Author: Olu Anisere

Google Launches AI Skilling Blueprint for Africa with Funding Google has announced that it has stepped up its commitment to closing the skills gap on the continent by launching the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skilling Blueprint for Africa. In a statement made available in Lagos, Nigeria, the organisation said that the Blueprint was a comprehensive policy roadmap to help governments build a future-proof, AI-ready workforce. The blueprint, it said, focused on developing three critical cohorts: AI Learners, AI Implementers, and AI Innovators. The organisation noted that the launch was part of a broader set of Africa-focused initiatives, which included a $2.25…

FAAC Shares N2.094trn October Revenue to FG, States, LGCs The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total sum of N2.094 trillion revenue for the month of October among the Federal Government, states and the Local Government Councils (LGCs). The revenue was shared at the November Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting on Wednesday in Abuja. This is according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, which was made available to newsmen by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) The communiqué said that the N2.094 trillion…

NVIDIA Posts 65% Increase in EPS in Q3, Share Price Surges Nvidia NASDAQ: NVDA) earned $31.9 billion, or $1.30 per share, a 65% increase from the same time last year, while revenue climbed 62% to $57 billion. Analysts polled by Fact Set Research had forecast earnings of $1.26 per share on revenue of $54.9 billion. Sales hit a record $57 billion in Q3 as demand for the company’s advanced AI data centre chips continued to surge, up 62% from the year-earlier quarter and exceeding consensus estimates. The majority of the company’s earnings came from data center sales, which came in…

Ethereum Hit by Wave of Sell-offs, Drops to $2,875 Ethereum (ETHUSD) has been hit by a wave of sell-offs in the cryptocurrency market, causing the second-largest digital asset price to decline sharply. The 24h drop stems from macro-driven market panic in the crypto markets, technical breakdowns activating liquidations, and institutional capital flight – all pointed at deep-rooted bearish sentiment. Ethereum is trading at $2,875 at the press time, down by about 9% in 24 hours with total trading volume of $35.86 billion. According to data from the CoinMarketCap.com, ETHUSD trading volume has fallen by a quarter in 24 hours as…

Naira Depreciates N1,454 as FX Demand Eclipses Market Supply The transaction value of the naira depreciated against the US dollar as forex liquidity conditions tightened further on Wednesday at the official window. The local currency is losing its value against the US dollar. In the last 10 days, the naira has lost N18 per dollar transaction, affecting companies that sought to settle foreign currency liabilities or acquire assets. Updated FX data released by the Central Bank shows that the official rate touched an intraday high of 1460.5000 per dollar, reflecting forex market scarcity lingering on the day. Some transactions were…

Oil Prices Decline over Weak U.S. Demand Outlook In the global commodity market, prices of crude oil declined further on Wednesday after industry data pointed to weakening demand in the US, the world’s largest oil consumer. International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $64.30 per barrel, down 0.4% from the previous close of $64.58. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also decreased by about 0.4% to $60.45, compared to $60.68 in the prior session. The downturn followed figures from the American Petroleum Institute (API), which showed US commercial crude inventories rising by 4.4 million barrels last week. Gasoline stocks climbed…

CBN Opens N700bn Treasury Bills Auction on S4 Platform The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is set to open a Treasury bills auction on its S4 platform on Wednesday, offering N700 billion to investors across standard tenors. Trading activities in the secondary market was quiet on Tuesday as investors’ attention shifted to the primary market auction scheduled for midweek. The midweek treasury bills auction is expected to be conducted by the CBN through the S4 platform amidst the authority plan to take over fixed income market activities and regulation. The CBN will put N100 billion worth of Nigerian Treasury bills…

CBN Holds OMO Bills Auction, Raises N2.98trn The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised N2.98 trillion from its open market operation action held on Tuesday to combat excess liquidity in the money market. The CBN floated N600 billion in OMO bills across short tenors of an equal amount amidst inflows from expired papers. The CBN opened subscription for Nigerian OMO bills with 175 days to maturity and another 182 days to maturity. The market recorded an inflow of N1.4 trillion, necessitating the need for a primary market auction. The market has seen excess liquidity growing to N5.4 trillion, according to AIICO…

XRP Climbs by 5.24% on ETF Launch Optimism Ripple (XRPUSD) surged by 5.24% in 24 hours as positive sentiment triggered a fresh rally in the cryptocurrency market on Tuesday, fueled by its ETF launch. XRP has seen sharp daily gains after sell pressures across crypto names dragged global market cap to $3 trillion. XRP navigates market turbulence with staking debates and ETF inflows while whales signal confidence. In the past 24 hours, the market value of all crypto assets has climbed by 2.6% to $3.18 trillion, driven by gains in top 1 digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and others.…

The World Bank Group today announced the appointment of Paschal Donohoe as Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer.