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Are you aware that Nigeria imported 75 – 750 KVA generating sets, worth a cumulative $145,550,088, to power its factories, telecom towers, offices, and homes between 2010 and 2014 alone?
While these generators serve to remedy the epileptic power situation in the country, they do not come without their health hazards.
'Smaller' African nations, like Morocco, have begun to utilise solar energy as an alternative on a large scale. But Nigeria still lags behind as most available solutions are limited to rural use.
The following article explores the limiting factors against mass adoption of solar energy and suggests possible ways to curb them. Read more.
This Week on Techpoint
Watch a video version of this newsletter or read on below
Jumia + Supermart.ng = ? What do you get when a prominent eCommerce platform enlists the help of a smaller company, run by two former employees, to launch a product in direct competition with its biggest rival? A partnership? A potential merger/acquisition?
Ignorance is a big retarder of technological advancement in Nigeria. As our Expert of the Month, Aderemi Adejumo, a veteran database administrator with over 30 years experience shares his thoughts on the local technology sector, among other things.
The tech talent brain drain. There is a rising trend of talented local developers being employed by foreign companies while their local counterparts still give preference to foreign software and technical talent.
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While it certainly feels good to know that some of our local developers excel abroad, it raises the question of the impact this 'brain exodus' will have on the local tech sector.
Will Africa’s first ICT University live up to its aims? The increasingly popular narrative of undergraduates forgoing traditional education in computer science, and other ICT-related courses, is often followed by calls to review university curricula for industry relevance.
In response, the Nigerian government recently approved the ICT University of Nigeria, which will be the first of its kind in Africa.
But is the government in a hurry to establish and can a poorly planned initiative achieve its aims?
Startup Weekly
Every weekday at noon (WAT), we feature up and coming startups attempting to break into the market.
This week's featured startups
- Connect Skills — get connected with skilled and professional hands
- University Compass — get relevant information about universities, courses and career paths
- DoLessons — access professional tutors and educational aid
- Central Dispatch Africa — get very affordable haulage services in Nigeria
- Soshaa — connect with people and businesses near you
The do's and don'ts of self-taught coding. If you are a non-technical founder building an internet startup on a lean budget, chances are you've been forced to consider teaching yourself how to code. Here are some essential tips you should follow.
Opportunities Weekly
Every Wednesday at 5PM (WAT), we publish a curated list of exciting opportunities, ranging from funding, acceleration programmes to entrepreneurship training.
Opportunities this week:
- Up to $100,000 in prize money at the Microsoft “Dream, Build, Play” Contest for Game Developers.
- $150,000 in grants from the Google Research Awards in Sciences & Engineering.
- Applications for the Appsafrica.com Innovation Awards are closing soon
- Entries for Diamond Bet Season 7 are closing soon too.
For more information on the above opportunities, please go here.
Got a relevant opportunity you would like to share with our readers? Please fill this form.
