Business
Google Grant Nigeria N2.8bn AI Fund
Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital economy says the federal government has secured N2.8 billion grant from Google to boost artificial intelligence (AI) talent development in the country.
The Minister discloses this at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday. Tijani said that the support comes one month after the government partnered with Google to launch a N100 million AI fund initiative in Nigeria.
” The fund is part of Google’s $5.8 million commitment to support digital skills programmes across sub-Saharan Africa.
“This support from Google is a testament to our commitment to positioning Nigeria as a leader in AI innovation,” the minister said.
Matt Brittin, President, Google EMEA, said the grant will be implemented in Nigeria through the government’s ongoing three million technical talents (3MTT) programme with a focus on 20,000 Nigerians with AI skills.
The 3MTT, launched on October 13, is a four-year programme aimed at training Nigerians and building the country’s technical talent backbone to power the digital economy and position Nigeria as a net talent exporter.
Brittin added that through the scheme, 125,000 educators will be trained and 10 promising Nigerian AI startups will be empowered with N100 million.
” I am pleased to announce that Google.org is providing N2.8 billion (or approximately $1.7 million) in funding to the Data Scientists Network Foundation, supporting the honourable minister’s vision for AI growth in Nigeria,” Brittin said.
“This funding will be directed toward critical initiatives that advance AI skills and opportunities across the country. Through this grant, we’re supporting the FMCIDE’s 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) program, with a focus on equipping 20,000 young Nigerians with advanced skills in AI and data science.
“Additionally, the Experience AI Program, developed with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, will train 25,000 educators to inspire and educate 125,000 young learners, introducing them to AI fundamentals.
The AI Fund, created in collaboration with NCAIR, is providing 10 promising Nigerian AI startups with N100 million in funding, alongside up to $3.5 million in Google Cloud Credits, mentorship from Google engineers, and technical support.”
Brittin said BetaLife Health, Bunce, CDIAL AI, Farmspeak, Lendsqr, ProDevs, Rana Energy, SaaSPro Health, Towntalk and Trade Lenda, are the 10 startups selected for the AI fund.
Business
Nigeria’s oil minister orders marketers to reduce fuel price
“While we believe that market forces will eventually restore equilibrium, the regulator also has a statutory responsibility to ensure that deregulation does not become an avenue for profiteering. This must be done in line with the extant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act,”said Lokpobiri.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, at the NMDPRA General Counsel and Legal Advisers Forum, directed petroleum marketers to reduce fuel price .
At the two-day forum themed: “Beyond Compliance: Driving Regulatory Certainty and Investment Confidence in Nigeria’s Petroleum Sector, Lokpobiri noted that refiners and marketers have continued to sell petrol at elevated pump prices despite the significant decline in crude oil prices from a peak of $120 per barrel to about $72 per barrel last week.
He said: “Following de-escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States, we expected to see a commensurate downward adjustment in the prices of PMS and other petroleum products.However, that has not yet happened.”
“While we believe that market forces will eventually restore equilibrium, the regulator also has a statutory responsibility to ensure that deregulation does not become an avenue for profiteering. This must be done in line with the extant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act,”said Lokpobiri.
Business
Naira Exchange Rates Tuesday, 30 June 2026
BLACK MARKET RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1, 390
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,855
EURO (EUR) ₦1, 585
BLACK MARKET RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) Buy ₦1, 390 Sell ₦1, 395
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) Buy ₦1,855 Sell: ₦1,870
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1, 585 Sell ₦1,605
CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD) Buy ₦1,030 Sell ₦1,100
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90
UAE DIRHAM Buy ₦350 Sell ₦370
CHINESE YUAN Buy ₦180 Sell ₦200
GHANA CEDI (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110
WEST AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 380 Sell ₦2, 460
CENTRAL AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 220 Sell 2,300
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR Buy ₦800 Sell ₦900
OFFICIAL CBN EXCHANGE RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1,383. 63
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,831.64
EURO (EUR) ₦1,578. 03
SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,710.71
JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8.55
CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦203. 65
WEST AFRICAN CFA (XOF) ₦2.40
WEST AFRICAN UNIT ACCOUNT (WAUA) ₦1,872. 07
SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦368.43
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦84.24
OFFICIAL CBN EXCHANGE RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1,380. 93
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,824.90
EURO (EUR) ₦1,577. 58
SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,710.13
JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8.54
CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦203. 13
WEST AFRICAN CFA (XOF) ₦2.39
WEST AFRICAN UNIT ACCOUNT (WAUA) ₦1,867. 05
SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦367.72
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦83. 89
BLACK MARKET RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) Buy ₦1, 393 Sell ₦1, 400
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) Buy ₦1,850 Sell: ₦1,870
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1, 580 Sell ₦1,600
CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD) Buy ₦1,030 Sell ₦1,100
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90
UAE DIRHAM Buy ₦350 Sell ₦370
CHINESE YUAN Buy ₦180 Sell ₦200
GHANA CEDI (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110
WEST AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 380 Sell ₦2, 460
CENTRAL AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 220 Sell 2,300
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR Buy ₦800 Sell ₦900
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