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Internet Speed: Google’s second subsea cable in Africa arrives in Lagos, Nigeria

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Nigeria has something to cheer about after news broke that American tech company, Google snubbed Africa’s largest economy to establish its first Africa product development centre in Nairobi, Kenya.

The tech giant announced on Thursday, the arrival of its subsea cable, Equiano, in Lagos, Nigeria.

The announcement was made by Google’s West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, who revealed that the cable landed in Lagos, Nigeria today, making it its second successful landing in Africa after it reached Togo last month.

The Director further explained that the arrival of the cable became necessary as internet penetration in Nigeria remains despite the country being Africa’s largest economy. She noted that “landing this cable comes as part of critical stages leading up to its deployment later this year”

“Nigeria is sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy. Still, the share of people using the internet stood at approximately 35% as of 2020 – double what it was in 2012. Across much of the country, people lack affordable, reliable & quality access, which limits their ability to benefit from, and contribute to, the digital economy.” Ehimuan remarked.

“Since 2017, the Nigerian government has been actively working on its digital transformation programs as part of plans to grow its domestic sectors.

“These initiatives have proven pivotal to the success of many industries in the country, especially the start-up space. In the last five years, start-ups in Nigeria have produced five unicorns (start-ups valued at over a billion dollars). Businesses are also benefiting significantly from the usage of internet platforms, with total e-commerce annual expenditure predicted to climb to $75 billion by 2025, up from its current projection of US $12 billion.

“With Equiano (the subsea cable), we look forward to being an even more integral part of the digital transformation journey in Nigeria.” She concludes.

News about the Nigerian government’s willingness to collaborate with Google broke last week as a government agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) expressed determination to work together with Google Global Services Nigeria towards advancing the actualization of national targets for ubiquitous broadband access, in furtherance of Nigeria’s digital transformation policy.

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Radisson Group targets 25 hotels in Morocco by 2030

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The Radisson Hotel Group says it has set a goal of setting up 25 hotels in Morocco, which will expand its current portfolio of 11 hotels in operation to 36 by 2030.

Erwan Garnier, Senior Director, Development, Africa at Radisson Hotel Group, who disclosed this in a statement, saidMorocco continues to be a crucial market for the group’s development, while also accelerating its expansion in the country which is part of its vision of redefining the group’s expansion strategy for the country.

“I am delighted to lead our expansion efforts in Morocco and take them to new heights. Leveraging our success in the country thus far, our expansion strategy will concentrate on targeting the major cities in Morocco,” Garnier said.

“Our focus will be on strengthening our presence in Casablanca and Marrakech, where we currently operate the conveniently located Radisson Blu Hotel, Casablanca City Center and the highly acclaimed Radisson Blu Hotel, Marrakech Carré Eden.

“Additionally, we plan to establish our presence in the key cities of Rabat, Tangier, Agadir, and Fez.

“In light of Radisson Hotel Group’s strategic 5-year plan and the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Morocco, we have identified significant potential within these cities to establish a diverse portfolio consisting of ideally located business hotels, efficient serviced apartments, premium mixed-use projects, and expanding our portfolio of exceptional resorts.

“The introduction of the Radisson brand with the imminent opening of the Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle in the vibrant Gauthier district of Casablanca, marks a notable development.

“This new establishment will be the flagship of the Radisson brand in Morocco, marking the entry of a new brand for the group in the country and underlining our commitment to quality and diversified expansion,” he added.

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AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge opens applications for tech-prenuers

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The 2024 edition of the AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge has called for applications from tech-prenuers and purpose-driven scientists working on agri-tech solutions for a more sustainable, efficient, and climate-resilient agricultural system in Egypt.

A notice on the website of the organizers of the programme on Tuesday said the programme is designed to give participants an edge in validating and deploying agri-tech venture in Egypt

“We are looking for purpose-driven scientists and entrepreneurs working on agri-tech solutions for a more sustainable, efficient, and climate-resilient agricultural system in Egypt,” the notice said.

It added that the AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge is designed specifically for early-stage agri-tech ventures in the north African country with a “minimum viable product (MVP) or proof of concept (POC), and plans to support and prepare them to build a solid go-to-market strategy through technical validation and access to the market.”

“We are looking for agri-tech innovations in priority areas such as digital agriculture and precision farming, agri-finance solutions, sustainable value chain development, capacity building tools, and efficient irrigation water management,” it said.

“Selected ventures will receive the tools and step-by-step support to build the foundations of an agri-tech venture for scalable growth in Egypt, benefitting from a fully funded, four-day immersive bootcamp, connecting with a network of partners and agribusinesses, accessing expert guidance from CGIAR scientists and industry experts, plus a sponsored six-month acceleration programme.

“They will also be able to test and validate their solution on the ground with end-users for up to six months, receive up to EGP300,000 (US$6,500) as an equity-free grant provided by ASRT, and gain exposure to investors and market opportunities.

“Applications are open until April 21, with the accelerator programme taking place between June and October, and a demo day set for November,” it added.

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