Google has announced initiatives to support nonprofits and businesses in Nigeria and other African countries with $3,000,000 grants.
Google Nigeria Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan, who announced the initiatives during a virtual Google Economic Recovery Roundtable, said to assist vulnerable populations, the tech company had set aside the fund to support education, entrepreneurship and women empowerment across the continent.
According to her, Praekelt Foundation, a software development nonprofit, will be supported with $500,000 to improve the health and well-being of underprivileged people.
‘In an effort to help job seekers acquire new skills while they look for opportunities, Google is providing underserved communities and job seekers with $750,000 in information technology support scholarships through Google.org across Africa’, Ehimuan said.
‘Job seekers can also access the Grow with Google training portal for help in growing their careers or businesses at their own pace and through flexible and personalised training courses’.
Google said it was working with partners across Africa, through Google for Education, to help deploy its suite of education products in schools and help 500,000 students continue learning.
‘Google is also giving a grant of $250,000 to organisations in Nigeria which are developing programmes and tools to boost literacy for children in low-income schools in the country’, Ehimuan said.
She also said that Google would set up a digital hub providing free tools and resources to businesses and individuals.
Through the hub, 500,000 small businesses will receive help getting online or improving their digital presence through Google My Business (GMB) which helps them connect with millions of users every month.
‘This support includes a partnership with the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports Development’, she explained.
‘The partnership will provide support for youth-owned SMBs. It will also provide support for jobseekers in Nigeria to help them acquire marketable skills through certification and training programmes, and involve supporting programmes that enable and improve access to quality education across the region’.
Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said that the partnership between Google and the ministry would motivate Nigerian youths to become more innovative to explore their world of technology.
Source: This Day
Photo source: Keng Susumpow
