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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested $8 million in the Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II to support early-stage technology companies across Nigeria and four other African markets.
The investment will provide growth capital to startups in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco and Senegal, with the aim of supporting innovation, business expansion and job creation.
The investment was made through the EBRD’s Early-Stage Innovation Facility II, a €200 million programme designed to invest in commercially focused venture capital funds supporting innovative businesses.
The facility seeks to strengthen Africa’s early-stage investment ecosystem by providing venture funds with capital to invest in startups and help them develop and scale.
Kola Aina, Founding Partner of Ventures Platform, said the EBRD’s participation reflects growing institutional confidence in Africa’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
He said the investment would strengthen the fund’s ability to support African founders developing solutions to major challenges and creating new markets.
“We are delighted to welcome the EBRD as an investor in Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II. Its commitment reflects a shared conviction that Africa’s next generation of globally relevant technology companies will be built by founders solving meaningful problems and creating new markets,” Aina said.
According to him, the partnership goes beyond providing capital, as it also strengthens confidence in Africa’s innovation economy and the prospects of technology businesses across the continent.
The EBRD’s Managing Director of Equity, Dirk Werner, said innovation was increasingly important to Africa’s economic future, but venture capital remained limited compared with the scale of entrepreneurial activity.
“By investing in Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II, we are helping to strengthen the market infrastructure that enables innovative businesses to access growth capital and scale their impact,” Werner said.
The EBRD said its investment alongside development finance institutions, international financial institutions and private investors demonstrates continued support for Africa’s venture capital ecosystem.
The bank began investing across five sub-Saharan African countries in 2025 and has committed €620 million to the region in less than a year.
The latest investment is expected to expand financing opportunities for early-stage technology companies while helping African startups develop, scale their operations and compete in regional and global markets.
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Entertainment & Media
Meta Sets 2-Hour Daily Limit for Children on Instagram, Facebook Under $171bn Settlement
The measures are part of a record $171 billion settlement with 29 US states over allegations linked to social media addiction and the impact of Meta’s platforms on children.
Under the new rules, children will face a two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook, alongside measures designed to reduce excessive use and strengthen protections for young users.
Meta will introduce mandatory “Productive Pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use, with additional interruptions at 60 and 90 minutes to discourage prolonged scrolling.
The company will also introduce “Nighttime Blocks”, restricting children’s access to Instagram and Facebook between midnight and 6 a.m.
During the school year, access will also be restricted during school hours, with push notifications disabled on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Meta is expected to strengthen its age-assurance systems to better verify users’ ages and provide children with age-appropriate content and experiences.
The safeguards will also include stronger protections against bullying, content promoting eating disorders, and material related to suicide and self-harm.
Parental controls will be made more accessible and easier to use, allowing parents to better manage their children’s activities on the platforms.
The settlement will also place restrictions on social-comparison features, including beauty filters and visible “like” counts, which have been linked to unhealthy comparison among young users.
An independent auditor and the settling states will regularly assess the implementation and effectiveness of the safeguards.
Agriculture&Agro-Allied
SEDC Launches Agromechanisation Projects to Boost Agriculture, Jobs and Investment in South East
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is set to launch a regional agromechanisation programme aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, creating jobs and attracting investment across the five South East states.
The Commission said it would establish three agromechanisation projects in each of the three senatorial zones of Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi, in partnership with the respective state governments.
The initiative will begin in Enugu State, with the pilot project located in Nomeh, Nkanu East Local Government Area.
Speaking during a community engagement on the proposed project, the Executive Director of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development at SEDC, Dr Clifford Ogbede, said the initiative was designed to make agriculture more productive and attractive to young people.
Represented by his Technical Adviser, Dr Chris Uwadoka, Ogbede said the projects would create direct and indirect employment opportunities while attracting local and foreign investors to the region.
He said the Commission was looking to rebuild the South East’s agricultural economy by introducing improved farming methods, mechanisation, better seeds and technical expertise.
“We could all recall that the Eastern Region economy was at a point rated as the fastest growing economy in the world. And at the root of it was agriculture,” he said.
According to him, the SEDC developed its agricultural blueprint to restore the region’s productive capacity and create opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
In Enugu, additional agromechanisation projects will be located at Elugwu Akwu in Oji River Local Government Area and Nkpologwu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
Ogbede said the programme would bring agricultural specialists, agro-entrepreneurs, improved seeds and modern farming knowledge closer to local farmers.
He also identified youth employment as a major objective of the initiative, noting that many young people had moved away from agriculture because of its labour-intensive nature and low productivity.
The project is expected to support the emergence of agricultural enterprises that can create employment while providing farmers with markets and opportunities to increase their incomes.
The Enugu State Liaison Officer to SEDC, Edeani M. Edeani, said the agromechanisation programme could also contribute to reducing insecurity by creating productive opportunities for young people.
He said large-scale agricultural projects would help ensure that land and other resources were put to productive use while providing employment.
A community leader and Senior Special Assistant to the Enugu State Governor on Media, Uche Anichukwu, commended the Federal Government and SEDC for selecting Nomeh for the pilot project.
He said the project could revive the community’s agricultural and commercial activities, which declined significantly after the civil war.
The traditional ruler of Nomeh Unateze, Igwe Israel Okonkwo Mbah, represented by his traditional prime minister, Chief Daniel Anikpuma, also welcomed the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to restore the community’s agricultural economy.
SEDC said the broader programme would serve as a platform for agricultural production, mechanisation, job creation, entrepreneurship and investment, with the goal of supporting economic growth across the South East.
Oyo Trains 880 Farmers, Extension Officers on Climate-Smart Agriculture to Boost Food Production
The Oyo State Government has commenced the training of 880 farmers and agricultural extension officers across the state on climate-smart agriculture as part of efforts to improve food production and strengthen farmers’ resilience to climate change.
The government said the training would help farmers adopt modern techniques that can improve productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and make agricultural businesses more sustainable.
The programme is being implemented under the 2025 Business Enabling Reform Action Plan (BERAP) through the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme, which is aimed at improving the business environment and creating more economic opportunities in Oyo State.
Opening the training, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, said climate-smart agriculture had become increasingly important due to climate change, soil degradation, unpredictable weather patterns and population growth.
He said farmers needed to produce more food while using resources more efficiently, noting that traditional farming methods alone may not be sufficient to meet future food demand.
According to him, climate-smart agriculture combines modern technology, innovation and scientific knowledge to improve farming efficiency, productivity and environmental sustainability.
The SABER focal person, Kilanko Olayemi, represented by Roland Adekunle, said the programme would train 880 participants drawn from the different geopolitical zones of the state.
He said reducing post-harvest losses was one of the key objectives of the initiative, given the impact of such losses on farmers’ income and food availability.
The initiative is expected to equip participating farmers and extension officers with knowledge and techniques that can improve agricultural output, strengthen resilience and support more sustainable farming businesses across Oyo State.
The Oyo State zonal coordinator of the All-Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Debo Fakayode, commended the state government for investing in agricultural capacity building and supporting the development of a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem.
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