Amini closes $4m deal led by Salesforce, Female Founders - ITREALMS

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Nairobi-based climate tech startup, Amini, with focus on solving Africa’s environmental data gap through artificial intelligence and satellite technology, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round, reports ITREALMS.

The round was led by Salesforce Ventures (https://apo-opa.co/3T5hoW9), Salesforce's global investment arm, and Female Founders Fund (https://FemaleFoundersFund.com), a seed stage venture fund that invests exclusively in female-founded companies.

FirstBank's FMAP 3rd application round closes today - ITREALMS

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First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider has confirmed that its call for participation in the third season of its FirstBank Management Associate Programme (FMAP) would close today, Thursday, March 23, 2023, reports ITREALMS.

Interested participants, ITREALMS gathered, are required to submit their application.

Innovation fund by GSMA closes application, Thursday 19 - ITREALMS

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The Innovation Fund call for application by the Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA) is set to close by tomorrow, January 19, 2023, reports ITREALMS.

The fund which was opened on Thursday 24 November, 2022 was set up in anticipation to improve responses to humanitarian crises.

Lagos closes all Chrisland Schools - ITREALMS

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The Lagos State government has closed all branches of Chrisland Schools in various parts of the state over an alleged sexual abuse of one of its pupils, reports ITREALMS.

A press statement from the government available to ITREALMS, said the issue involving some pupils of the school who went on a Dubai trip, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and has commenced investigation.

AllOn closes 3 off-grid investments deal in Niger Delta

ITREALMS:

A Nigerian off-grid energy investment company, AllOn, has closed three financial deals for fast-tracked access to affordable and sustainable energy sources in the Niger Delta region of the country, reports ITRealms.

Confirming the deals, the Chief Executive Officer of All On, Dr. Boer Wiebe, to ITRealms weekend that the latest follows the equity investment made in 2017 to Nigeria Solar Home System market leader, Lumos Global BV, in the form of a debt facility to facilitate a quick rollout in the Niger Delta. 

"All On is also providing equity and debt to Port Harcourt based Green Village Electricity (GVE), Nigeria’s leading mini-grid player, for expansion in the Niger Delta and across Nigeria, while ColdHubs is receiving a convertible debt facility to expand its solar-powered marketplace cold storage business to new markets in the region," Wiebe said.

These developments, ITRealms gathered are coming barely three months after All-On announced its first set of transactions in Nigeria’s off-grid market, and two months after the firm and U.S. Africa Development Foundation (USADF) announced a $3 million partnership to expand access to energy for underserved and unserved markets in Nigeria.

The Manager, External Affairs and Strategic Partnerships at AllOn, Ekaete Okoro, in a press statement, also quoted Dr. Wiebe as saying that the investments made in these energy solution providers further demonstrate the firm’s belief that off-grid energy is indispensable in the improvement of Nigeria’s energy narrative.

“It therefore deserves adequate attention and financial backing from both the public and private sectors.” Dr. Wiebe said.

Equally speaking, the chief executive officer, Lumos, Davidi Vortman, said this debt facility from All On both cements the strategic relationship between the two companies and goes a long way towards significantly accelerating the speed of penetration of Lumos Solar Home Systems in the Niger Delta region.

“All On has established itself as a leader in off grid energy in Nigeria and we are therefore excited to work with All On to enhance energy access for Nigerians in the Niger Delta and across the country,” Vortman said.

For the ColdHubs CEO, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, the investment is a demonstration of All On’s commitment beyond simply addressing the ccess to energy gap, to harnessing innovative renewable energy solutions for the preservation of perishable foods. 

“This support by All On will enable Cold Hubs to further refine its business model to help improve the livelihoods of people and enhance food security in the Niger Delta,” he said.

Yet, the Managing Director of GVE, Ifeanyi Orajaka, said they were excited about this relationship with AllOn, describing it as an investment from a world-class organization, which further validates the position as “one of the leading and most innovative indigenous clean energy solutions providers in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

ITRealms recalls that All On, an independent impact investing company, was seeded with funding from Shell, and works with partners to increase access to commercial energy products and services for under-served and un-served off-grid energy markets in Nigeria, with a special focus on the Niger Delta.

  

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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FG partially closes gap on HND, BSC dichotomy

ITRealms:

The Federal Government (FG) may have partially closed in on the dichotomy between holders of university degrees and Higher National Diploma (HND), just as industry observers described the attempt as partial closing of the existing gaps, reports ITRealms.

This follows the outcome of the meeting of the joint board of the Nigeria Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons on Thursday, which announced the abolition of the dichotomy in all the Services under it.

A press statement issued at the end of the meeting, ITRealms gathered the decision was said to have been taken at the end of the Board’s meeting held on July 11.

Presided over by the Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, ITRealms gathered that the Board approved the regularization of the dichotomy between holders of University degrees and Higher National Diploma in all the Services.

The board directed that all officers with HND be upgraded to COMPASS 08, which is the salary Grade Level for holders of Degree certificates at entry point.

Further, ITRealms reports that the Board said while the nomenclature for the HND holders will start with the rank of Senior Inspector, the Degree holders are with the rank of Assistant Superintendent II.

“The Board also approved the commencement of the Year 2017 Promotion Exercise for all the Services with effect from July 17, 2017,” Dambazau said.

In addition, ITRealms reports that board in order to boost internal security mechanism, approved the establishment of the Institute of Domestic Security aimed at strengthening Inter-Agency cooperation, among other functions.

However, industry observers while reacting to the development, described the decision of the joint board as partial closure to the issue of dichotomy.

They argued that although the board deserved commendation for the current step, there is still more to be done in fully regularizing the portfolio, insisting that placing HND graduates as Senior Inspector and their counterpart on Assistant Superintendent is still a disparity let alone with step II.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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Breaking News: AMCON closes Silverbird Galleria group over alleged N11bn loan

ITRealms:

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has closed several subsidiaries of Silverbird Group including the Silverbird TV, Gallaria, Cinemas across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, reports ITRealms.

AMCON, ITRealms gathered, Thursday morning sealed the Abuja premises of Silverbird Galleria which belongs to Senator Ben Murray Bruce, according to The Punch.

At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) the galleria houses the Abuja studio of the Radio and Television stations of the senator alongside his other business ventures.

In addition, ITRealms gathered that the seven storey building houses other businesses of private individuals like Shoprite, to name a few.

The AMCON seal on this property was through the assistance of law enforcement agencies around 8am following a court order secured by AMCON with security personnel seen at the entrance.

ITRealms gathered that the sealing of Silverbird Galleria was over alleged N11 billion loan from various Nigerian banks, which caused a signpost to be mounted at the entrance from AMCON stating that the building has been taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria with inscription: AMCON Caveat Emptor: Possession Taken by Order of Court.

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