Google has expanded its Flood Hub platform to cover 80 countries worldwide, including the addition of 8 new countries in Africa following addition of AI-enabled efforts to address the devastating impacts of floods and provide critical support to vulnerable communities.

This expansion extends the reach of Flood Hub’s valuable services to countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan and Thailand. The Flood Hub platform now offers forecasts up to 7 days in advance, benefitting a population of 460 million people globally.

The Flood Hub platform has been available in several African countries prior to this expansion, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, South Africa, and now, with the expansion, it encompasses 60 additional countries.

These new countries include Burundi, Eswatini, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. The inclusion of these countries ensures that a broader range of African communities facing high flood risk and extreme weather conditions can benefit from Flood Hub’s accurate and timely flood forecasting services.

Floods claim tens of thousands of lives and cause billions of dollars in damages each year across the world. Their impacts are particularly severe in low-resource regions that often lack effective early warning systems. By equipping governments, aid organisations, and individuals with advanced flood forecasting tools, Flood Hub empowers communities to take proactive measures and make informed decisions to reduce the devastating effects of floods.

To further enhance flood preparedness, Google is expanding flood alerts through Search and Maps notifications, ensuring that individuals have convenient access to timely and critical flood information. This expansion aims to empower more people to take necessary precautions and safeguard lives and property.

“We recognise the significant impact that floods have on communities worldwide, especially in regions with limited resources and vulnerable populations,” said Yossi Mattias, VP Engineering & Research and Crisis Response Lead.  “We are committed to expanding the reach of the Flood Hub platform to support these communities and provide accurate flood forecasting that can help save lives and protect livelihoods.”

One hundred and one female entrepreneurs have made it to the final stage of the Y’ellopreneur initiative and will each receive equipment loans of up to N2 million at a fixed interest rate of 2.5% and 36-months repayment duration from the MTN Foundation. 

The loans, which will be disbursed by the Bank of Industry, are expected to help the women scale their businesses thus contributing to reduction in female unemployment.

SMEs in less wealthy economies are mostly faced with sociocultural barriers and infrastructural deficit. They also lack poor access to finances and continuous education, and government support. Nevertheless, a 2022 report by Mastercard, shows that women in less wealthy economies are making their mark as vital economic contributors with over 25% significant business ownership of all local businesses, despite prevailing socio-economic constraints. The Y’ellopreneur initiative was established to contribute to tackling these problems in Nigeria, through capacity building, advisory and business support services.

Speaking about the equipment loan, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya stated that the equipment loan is to facilitate the expansion of more sustainable women-led businesses. “Women-led businesses are powerful sources of job creation and economic growth. According to a report by PwC Nigeria, women account for 41% of business ownership and 3.4% of female employment within micro-enterprises, but they continue to face challenges in accessing finance. Through the Y’ellopreneur initiative, MTN Foundation and Bank of Industry are helping female entrepreneurs in Nigeria. By working together, we can build a fairer, more prosperous future,” said Odunayo Sanya, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation.

 “This time, the MTN Foundation is concentrating on female entrepreneurs. Five hundred out of the nearly 42,000 applicants for the Y’ellopreneur programme were trained, and following careful assessment of their respective pitches, 101 women have qualified to receive the equipment grant and loan,” she added. 

The Y’ellopreneur initiative in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) is part of the MTN Foundation’s strategic efforts to support the government in attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) 1,2, 5, 8 and 17 which seeks to eliminate poverty and hunger, achieve gender equality by empowering all women, and promote inclusive economic growth.

TD Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading distributor of tech and lifestyle products, has announced an agreement to distribute select Ring devices in Nigeria.

The agreements revealed at meeting with its resellers on Thursday night in Lagos, TD Africa stated that it will leverage its growing network of channel partners and key resellers in extending the reach of Ring’s cutting-edge solutions to millions of potential users across Nigeria.

By offering Ring devices for the first time in Nigeria, TD Africa and Ring can deliver home security solutions that are accessible and effective. Ring provides reliable, easy-to-install DIY home security products that offer customers peace of mind as they protect their homes.

While using devices like the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd generation), homeowners can see, hear and speak to anyone at their front door, from their compatible phone or tablet – even in the dark.

Ring devices provide an extra layer of security, through a variety of features. With Ring Video Doorbells and Security Cameras, users benefit from Motion Detection, Two-Way Talk, Night Vision, and more, all controllable via the Ring app. Plus, Ring has put features in place across all its devices to ensure privacy, security, and user control remain front and centre. Features vary based on the device and may be subject to a Ring Protect subscription.

The coordinating managing director, TD Africa, Mrs. Chioma Chimere disclosed that, “We are delighted to add Ring to a growing list of globally recognised brands we represent in Nigeria. Through this collaboration, we are confident of bringing the Ring range of intelligent home security solutions to the homes of many Nigerians through our nationwide network of channel partners.

 Also speaking vice president– Emerging Markets, Ring, Mohammad Meraj Hoda said, “At Ring, our mission is to make neighbourhoods safer. We reimagined home security with products like Ring Video Doorbell, Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, and Stick Up Cams.

“Now, we’re excited to work with TD Africa to expand our product availability in Nigeria. We look forward to working together to bring our products to residents and continue to provide peace of mind to more customers around the world,” said.

Ring devices, including video doorbells, indoor and outdoor security cameras and a range of accessories, including solar panels, will be available from April 2023 in stores, shopping centres, malls, tech-focused markets and other retail locations in major cities across Nigeria. Customers can also expect in-store events and online specials to introduce this new product offering.