making it the fastest-growing race in the world. Within the next two years, we want the marathon to reach platinum status, and we will keep innovating to make sure we succeed. As part of our mission to connect Africans, we anticipate to see participation from more African countries in the next edition, particularly from countries like Botswana, Mozambique, Senegal, Uganda, and others which are part of countries under our Pan-African growth strategy,” Etuokwu said.

According to him, Access Bank has a strategy of going beyond banking to support Africans in their quest to create viable businesses and fulfilling careers that have the potential to alter the overall economy.

Access Bank is genuinely adding value for its clients and other stakeholders by raising its prize money and assisting in the creation of greater chances for Africans to compete on the international stage. It should be noted that winners of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon winners this year have qualified for the marathon competition in the Paris Olympics 2024.

The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is an initiative of Access Bank Plc. Access Corporation is the parent company of one of Africa’s financial services giants, Access Bank. The organisation, whose 20-year journey in transforming the African financial services sector, aims to connect Africa and the world meaningfully through sports and tourism. This the institution has done since the inception of the Access Lagos City Marathon in 2015.

NCC-CSIRT Issues Advisories to protect Nigerians against Threat Actors  

NCC-CSIRT Issues Advisories to protect Nigerians against Threat Actors  

 

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT), in line with its mandate, has rolled out some advisories in the first few weeks of the year 2023 as cyber threat actors continue to devise means of compromising their targets.

 

The latest of such advisories urged users to be mindful after attackers use Microsoft OneNote attachments in phishing emails that infect victims with remote access malware, which may allow hackers to remotely access vital information on victims’ devices.

 

The Team advised users not open files from people they do not know, not to click ‘OK’ and immediately exit the application if they receive a warning that opening an attachment or link can damage their computer or files and to promptly share an unknown email they believe to be genuine with a security or Windows administrator to assist in determining whether the file is secure.

 

It had recently advised people not to open attachments in suspicious emails and to only purchase or download applications from official websites in response to the discovery of phishing malware that can gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data and download further malware.

 

The team reported that cybersecurity analysts at ASEC (South Korea’s cybersecurity emergency response centre), discovered a NetSupport RAT malware being distributed by threat actors from a phishing website disguised as a popular Pokemon card game.

 

The malware is a remote access tool that easily controls its victims’ Personal Computers and may allow the attackers to remotely control the compromised computer’s mouse and keyboard, access the system’s file management and history and even execute commands allowing them to install additional malware.

 

According to the researcher, the CRAFTED website that spread the malware is still online. It claims to be home to a new NFT card game built around the Pokemon franchise, offering users strategic fun together with NFT investment profits.

 

In a related advisory, following the discovery of several phishing apps on the Google Play Store, NCC-CSIRT had also advised users not to give out sensitive information through untrusted platforms.

 

NCC-CSIRT’s advisory on the discovery said the apps, which have been downloaded 450, 000 times in total, can be games or investment services, but that they are designed to steal sensitive user information.

 

While some of the malicious apps have been removed, others are still active on the store, with the affected apps listed as Golden Hunt, Reflector, Seven Golden Wolf Blackjack, Unlimited Score, Big Decisions, Jewel Sea, Lux Fruits Game, Lucky Clover, King Blitz, and Lucky Hammer.

 

According to the advisory, after installing and opening the app, it will contact a remote server which will reply with instructions on what to do. These instructions typically include phishing pages that will be displayed to unsuspecting users to collect their sensitive information.

 

Meanwhile, NCC-CSIRT also advised users to update their Galaxy App Store following the discovery of multiple vulnerabilities in the Samsung Galaxy App Store Application can lead to unwanted app installations and code execution. It disclosed that Ken Gannon, a cybersecurity researcher from NCC Group, discovered the vulnerabilities in the Galaxy App Store application on Samsung devices that are running Android 12 and older.

 

The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence center set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large.

 

The CSIRT also works collaboratively with ngCERT, established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risk incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, and problems or related events.

 

LEAP 2023: THE WORLD MOST ATTENDED TECH EVENT

LEAP 2023: THE WORLD MOST ATTENDED TECH EVENT

·Global Tech Event

The four-day LEAP23 saw an unprecedented 300,000-plus visitor registrations from more than 100 countries, and welcomed a high-profile faculty of 1,000 global investors

 Second edition welcomes 172,000-plus attendees to become world’s largest technology event by visits. Year-on-year visitor growth and more than US$9 billion in on-show announcements see Saudi event rewrite history books. LEAP24 (www.OneGiantLEAP.com)​ will run from March 4-7, 2024, with new venue set to double show size.

After setting numerous new industry records during its 2022 debut, LEAP23 has shattered benchmarks once again after confirming 172,000 attendees this year, making it the world’s largest technology event by attendance.

Organisers of Saudi Arabia’s LEAP – the world’s most visionary, and now most attended, technology event – have revealed next year’s edition, which will run from March 4-7, will move to a new home to ensure the pioneering platform continues to accelerate the Kingdom’s digital transformation.

After two game-changing outings, LEAP24 will transition to a 120,000 square metre capacity venue next year, enabling the third event to double in floor size and cater for even more innovative future technologies, digital entrepreneurs, tech startups, and high-profile guest speakers.

Powered by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) in conjunction with Tahaluf – a strategic joint venture co-owned by Informa PLC and SAFCSP – LEAP’s expanded new venue will further enhance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position as the largest digital market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

“Momentum continues to go into orbit. In its first edition, LEAP22 enjoyed the largest debut of any technology event in history. In its second year, LEAP23 has rewritten the rule book once more to become the world’s largest technology sector event by attendance,” said Michael Champion, who heads Tahaluf, organisers of LEAP.

A core enabler in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030, the four-day LEAP23 saw an unprecedented 300,000-plus visitor registrations from more than 100 countries, and welcomed a high-profile faculty of 1,000 global investors – up from 350 last year. Comprising major investor groups, sovereign wealth funds, private family groups, as well as major venture capital and private equity funds focused on technology, LEAP23’s investor faculty boasted assets under management totalling US$2 trillion.

With on-event transactions exceeding US$9 billion – a 32 per cent year-on-year increase on the US$6.8 billion in deals announced in 2022 – LEAP23 has injected fresh foreign direct investment impetus into Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystems and startup economy. Major announcements this year have included mega infrastructure investments and multiple new data centres nationwide, a raft of billion-dollar-plus public-private partnerships, and new academies to foster and upskill homegrown talent.

During the closing remarks of LEAP23, Champion added: “There is no limit to the ambition of this event, or this nation. While the on-event investment announcements are truly unprecedented, the legacy of this year’s show will extend further and deeper than anyone can truly comprehend.

“There are 380,000 technology professionals currently working in Silicon Valley – the world’s tech capital – and there are 340,000 employed in Saudi’s technology industry. We are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg and when we consider that technology investment, adoption, innovation, and entrepreneurship are key pillars in the Kingdom’s ambitious economic diversification strategy, the potential for LEAP to power Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and galvanise growth across the international technology arena is unlimited.”

For more information, please visit https://www.OneGiantLEAP.com

Nigeria’s privacy ombudsman, NCC, NITDA, industry leaders converge for future of sector at Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers in Lagos

Nigeria’s privacy ombudsman, NCC, NITDA, industry leaders converge for future of sector at Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers in Lagos

 

National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, will be joining other regulators including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and other industry leaders to stake out the sector’s opportunities and challenges at the Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers 2023.

The Nigeria’s Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers 2023 holds February 14, 2023 at the prestigious Providence by (Mantis) in Ikeja GRA, Lagos as a gathering of regulators and operators as the industry recognises its champions and discusses its future in a changing global economy.

Designed to examine the challenges that have emerged to drive Africa’s fastest growing digital economy and honour its iconic actors, Nigeria’s Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers including a mix of legacy and new players – “all dynamic and all embodiments of the struggles and triumphs of playing to win a peculiarly tough but rewarding environment,” said Chairman of the Top 50 2023 team, Dr. Shola Afolabi.

On the list for the institutional lights for 2023 are Open Access Data Centres (OADC); FinTrak Software Co. Ltd; Ezzential Global Services Ltd; Crystalfix Nigeria LTD (CNL); Cedarview Communications Limited (CCL); Zora Communication Limited; Information Connectivity Solution Limited (ICSL); Unitellas International Limited; Swift Telephone Network Ltd (STN); HD Technologies; Smart Web Nigeria Limited.

The list also has among others: Skymax Integrated Network Limited; ipNX Nigeria Limited; Infratel Limited; Switch Solutions Limited; Broadbased Communications Ltd; Medallion Data Centres Limited; UNICCON Group of Companies (The UNICCON Group); Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN); Precise Financial Systems Ltd; Tezza Business Solutions; and Data Services Protection Limited (DSPL).

The Nigeria’s Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers 2023 is a rallying ground for private sector players to mutually advance the interest of the industry.

“The event is featuring a mix of old, rugged and new, innovative actors helping to remodeled an industry in transition,” added Dr. Sola Afolabi stressing that the event is “a platform for industry Recognition, Industry Stock-Taking & Industry Insights with a view to provide a guide as to what direction Nigeria’s entire spectrum of ICT ecosystem will take as the transition for a new government begins.”

Nigeria’s Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers has its lens on industry’s leaders within the rank of CEOs/Director Generals across corporate Nigeria and great team members of management helping to drive the agenda of their organisations’ at advancing Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.

Powered by the continent’s major tech-biz publication, published since 2007, IT Edge News.Africa (www.itedgenews.africa) and its Partners including TechEconomy; ITPulse; TechandBiz.com.ng ; and TechTV (NTA), the Top 50 holds as an industry-sponsored event. “This event is driven by collaboration of stakeholders within and outside the media to ensure a wide, and more inclusive selection of the sector’s leading lights as well as to offer a broader understanding of the challenges and the inspirations that drive it,” said Top 50 team lead, Olusegun Oruame.

NCC Commended as AfricaNXT begins

NCC Commended as AfricaNXT begins

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), at the opening of the AfricaNext show at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, Monday, attracted industry commendation for its efficient regulatory processes that has given verve to the realization of full digital economy in the country.

Chief Executive Officer of CashToken Africa, Mr. Lai Labode, said the manner with which the Commission understands and supports the emergence of companies that have critical roles to play in the actualizing the dreams of the digital economy, promises that Nigeria will make the desired impact in the future of our ICT development.

Labode said NCC’s approach the to transform the telecom industry and contribute to the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda, was reflected in the diligence, speed and smartness in processing recent applications including that of CashToken, which has led to a major collaboration- with Mobile Network Operators.

Other participants also spoke about the demonstration of commitment to efficiency in NCC’s operations and attainment of excellence in regulatory oversight, a key item in the Commission’s extant Five-Point Agenda for transforming the telecom sector.
CashToken Africa, operated by CeLD, is a Nigerian company advocating performance-based customer rewards and nudging firms to reward their customers with life-transforming rewards. He spoke at CashToken Africa’s forum at the 2023 AfricaNXT conference focused on, “Socially Smart Business Models: Universal Cash Reward, Direct Sales Gamification and Wealth Redistribution”.

NCC is one of the sponsors and key agencies participating at AfricaNXT event and will take to the stands on Thursday, 9th February 2023, from 1.00pm-2.00pm, at the FutureNow Stage, with a theme that will focus on its mandate and efforts towards the realization of the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government.

THE CHASE:AI CHATGPT & THE REST OF US NIGERIAN

THE CHASE:AI CHATGPT & THE REST OF US NIGERIAN

AI (Artificial Intelligence) a form of computing that allows the machine to take decision and learn from individuals to give a feedback is on the rise. In a simple terms AI can be defined as:the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.

Now the leaders of this is CHATGTP(In caps for emphasis) this is an open source platform that can help you do a lot of things easily without you lifting a finger. A student used the platform to have an all A’s in her assignment. I typed a query on how to write an article and the platform brought out a fantastic article written for me on my chosen subject in few seconds. Well written more than human!

So as you can see, just like the way industrial revolution displaced many people in their jobs and also creates job, the way computer age displaced many people and trust me this 4th industrial revolution will displace many of us and I am scared of jobs like Journalism, editing, copywriting, proofreading, advertising , content creators etc ! AI will take over .

Many countries of the world are in the race to build a fantastic AI  platform today which can be incorporated into many things from autonomous driving to aviation , from medical to education, Google recently tried to launch their own platform (Sparrow) but where was a glitch and they lost billions of dollars but that doesn’t mean they have rested on their oars! Google don’t give up they will be back !

Chinese biggest tech firm Baidu will be launching their own version of ChatGTP by March this year ! Trust Chinese to always deliver on things like these. With this race of AI going on, the Africans are left behind !

With the elections coming up in few days time, Nigerians are contemplating to either vote a senile man that doesn’t understand the concept of building smart cities or the need to galvanise the youths to build robust solutions and creating a techhub around the nation. Nobody is talking that .

As the world is tilting towards 4th industrial revolution, just like other ages and revolutions before us , Nigeria is doing a catch-up game; a country that is trying to sort out the basic things and mundane things that should be overlooked such as energy, electricity, fuel, security and capacity building ! The country is still saddled with these basic things an indication that the rest of world will leave us behind!

Anthony Emeka Nwosu
Anthony@techandbiz.com.ng

Robots and avatars take centre-stage in future vision of human-robot symbiotic society

Robots and avatars take centre-stage in future vision of human-robot symbiotic society

Amid the assembled pool of change-makers, big tech pioneers, data scientists, innovators, enterprises, academia, startups, and innovative business entrepreneurs, famed roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro delivered an inspired session titled Avatar and the Future Society.

Ishiguro, the director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory – part of the Department of Systems Innovation in the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Japan’s Osaka University – has been pioneering advancement in humanlike robotics since 1997. The 59-year-old has also been creating eerily realistic androids for over 15 years, including Geminoid HI-1 – the roboticist’s own virtual twin, who joined him on stage at DeepFest.

Having spent his career dissecting the nature of what it means to be human, Ishiguro outlined how advances in robotics and avatars are narrowing the separation between human and humanoid.

“By 2050, we want to realise a society in which people are free from the constraints of the body, brain, space, and time. The technology is being developed already; with our automated robotic tech, we can create avatars that anyone can use easily. I believe we can create avatars that will allow anyone – from children to the elderly, and everyone in between – to play an active role in society. With avatars, I believe we can change the world. We can choose to work, study, and socialise with real-life robotic or computer graphic (CG) avatars. Many companies in Japan are already using CG avatars for customer service – not in place of humans, but with humans controlling their own avatars. In Japan, we have an aging population problem, and we need to find solutions that allow people to work – this can be solved by using avatars and advanced robotic technology,” said Ishiguro.

Other sessions in the day one DeepFest agenda included Neural-Symbolic AI Driving Progress Toward Artificial General Intelligence with Dr. Benjamin Goertzel, CEO of the SingulaityNET Foundation; Generative AI Revolution with Leonid Zhukov, Director of Boston Consulting Group’s Global AI Institute; How Technology is Inspiring the Future Workforce with Beverly Rider, CCO of Tonomous and CEO Tonomous VentureStudio, and more.

For more information on LEAP23 please visit https://www.OneGiantLEAP.com. For more information on the DeepFest conference, please visit www.DeepFest.com

PANTAMI CALLS FOR GLOBAL COLLABORATION IN DEVELOPING DIGITAL ECONOMIES AS NIGERIA GIVES SCORECARD ON WORLD STAGE

PANTAMI CALLS FOR GLOBAL COLLABORATION IN DEVELOPING DIGITAL ECONOMIES AS NIGERIA GIVES SCORECARD ON WORLD STAGE

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Leader of the Nigerian delegation to the on-going LEAP Technology Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), has called on global economies particularly, member states of the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) to prioritise and adopt collaborative strategies and initiatives as a vital part of the efforts to achieve digitalization.

Professor Pantami made the call on while speaking at a special DCO high-powered panel session titled: Deep Dive:The Road To International Digital Economy Through Innovation-Bridging Digital Divides And Breaking Down Barriers.

“In my opinion, the way other countries can benefit from the progress we have made so far, is through collaborations and partnerships. There is no monopoly of wisdom and knowledge, your strength could be the weakness of your neighbour and your weakness could be the strength of your neighbour. Through partnerships and collaborations, we can complement each other. DCO has been established in order to support, collaborate and partner with each other because, our strength is in our unity. When members of the DCO agree to take a certain position, there is no institution in the world that will not listen to them”.

He further emphasized that “developing a digital economy is hinged on two factors; digital innovation and entrepreneurship”.

Responding to enquiries by the DCO Secretary General, Ms Deema Yahya, who also moderated the session on the strategies adopted by Nigeria in its digital success story, the honourable Minister noted that digital innovation, digital entrepreneurship and enabling policies have been the bedrock of the fastest growing sector in the Nigerian economy. “The Nigerian government has established twenty one national policies which are in full effect to encourage development in the sector, the establishment of a National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, aggressive investments in digital skills capacity building including championing a paradigm shift of prioritizing skills over unproven certificates are some of the initiatives we have explored in developing the sector in Nigeria”.

Speaking on the sector’s score card, Professor Pantami highlighted the significant increase in revenue generation, a consistent increase in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which currently stands at 18.44%, an unprecedented increase in the national data base which had remained at thirty nine million for thirteen years to ninety five million within two years and three months, ICT intervention centers, digital skills acquisition among others.

Recall that a recent independent assessment of the sector, conducted by KPMG and DCFO returned an unprecedented pass mark for the sector.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Africa Finance Corporation partners with Xcalibur Multiphysics for the responsible mapping of natural resources

Africa Finance Corporation partners with Xcalibur Multiphysics for the responsible mapping of natural resources

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (https://www.AfricaFC.org/), the leading infrastructure solutions provider in Africa, and Xcalibur Multiphysics, the worldwide leader in airborne geophysics, have announced their intention to partner on mapping, developing and co-financing natural resource projects that will spur minerals and critical raw materials beneficiation in Africa.  The primary goal of the alliance is to support the development of the natural resource value chain on the continent, contribute to the energy transition by reducing dependency on fossil fuels and support the path to more diversified and sustainable economies. The partnership is being announced at a signing ceremony today at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa.

 

 

Responsible mapping of natural resources is a critical component of sustainable investing, supporting the transition to clean energy, tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity, and building more inclusive and circular economies. Xcalibur’s innovative technology allows for efficient targeted exploration through non-invasive data acquisition and analysis.

 

AFC and Xcalibur, through their partnership, will prioritise projects to locate and identify AFC’s focus minerals, including precious, base and critical raw materials, comprising gold, diamonds, bauxite, manganese, copper, cobalt, graphite, lithium and rare earth elements.  As a result, African countries will have access to improved geological data, which will de-risk investments in the sector, create local jobs, unlock mineral resource wealth and ultimately support a more just energy transition on the continent.

 

Xcalibur will lead in providing the technical and mapping expertise, while AFC will lead in identifying and implementing investment and financing solutions for approved projects.  Project development in seven priority countries is well advanced, extending soon to other African countries.

We look forward to working with Xcalibur to develop and finance critical projects that transform Africa’s resource wealth into economic fortune and spur economic diversification

 

AFC is one of the largest investors in Africa’s natural resources sector, leading transformational projects such as Nigeria’s Segilola Gold Mine, the country’s first private sector-led, commercial-scale gold project.  In Sierra Leone, AFC partnered with the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources (MMMR) and the National Minerals Agency (NMA) on the launch of the results from a Nationwide Airborne Geophysical Survey (NAGS) to establish the full extent of the country’s wealth below ground and promote investment in its mining sector.  The Corporation is also the lead investor in several precious and transition metal projects in the region, including the Karowe diamond mine in Botswana, the Kipushi copper and cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Franceville and Okondja manganese mining projects in Gabon and the Alufer Mining bauxite project in Guinea.

 

These investments, amongst others, target in-country value-addition and beneficiation from Africa’s natural resources.  The approach multiplies employment creation, increases export prices and government revenues, reduces trade costs and, importantly, minimises the carbon footprint associated with exporting raw materials and reimporting finished products.

 

“Africa has the largest reserves of the minerals and metals required for the global energy transition; the challenge is a lack of investment in mining, transportation, clean energy and processing,” said Sameh Shenouda, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of Africa Finance Corporation.  “This is exactly what this partnership aims to address, and we look forward to working with Xcalibur to develop and finance critical projects that transform Africa’s resource wealth into economic fortune and spur economic diversification.”

 

Xcalibur has a strong track record in executing large-scale, country-wide & regional mapping programmes and also high-resolution mapping programs, with an inventory of more than 50 million line kilometres of data acquired in Africa and worldwide. These programmes have demonstrably increased exploration activities in the host countries, leading to job creation and increased investment.

 

“Africa is exposed to climate change effects, and we believe that this alliance contributes to the green transition of the continent, combatting climate change, ensuring access to sustainable energy and protecting biodiversity and natural resources while allowing African countries and African companies to become just and relevant players on the energy transition map,” said Andrés Blanco, Chief Executive Officer of Xcalibur Multiphysics.  “We look forward to working with AFC to accelerate sustainable economic growth and build a more inclusive economy in Africa.”

Announcing a New Series of Taking Apart Terror: The West Africa Edition

Announcing a New Series of Taking Apart Terror: The West Africa Edition

For the first time ever, Nigeria is the world’s largest source of Daesh/ISIS attacks. As local and international partners address the evolving focus of violent extremism, a new podcast series asks: what do we know about terrorism in West Africa, and what can we do about it?

 

 

Taking Apart Terror: The West Africa Edition is a nine-episode series in which our host, Fatma Ahmed, brings together world-renowned experts from Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin, and beyond to analyse and deconstruct the reality of terrorist group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

 

In Taking Apart Terror: The West Africa Edition, we hear how climate change is directly affecting not just communities but gives ISWAP new opportunities; and how women are essential agents in dismantling terror groups.

 

Fatma Ahmed is a governance, peace and security expert working with the United Nations to support programmes in this field

Taking Apart Terror: The West Africa Edition follows the award winning Taking Apart Terror – which was the recipient of the Bronze Lovie & People’s Lovie Winner 2022 for the Best Crime & Justice Podcast and a finalist for the Best International Affairs Podcast at the New York Festival Radio Awards 2022.

 

Fatma Ahmed is a governance, peace and security expert working with the United Nations to support programmes in this field. She notes: “Being able to bring these experts and expertise together in this particular Taking Apart Terror: The West Africa Edition, it can really help contribute to the discussion in preventing the threats faced that we face in the region as a result of terrorism and violent extremism but, also, looking at opportunities and really providing that African narrative, the African stories, the African experience to these issues.”

 

 

Taking Apart Terror: The West Africa Edition unpacks the realities of ISWAP, increases our understanding of efforts put in place to fight them and explores how, by understanding Daesh/ISIS, we can strengthen efforts to reduce its appeal, see the group for what it really is, and better understand what we can do about them.

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.