Leo Stan Ekeh @70, Offers University Tech Scholarship to 1000 Indigent Nigerian Wiz-kids

Africa’s foremost tech icon and Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, who turns 70 on February 22, this year, has explained why he is not celebrating his 70th birthday with a mega party, preferring to offer University scholarships to additional 1000 Nigerian indigent wiz-kids to study Computer Science in Federal Universities so that the country’s private and public sectors could have a new generation of tech wiz-kids to support the growth of the economy.

He anticipates that these students who will not be bonded, shall disrupt global wealth equation in favour of Nigeria and defend our tech independence. Selection shall be based on a minimum Intelligent Quotient and Age nationwide, and they shall be schooled and exposed beyond tech to become global Tech Citizens.

Speaking on phone, Ekeh said, “Each shall have a tech mentor from year one, as I plan a partnership with Computer Society of Nigeria and every vocation they shall be engaged resourcefully. Beneficiaries shall be from poor homes and those with parents who earn below Government Level 10 and its equivalent in the private sector. The first batch starts this September, and I expect each to earn first class degree. This is my Group of companies’ and my little way of appreciating my country, individuals and corporates that gave us the opportunities in the last 40 years and still patronizing our Tech Group – Task Systems, TD Africa, Zinox Technologies, Konga etc. If we are successful with this spiritual mandate, I can then celebrate my 100 years on earth with a bang. With God and AI, I am aiming to make 120 years,” he said.

Full story at News Diary Online

AI startups generated $189.6 billion in 2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups drove a major rebound in global venture capital exits during 2025, accounting for more than a third of total exit value for the first time on record, according to new data from BestBrokers.

In simple terms, venture capital exits refer to the moment investors finally cash out — typically when a startup is acquired, lists on the stock market through an IPO (Initial Public Offering), or sells shares in secondary transactions. These exits allow early backers to realise returns after years of funding high-growth companies.

Total global venture capital exit value reached $549.2 billion last year, with AI and machine learning firms contributing $189.6 billion, or 34.5% of the total. That represents a dramatic rise from 21.8% in 2024 and just 11% in 2023, underscoring how rapidly artificial intelligence has become the primary driver of investor returns.

Full story at IOL

By Michael Sherman

Nigerian rock artist wants people to pause and feel loved in the hustle and bustle of Lagos

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Valentine's Day can be a secondary consideration for some in Lagos.

The Nigerian city of more than 20 million people is renowned for its hustle and bustle, its restless energy and commercial drive — a place where honks from signature yellow passenger buses fill the air.

But Lagos-based rock musician Bianca Okorocha, known as “Clayrocksu," wants people to pause and feel loved as Valentine's Day approaches.

She is taking her music offstage and onto the streets of the city, crooning love songs to random commuters and handing them single-stem roses.

Full story at Yahoo News

By Opeyemi Adetayo and Dan Ikpoyi

Google Can Now Remove Even More Of Your Sensitive Data From Search Results

A person using Google Search on a laptop.
 - Thaspol Sangsee/Shutterstock

Google launched a "Results about you" privacy and security feature for Google Search a few years ago, a tool that lets you request the removal of personal data from search results, which can come in handy when information like your phone number and email address end up online. On Tuesday, Google announced new features for Results about you, to mark Safer Internet Day, that will let users remove even more sensitive data from Google Search results than before. Google unveiled two separate initiatives that both expand the usefulness of Results about you. First, Google will help users remove documents that may have leaked online, including your driver's license, passport, or Social Security number. Second, Google will help users remove non-consensual explicit images from Google Search results in a simpler way than before.

Like before, it's important to remember that Google will not remove the actual content from the web, whether it's a stolen ID that someone may use to impersonate you, or explicit images someone shared online. However, Google will prevent the web pages containing that potentially harmful information from showing up in Google Search results. That's still a useful tool to have on hand when dealing with potential cyberattacks. Google said in a blog post that over 10 million people have used the Results about you tool to request removal of Search results that contain personal data. The new features build on the foundation that Google has already developed.

By Chris Smith

Full story at Yahoo News

Nigeria to Step Up Cyber Defenses as AI Attacks, Losses Mount

Nigeria plans to implement a cybersecurity framework to confront a surge in artificial intelligence-driven cyberattacks that are costing its banks, companies, and government agencies millions of dollars

The framework will require organizations to meet minimum cybersecurity spending thresholds and introduce mandatory breach-reporting timelines and mechanisms for sharing threat intelligence.

Authorities are tightening cyber defenses as AI accelerates the scale and sophistication of attacks on banks, payment systems, and government networks, with Nigeria having lost 1.1 trillion naira to cybercrime between 2017 and 2023.

By Ruth Olurounbi

Full story at Bloomberg.

Women of UP shine at SA Women in Science Awards

The University of Pretoria (UP) has cemented its position as a powerhouse for women in science, with five exceptional researchers earning recognition at the 2025 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA). The accolades highlight not just individual brilliance, but the University's commitment to nurturing diverse talent across multiple disciplines.

At the forefront of this achievement stands Dr Maurine Musie, who won the Distinguished Young Woman Researcher Award in Human and Social Sciences. The youngest PhD holder in UP's Nursing Science Department, Dr Musie has dedicated her career to improving maternal and neonatal health through ground-breaking approaches that blend traditional and modern healthcare practices. Her work with midwives and traditional birth attendants in rural areas addresses real healthcare challenges facing South African communities.

By Partnered Content

Full story at IOL