Google has announced that its 12,000km Equiano subsea Internet cable, which arrived in Nigeria in April, will be operational by December.

Equiano is now running through Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, and South Africa, according to Google, and is expected to provide faster, lower-cost Internet to the continent by connecting St. Helena, Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, and South Africa with Europe.

The American company announced this yesterday at the second Google for Africa event, where it stated that more than 20% of the $1 billion announced last year to be spent on the region over the next five years has been adequately deployed.

According to a recent economic impact assessment conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics, the cable would accelerate economic growth in Nigeria by $10.1 billion, South Africa by $7 billion, and Namibia by $260 million by 2025.

At the same time, Equiano is expected to indirectly create 1.6 million jobs in Nigeria, 180,000 in South Africa, and 21,000 in Namibia as the digital economy and peripheral sectors expand.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, announced the company’s intention to establish a new Google Cloud region in South Africa, its first on the continent, during the virtual event.

Pichai explained that the new Cloud Region would assist users, developers, businesses, and educational institutions across Africa in moving more information and tools online, improving customer access options, and creating jobs.

Nitin Gajria, Managing Director of Google Africa, stated that the company is collaborating with governments, policymakers, NGOs, telcos, business leaders, creators, and media to help accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.

“We believe in growing an open and healthy ecosystem of technology solutions to support Africa’s digital transformation goals, which leads to more opportunities for businesses,” said Niral Patel, Director of Google Cloud Africa. Respect for the environment is part of our corporate ethos, which is why we operate the cleanest cloud in the industry, enabling sustainable digital transformation.

“Along with the cloud region, we are expanding our network through the Equiano subsea cable and building Dedicated Cloud Interconnect sites in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lagos and Nairobi. In doing so, we are building full scale Cloud capability for Africa.”

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The first public flight of a “flying car” built by Chinese electronic vehicle maker Xpeng Inc took place in the United Arab Emirates, as the company works to launch the electric aircraft on international markets.

The X2 is a two-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft powered by eight propellers, two in each corner.

The manufacturer described Monday’s unmanned, 90-minute test flight in Dubai as a “important base for the next generation of flying cars.”

We are gradually transitioning to the international market “said Xpeng Aeroht’s general manager, Minguan Qiu.

We chose Dubai because it is the most innovative city in the world “Aeroht was added.

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Isah Auwal-Barde, a 17-year-old boy from Kano State, has created a robot that works with a robotic exoskeleton remote control.

An exoskeleton remote control is a system in which the robot is controlled by the person operating it through the demonstration of the person’s body parts.

Auwal-Barde on Saturday said he grew up with a passion for creativity.

He finished his secondary education at Government Secondary School (GSS), Sabuwar-Kofa, Kano, in 2021 and obtained seven credits in science subjects in the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

“It took me two years to invent the robot using local materials like DC motors, copper wires, pipes, corrugated cardboard as well as metal, among others, and the robot works with electricity. I want to be a robotics engineer so that I can be producing robots that can be used in addressing security challenges bedevilling the country,” he said.

The teenager showered praises on his father for his support.

“Now, I want to get a scholarship to further my education abroad to fulfil my dream of becoming a robotics engineer,” he said.

The teenager further stated that his prowess in robotics caught the attention of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) who sent delegates to

visit him.

According to him, the delegation pledged to ensure that he is admitted to an indigenous university to study computer engineering.

“I have been giving him words of encouragement and telling him that he will become a robotics engineer in future,” said his father. “And whenever our electricity or electronics had faults, he was the one to repair them.”

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