Good day,
Today I'm discussing:
- International Stuttering Awareness Day
- eNaira's launch today
- Crypto thefts in 2020
eNaira launches at last
Following a false start at the beginning of the month, The Nigerian government is set to launch Nigeria’s central bank digital currency, the eNaira, today, Monday, October 25, 2021.
The launch, which was announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria in a press release, would be done by Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House in Abuja.
Initially, the launch was slated to take place on October 1, 2021, but was postponed due to a clash in the lineup with independence day activities.
The eNaira website, which went live on Monday, September 27, 2021, suffered downtime in the early hours of October 1 but eventually came back on at 8:14 a.m.
As a refresher, you can check out our explainer here: How Nigeria’s eNaira will work,
What led to the choice of a Barbadian company as a technical partner here: CBN looks to Barbados to design the eNaira, why not Nigeria?,
And some insights into using a private blockchain network here: eNaira: How much control does a private blockchain give the CBN?
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What stuttering truly is
Several myths about stuttering exist across the world. From the somewhat logical to the superstitious, these reasons try to explain why people stutter.
On the African continent, for instance, some myths include wrong foods eaten by the mother in pregnancy, standing in front of a mirror, dog bites, tickling the baby too much, among others.
As funny as these myths seem, suggested remedies are even more hilarious, from standing in front of a mirror and speaking to oneself, to eating a fruit pecked by a bird, and maintaining correct posture, to mention a few.
But science blows these myths out of the water
According to DoSomething.org, stuttering (or stammering, if you will) is a speech disorder that breaks up a speaker’s flow of speech. A biological and neurological condition, it is caused by one or more of four possible triggers, the first being genetics, and the others, child development, the make-up of the brain, and family dynamics.
But how has technology helped stutterers? Does it even help? Our Sub-editor, Precious Mogoli — after a long hiatus from the writing world — put finger to keyboard to help spark awareness about stuttering.
You’ll find it here: Technology is awesome, but it’s yet to conquer stuttering
Top 10 crypto thefts in 2020
In recent times, crypto adoption in Africa has increased. And despite obstacles like a crypto ban and refusals to acknowledge cryptocurrencies, usage has only grown
But just as fiat currencies can be stolen, cryptocurrencies also face the same issue.
According to Chainalysis, over $520 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from services and individuals through hacks and non-technical attacks like social engineering and phishing efforts in 2020.
Cryptocurrency crime is a concern for Africans, especially with countries like Nigeria, Togo, South Africa, Tanzania, and Ghana among the top 20 countries in the 2021 Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index
Contained in the infograph above are the top 10 cryptocurrency thefts of 2020.
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Last week's headlines
- DAO: A blockchain innovation that promises businesses and governments where everyone’s the leader
- Nigerian clean energy startup, Homefort Energy, wants to make sure you never have cooking gas worries again
- TalentQL launches AltSchool Africa, to train entry level tech talent for free
- Yes, you have rights over your data, but only to an extent
- For as little as ₦1000, business management startup, BIZ301, wants to help you automate your business
What I'm watching
- Focus - A short film about digital rights and inclusion in Africa. Watch
- Asking Hunter-Gatherers Life's Toughest Questions. Watch
- My Hero Academia on Netflix. Watch
Opportunities
- Okra Solar is offering a Super Power Grant. Apply here
- Backdrop needs a Product Manager. Apply here
- Call for climate-focused startups: Africa ClimAccelerator Applications open. Apply here
- Sendcash is looking for a Technical Lead. To apply, visit this page
- Here’s the latest issue of the remote jobs newsletter. Check it out here
Have a blissful week ahead!
