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Nigeria Gets Google’s $.5m To Boost Online Safety

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Google has announced a number of initiatives across Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, bolstering its continued efforts to keep children, young people and families safe online.

No fewer than five organisations in Nigeria are expected to receive $500,000, to facilitate the goal.

In a statement, yesterday, through its Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan, Google said it had teamed up with some organisations across the continent to boost efforts and develop programmes around online safety.

It said that in aligning with the theme of this year’s global Safer Internet Day, “Together for a Better Internet”, Google.org offered free online safety books and government collaborations for Safer Internet Day.

“Twenty-six social impact organisations across nine African countries have been selected to receive grants of up to $100,000 each.

“The five selected in Nigeria include, Epower, LagosMums, Velma Foundation, Hive Creative Guild and Teens Can Code.

“This funding will be used to boost projects that work to combat online vulnerabilities, disinformation and extremism aimed at children, the youth, families, schools and small and medium-sized businesses,” it said.

“With an estimated 346million Internet users that came online for the first time in 2020 and 376million new social media users, there is no better time for us to help people stay safe online.

“We are working with non-profits and social enterprises to advance their work through Google.org’s Africa Online Safety Fund, while also working with educational institutions and governments across sub-Saharan Africa in order to have a greater impact,’’ it said.

Google added that in administering Africa Online Safety Fund, Google.org gave a grant to Impact Amplifier and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, to run an open call across the continent to find the most innovative and impactful non-profit organisations operating in Africa.

Google also said that it had collaborated with a Nigerian author, Nomthi Odukoya, to create a children’s online safety book entitled: “How to be Safe Online’’.

It said that physical copies of the book would be distributed to 30,000 learners in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa this month, adding that the book was also available online on the Read Along app.

“With more children, young people and families increasingly using the Internet to learn and work in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, online safety is a priority for everyone.

“We look forward to continued empowerment of teachers, parents and guardians with tools to keep children safe online.”

Google said it was also collaborating with government bodies in ensuring necessary backing to make the Internet better for all users across the continent.

“We continued collaboration with government bodies like Kenya’s Communications Authority, Nigeria’s Public and Private Development Centre, and South Africa’s Department of Social Development to make the Internet better for all users.”

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Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina

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The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.

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Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three

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The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association,  Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo  also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.

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AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition

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The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.

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