Mbaise Community in Nairobi denies betrayal of Nnamdi Kanu, dangles N10m for prove - ITREALMS

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The Mbaise Community in Nairobi, under the aegis of Nwanne Dilamba Mbaise Family Meeting, is dangling the sum of N10m for anyone who can prove that the on 'Iyke' who allegedly participated in the betrayal of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hails from Mbaise, reports ITREALMS.

Nnamdi Okwu Kanu, ITREALMS gathered is popularly known as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (MNK). He is a Nigerian pro-Biafra political activist, who is also a British citizen. MNK is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which he founded IPOB about 2012.

Singapore opens Nairobi overseas centre to boost trade - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Enterprise Singapore (ESG) has opened the Nairobi overseas centre to boost investments and trade, reports ITRealms.

The Nairobi Overseas Centre, ITRealms gathered, was opened by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Cooperatives Mr Adan Mohamed, and Singapore’s Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Trade and Industry Dr Koh Poh Koon.

This is Enterprise Singapore’s third office in Africa, which will serve as its regional hub for East Africa. It complements Enterprise Singapore’s existing regional hubs in Johannesburg (South Africa) and Accra (Ghana). Enterprise Singapore’s Nairobi Overseas Centre will facilitate Singapore companies’ investments in Kenya and East Africa, and promote partnerships between Singapore and East African companies.

“East Africa houses some of the fastest-growing economies in the continent. Enterprise Singapore sees great potential for Singapore companies to offer their knowledge and expertise across areas such as infrastructure development and manufacturing, which are key priorities in this region. Kenya, with its stable growth and business-friendly environment, is the gateway to East Africa and we are positive that our office here will broaden our network of East African partners and strengthen the Singapore brand in the region,” said Mr Yew Sung Pei, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Singapore.

Currently, there are over 60 Singapore companies operating in Africa, across more than 50 countries, with US$19 billion invested in the continent. At the opening today, seven Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed between Singapore and Kenyan companies across corporate governance, e-payment, trade facilitation and natural resources.

In addition, the Nairobi Overseas Centre will allow Kenyan and African companies, including Small and Medium Sized Companies, to leverage Singapore as a gateway to capture growth opportunities in Asia. Strategically located at the heart of Asia, Singapore is in the middle of key trade flows from Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Australia and Asia, hence making a good springboard for African enterprises seeking growth in Asia.

On 12 June 2018, the Kenyan and Singapore governments signed Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) agreements to further cement bilateral economic ties. The signings were witnessed by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Shanmugaratnam. Singapore will also sign a BIT and an Air Services Agreement (ASA) with Rwanda on 14 June 2018. These agreements further boost cross-border trade and investment flows, adding to Singapore’s fast-growing treaty network with Africa.

Over 150 business and government leaders from Singapore and Africa attended Enterprise Singapore’s Nairobi Overseas Centre opening ceremony. Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Shanmugaratnam and Senior Minister of State Koh are visiting Kenya and Rwanda from 12 - 14 June 2018. They are accompanied by 20 Singapore companies on a business mission jointly organised by the Singapore Business Federation and Enterprise Singapore.

Some of the Singapore companies that operate in Kenya include: CrimsonLogic , which is working with Kenya Trade Network Agency to design and run innovative and sustainable services to collaborate with Kenyan citizens and ecosystem. It also won the Kenya National Electronic Single Window System (KNESWS) in 2012; Pacific International Lines (PIL) , one of the first few liners in the world that provides a link from Asia/Middle East to Africa; and Red Dot Payment , which provides online payment solutions. They just signed a MOU today to provide alternative e-payment methods to Equity Bank.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Facebook CEO, Zuberberg lands in Nairobi, visits Kenyan iHub

ITRealms:

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Facebook, Mr Mark Zuckerberg left Nigerian Wednesday for Kenya to visit the iHub technology hub in Nairobi, the nation’s capital, reports ITRealms.

He is also expected to meet with developers and partners, and explore how the country’s pioneering mobile money ecosystem is evolving.

Zuckerberg visit to Kenya forms part of the second leg of his first-ever African visit which commenced with Nigeria early this week.

He looked forward to learn more about what mobile entrepreneurs are doing with the latest technologies, and find out how Facebook could better support small businesses, developers and content creators across growing markets.

The CEO, ITRealms gathered, was particularly excited to see how mobile money and social media are driving commerce in the region and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and communities.

One of Zuckerberg’s first stops on the trip was iHub, an Innovation hub and hacker space started in March 2010 by TED fellow and entrepreneur, Eric Hersman.

Nenye Dom/GEE 

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Pix: Zuckerberg in Kenya

Etisalat Prize for Literature book tour excites Nairobi

ITRealms:

The Etisalat Prize for Literature held a series of public literary events in Nairobi, Kenyan capital throughout last week in promotion of African literature and celebration of the winner and shortlisted writers of the 2015 prize, reports ITRealms.

The literary programme featured a public panel discussion with the winner of the 2015 edition of the Etisalat Prize, Congolese Poet and Writer, Fiston Mwanza Mujila the author of Tram 83; as well as Etisalat Prize for Literature Shortlisted Writers, Penny Busetto author of The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself and Rehana Rossouw author of What Will People Say?.

Also, the authors visited the University of Nairobi and Daystar University and had book reading sessions at Goethe-Institute Nairobi and PAWA254, in addition to donating books to the institutions during the tour.

Director, Brands and Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Ogiemwanye said the programme is aimed at putting African literature in more hands across the world. He expressed the hope that the tour will help encourage more Africans to embrace African literature, adding that Africa is rich in literary talent.

ITRealms recalled that on June 1st, 2016, Etisalat invited entries to the 2016 edition of the Etisalat Prize for Literature.

Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, who made this disclosure, recently said the Judging Panel for the 2016 Etisalat Prize comprises Nigerian novelist and poet, Helon Habila, as the Chair of Judges, South African writer and activist Elinor Sisulu and Ivorian writer, Edwige-Renée Dro as members.

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Pix: (l-r)-- Manager, High Value Sponsorship & Events, Etisalat Nigeria, Opeyemi Lawal; Winner, 2015 Etisalat Prize for Literature, Fiston Mujila; Shortlisted Author, 2015 Etisalat Prize for Literature, Penny Busetto and Judge, 2015 Etisalat Prize for literature, Zikiswa Wanner at the Etisalat Prize for Literature Book Reading held in Nairobi, Kenya, at the weekend.

GES 2015: Onuegbu to speak at Obama instance

ITRealms:

The Executive Vice Chairman, Signal Alliance and Founder of Sasware, Mr. Collins Onuegbu has been invited to speak at the 6^th Annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2015) in Nairobi, Kenya on July 25 – 26, at the instance of United States President, Mr. Barrack Obama, reports ITRealms.

Senior Director, National Security Council in US, Courtney Beale, in a letter to Mr. Onuegbu, stated that “Your participation will demonstrate your personal commitment to the President’s long standing support for entrepreneurship and his call to action on May 11 to generate new investment in entrepreneur around the world.”

ITRealms reports that Onuegbu who is a leading investor in technology and technology-enabled businesses has accepted the invitation, and will be part of a discussion in Intra-Regional Entrepreneurship and Trade at the summit.

“There is need for more engagement and sharing of ideas to see how we can improve and support entrepreneurs in an emerging economy like ours. Nigeria entrepreneurs and angel investors need all the support they can get to grow their businesses and generate employment in order to reduce poverty,” Onuegbu told ITRealms

ITRealms recalls that President Obama launched the GES in 2009 in order to bring together entrepreneurs and investors from across Africa and around the world annually to showcase innovative projects, exchange new ideas, and help spur economic opportunity.

The 2015 GES agenda, ITRealms gathered would focus on generating new investments for entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on women and youth. Hence, since 2009, GES has emerged as a global platform connecting emerging entrepreneurs with leaders from business, international organizations, and governments looking to support them. This is the first time GES will take place in sub-Saharan Africa.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms)                    

 

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Pix: Mr. Collins Onuegbu

Press Release: 2 Nigerians, 3 others win 25,000 dollars Google’s ‘Africa Connected’ contest

ITRealms:

Google on Tuesday announced the five winners of its Africa Connected competition at an event in Nairobi, graced by world tech leaders. The competition was organised to reward young Africans who explore internet space to their advantage.

“There are over 1 billion people living in Sub-Saharan Africa and currently 16 percent of them are online. With Africa Connected, we wanted to celebrate how the web is changing lives in Africa, and show how it is contributing to the socioeconomic development of the continent. 

Selecting the shortlist was no easy task: each winner shares a unique perspective of how they have used the internet to solve a problem, earn a living, or create opportunities, not just for themselves, but also for others around them”, says Affiong Osuchukwu, Google Lead for the Africa Connected initiative.

Eseoghene Odiete, one of the Nigerian winners shares her experience: “I discovered my passion through YouTube search. When I graduated I needed to do something meaningful with my life so I went in search of how to create handbags using Google search and YouTube. I made a lot of discoveries that wowed my imagination. That was how I started what got me here today”.

Eric Obuh popularly known as Vocal Slender who used to be a dump site scavenger also made the list of Nigerian winners “After I was discovered by the BBC in ‘Welcome to Lagos’, I became known around the world. Since then, I have recorded songs which I share with new audiences on YouTube. I also use Google+ and YouTube to raise awareness about underprivileged youngsters in the slums of Lagos, helping to raise scholarship money, and encourage kids to stay in school” he hints

Christopher Panford from Ghana runs a transport company helping Ghanaian drivers’ access vehicle loans, which they use to earn a living. He uses Google Maps to constantly monitor the location of vehicles under bank loans. This assures banks that their loans are protected, while Christopher empowers more drivers.

Eunice Namirembe from Uganda runs The Medical Concierge Group which helps Ugandan communities’ access quality healthcare and information.  Physician Eunice has built a 24-hour ambulance call centre by using the Google Cloud console and Google Maps to record patient information and track patient locations. With these tools, Eunice and her team are able to help connect more Ugandans to medical services, thus saving lives in the process.

Winner and blogger from Kenya Sitawa Wafula says, “Right now I feel humbled and honoured that mental health and epilepsy - which are considered taboo topics - have been put on the same platform as some very innovative projects.  I can’t believe that doing what comes so naturally to me, to help raise awareness about mental health, would be recognized by a company like Google, and be such an inspiration to others.”

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IBM sets up African research lab in Nairobi

The International Business Machines trading with the name IBM, has opened its first research laboratory in Africa.

The facility tagged “IBM Research-Africa” has its initial location in Nairobi, Kenya in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) through the Kenya ICT board.

It will conduct basic and applied research focused on solving problems relevant to Africa and contribute to the building of a science and technology base for the continent.

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