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💉Nigeria receives Malaria Vaccine shipment |💼 Amazon AWS: Return or Quit

💉Nigeria receives Malaria Vaccine shipment |💼 Amazon AWS: Return or Quit

Plus:📱Meta fights Sextortion

Innovation Village
October 18, 2024

Today’s Menu ☕️

💉Nigeria receives first Malaria Vaccine Consignment
🌾 AfDB and Mastercard Join Forces to Connect 100 Million to the Digital Economy
📱Meta Tightens Protections to Combat Sextortion Targeting Teens
🏍️ Ampersand Scales Production in Kenya to Meet Growing Demand for Electric Motorcycles
💼 Amazon’s Remote Work Crackdown: Return to Office or Quit

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💉 HEALTH

Nigeria receives first Malaria Vaccine Consignment

Nigeria took a significant step forward in its fight against malaria as the country received its first consignment of malaria vaccines on Thursday. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) confirmed the arrival of 846,000 doses of the R21 malaria vaccine, a critical resource in the battle against one of Nigeria’s deadliest diseases.

This shipment, provided by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, was officially received in Abuja by Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. Representatives from the Ministry of Health, NPHCDA, and development partners were present for the vaccine’s launch. The introduction of these vaccines is part of a broader initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to supply malaria vaccines to high-burden African countries, including Nigeria.......continue reading

🌾 AGRICULTURE

AfDB and Mastercard Join Forces to Connect 100 Million to the Digital Economy

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Mastercard have teamed up to launch the Mobilising Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance Africa, an initiative aimed at connecting 100 million Africans and businesses to essential digital services over the next decade. This collaborative effort seeks to bridge the digital divide and unlock the continent’s vast potential for economic growth and social development.

The MADE Alliance will initially focus on empowering farmers and women, with a pilot program set to bring 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria into the digital economy. This first phase, backed by a $300 million commitment from the AfDB over five years, will leverage Mastercard’s Community Pass platform to provide farmers with digital identities and access to vital services........continue reading

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📱SOCIAL MEDIA

Meta Tightens Protections to Combat Sextortion Targeting Teens

In a world increasingly shaped by digital interactions, the dangers of online exploitation, particularly sextortion, loom large over young adults and teens. Sextortion is a form of cybercrime where scammers threaten to expose someone’s intimate images unless they receive payment or further compromising content. These criminals target young, vulnerable users, exploiting the anonymity of the internet. In response to this growing threat, Meta has unveiled new safety features across its platforms, aiming to disrupt sextortion efforts and protect its users from such harmful schemes.

Meta’s latest measures build on existing protections while implementing innovative tools to stay ahead of these scammers. From blocking risky follow requests to enhanced screenshot prevention, the company is fortifying its platforms to safeguard teens and curb sextortion-related crimes...........continue reading

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🏍️ ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Ampersand Scales Production in Kenya to Meet Growing Demand for Electric Motorcycles

Ampersand, one of Africa’s leading electric vehicle (EV) energy tech companies, has announced the opening of a new, larger manufacturing facility in Nairobi, a move that will triple its production capacity in Kenya. This strategic expansion allows Ampersand to keep pace with the country’s rapidly growing demand for electric motorcycles, where over 1,100 of its e-motos are already operational. The expansion aligns with the company’s mission to revolutionize transportation in Africa by offering a cleaner, more efficient alternative to traditional motorcycles.

The new 21,000-square-meter facility, more than three times the size of the previous site, enables Ampersand to ramp up production to 60 electric motorcycles per day or 1,440 per month. In addition to scaling production, Ampersand continues to operate Kenya’s most trusted battery swap network, a critical infrastructure for the millions of commercial motorcycle riders who rely on quick, seamless battery exchanges to keep their businesses running..........continue reading

💼 WORKFORCE

Amazon’s Remote Work Crackdown: Return to Office or Quit

Amazon AWS CEO Matt Garman

As the tech world continues to grapple with the future of work, Amazon has drawn a clear line in the sand regarding remote work. AWS CEO Matt Garman recently made headlines with his blunt message to employees: if you don’t like the new five-day in-office policy, it might be time to find another company. This move comes amidst growing tensions between Amazon leadership and its workforce, many of whom have enjoyed the flexibility of remote or hybrid work during the pandemic.

At a recent all-hands meeting, Garman defended Amazon’s shift to a stricter office policy, claiming that in-person collaboration is vital for innovation and growth. “When we want to really, really innovate on interesting products, I have not seen an ability for us to do that when we’re not in-person,” he explained. The new mandate, which will take effect in January 2025, marks a departure from Amazon’s current three-day-a-week office policy...........continue reading