temitope a

The middle passage is a leitmotif for a lot of Afro-American and Caribbean literature and movies.

The middle passage is the movement of captured Africans through the Atlantic Ocean after which they were sold in the Americas.

Death and sickness was common along the middle passage as a result of the poor ventilation, limited space, poor diet and shortage of medical supplies that the slaves had to endure.

It is reported that over 50 mutinies occurred on slave ships between 1699 and 1865, the most popular of which is the one led&nbsp;by Joseph Cinqué on a Spanish ship. This revolt eventually became the basis of a court case that went as far as the U.S Supreme court.

While the Middle Passage has often been used as leitmotif in the retelling of African and Afro-American history, the Igbo Landing has been less used.

The Igbo Landing occurred when Igbo slaves who had taken control of their ship marched into the water and drowned at Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island, Glynn County, Georgia.

After surviving the rigours of the Middle Passage, the 75 Igbo slaves who were bought for labour on the plantations of John Couper and Thomas Spalding for 100 dollars each.

The slaves were chained and put aboard a small ship to be transported to their destinations. During this voyage, they took control of the ship and grounded it, drowning their captors in the process.

The sequence of actual events is unclear as most of the historical incidence was passed down by oral tradition.

A common version is that the slaves, once ashore, walked into the creek in unison, singing and chanting in Igbo under the direction of someone who seemed to be like a high priest among them.

This mutiny has been referred to in some quarters as the first major freedom march in America's history.

For over two hundred years, the event was considered myth and legend and nothing more. However, research has verified that there is factual and historical basis to the event.

There is no official historical marker at the site, but it is still visited routinely by historians and tourists.

The event has also be included in the history curriculum of schools in coastal Georgia.

One of the popular legends associated with the Igbo Landing is the myth of the flying Africans. In some oral accounts, it was reported that the Africans had grown wings, transformed into vultures and flew straight back to Africa.

Toni Morrison, Nobel Laurette, based her novel, 'Song of Solomon' on this myth. Award winning author, Alex Haley, retells this story in his famous novel, ''. Edwidge Danticat, Haitian author also alludes to this myth in one of her stories in the book 'Krik Krak'. Jamaica Kincaid, Jamaican author has also used the myth of the flying Africans in her work.

Beyonce Knowles, multiple Grammy award winner released a surprise album in April 2016 titled ''.

The album features her superstar rapper husband, Jay Z as well as input from other artists such as The Weeknd, Diplo, Kendrick Lamar and James Blake.

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/culture-and-traditions-7-unusual-cultures-around-the-world/44y7xbk">7 unusual cultures around the world</a>

Beyonce quoted Warsan Shire, a Somali-British poet in the Lemonade album. Laolu Senbanjo, a Nigerian artist had his body painting work featured on the album as well.

A a track on the album, relies heavily on imagery from the Igbo Landing, sparking discussion internationally about the historical event.

The video is set in a marshy area, and it shows Beyonce leading a group of black women into the water, almost as if they are about to drown themselves.

Pencil painting of The Igbo Landing by Jamaican artist, Donovan Nelson

The Igbo Landing refers to the mass suicide of Igbo slaves in 1803 who chose to die than live a life of slavery.

How 75 Nigerians who revolted against slavery chose to drown in the U.S

Jollof rice is cooked with both water and steam, making it very easy to overcook.

When you cook your jollof rice, you must use equal parts of rice and water so that steam can play its role in cooking the rice.

However, you can easily overcook your jollof rice, and it won't necessarily be because you put in too much water.

If you leave your rice covered immediately after cooking it, the steam from the pot will further cook it and leave you with a soggy mess.

ALSO READ: <a href="" id="cec35361-c471-515b-b672-a7a4ecf56cf6">3 tips for the perfect jollof rice</a>

However, whatever the reason, if you slightly overcook your jollof rice, the situation can be salvaged.

First of all, the moment your rice looks soggy, DON’T leave it in the pot.

You should cool it down as quickly as possible to stop the cooking process. You should immediately spread it out on an a big tray leave to cool.

If you're afraid that it is really soggy, then place it in a cool place such as an open fridge (closing the fridge means that condensation will pull on your food, so don't).

You might want to throw the cooled down rice in the oven so that it completely dries out for good measure.

___4207101___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___4207101___2015___9___28___9___jollof_rice_vegetable_salad_40_3.1.26_326X580_40_3.1.26_326X580_40_3.1.26_326X580

While some cooking disasters have no remedy, overcooking your jollof is something that can be fixed.

What to do when you overcook jollof

Wedding ceremonies in Sudan last for days, with the bride and groom having specific roles to play.

Three important aspects of Sudanese weddings can be easily divided into the betrothal/engagement, the wedding preparation and the actual wedding/consumation.

Sudan is a predominantly Muslim country, with customs and cultures passed down for centuries and recent western influences as well.

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/10-best-foods-to-eat-from-10-regions-in-nigeria/llme3wb">10 best foods to eat from 10 regions in Nigeria</a>

All these reflect in the way marriages are conducted in Sudan as many aspects of the Muslim faith form part of the marriage tradition.

Arranged marriages are common in Sudan, especially as it is encouraged by the Muslim faith.

In any case, (whether the match is arranged or not), for the engagement to be formalized, a meeting between both families is important.

The suitor is required to make a good offer in exchange for the bride’s hand in marriage. The offer is traditionally a herd of cattle, but in recent times, it includes money too.

The first installment of cattle may be ‘paid’ to the bride’s family, sealing the engagement, while the balance will be delivered at the actual wedding.

The preparation for the festivities takes about a month, and the bride’s home is completely taken over by the activities.

The focus of a Sudanese wedding is mostly on the bride. Surrounded by peers and female members of her family, the bride will go through beauty rituals to prepare her for her wedding day.

Her hair will be taken care of and she will be doused in perfumes and incense. A ‘henna party’ involving sweets and singing while the bride gets intricate henna tattoos on her hands and feet is crucial to the preparations because it is believed to ward off evil spirits.

<h2>The actual wedding/consummation:</h2>

When the groom arrives at the house of his bride-to-be, he is greeted by her mother.&nbsp;He is traditionally obliged to ask for her permission to enter the house.

After demonstrating her acceptance, he taken inside and led in to his waiting bride and guests.

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/relationships-weddings/how-to-tell-your-partner-you-want-better-sex/zdr60t3">How do you tell your partner that they need to up their sex game?</a>

A religious sermon takes place, after which the couple kisses their parents’ knees and seeks their blessings. Traditional songs are sung to praise the couple and wish them well after all the wedding conditions are fulfilled.

The newlyweds then journey to the groom’s house, where a smaller celebration is held before the union is finally consummated.

The marriage tradition in Sudan is influenced by mix of religious and cultural beliefs, making it beautiful and unique.

Wedding tradition in Sudan

<h1>Most of the food a traveller or tourist is likely to come across in Sudan has strong Arab influences.</h1>

Some of the popular dishes in Sudan include include Ta,amia or Falafel, a dish of fried, mashed chickpeas; ful, fasolia, kebab and chawarma.

Tropical fruits are easily found in the capital while dates and figs are found all around the country.

Sudanese food, due to the Arab influences, generally have a lot of pepper and spices. There is a wide variety of stews and soups in Sudan, often accompanied by bread or porridge.

Here are three popular dishes in Sudan:

Ful is made of cooked fava beans and it is typically served with served with vegetable oil and chopped parsley, garlic, onion, lemon juice, chili pepper, herbs and other spices.

Ful is also a common a staple food in Egypt as well as a part of the cuisine of many Arab, Middle Eastern and African cultures.

This a popular meal is a yogurt salad. It is made from a mixture of different vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, spinach, and cucumbers.

The vegetables are diced into small pieces and then poured into yoghurt.

Moukhbaza is a meal made from banana paste and topped with chili peppers.

Sudanese food, like everything about Sudan bear the influence of both African and Arab cultures of the unique nation.

3 popular Sudanese dishes you should try

<h1>As great as snail meat tastes, cleaning it is a headache most people would rather not go through.</h1>

The slime is very thick and sticky, sort of like clear, sticky phlegm.

There are several items that can be used to clean the slime off snails such as salt, lime and alum. Salt is used because of it's abrasive properties, lime is used for its acidic properties and alum is used for it's purification properties.

For efficacy and double assurance, you may use two of the three items named above.

1. Put the snails you intend to clean (after removing the shells of course) in a bowl and sprinkle lime juice on them, making sure that the lime juice touches every part of the snails.

2. Scrape off as much slime as you can with a large spatula or the blunt side of a kitchen knife.

3. By now, the slime would have reduced considerably. Then you use the halves of the limes to scrub the snails, cleaning off more slime.

ALSO READ: <a data-link-role-code="none" href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/peppered-snail-how-to-prepare-this-delicious-small-chops/vvc3d6j">How to prepare delicious peppered snail</a>

5. Take a piece of alum and scrub the snails carefully, cleaning the corners that the lime did not reach.

6. By now the snails should feel squeaky clean, if not, scrub some more till completely clean.

7. Rinse with plenty water to remove all traces of lime and alum.

Snail meat is a delicacy, no doubt. But the real problem is cleaning off the slime completely before cooking.

How to remove snail slime

<h1>The iris is the coloured part of the eye and its colour is determined by pigment melanin.</h1>

Eye colour is subject to change as a child grows because melanin concentration in the eyes change during the formative years.

Some foods can actually influence eye colour. Though these changes are not drastically noticeable, incorporating these foods into your diet will make the changes visible soon enough.

<h2>Here are five eye colour-changing foods:</h2>

This soothing tea does what it is meant to do, soothe. It immediately relaxes your eyes, giving them a brighter look.

Continuous usage of this natural concoction will give you a lighter shade of your natural eye color. Honey is a rich source of all necessary sugars for excellent all-round health.

ALSO READ: <a data-link-role-code="none" href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/healthy-eating-5-fruitsvegetables-that-improve-sexual-performance/kp5xrkt">5 fruits/vegetables that improve sexual performance</a>

Spinach contains zeaxanthin and carotenoids lutein which give youthfulness to the eyes. It also has high iron content as well as Vitamin A which make your eyes brighter.

Seafood is rich in vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins B, C A, D, E and K; minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorous. All these contribute to colour changes in the eye.

Olive oil has components such as linoleic acid, linolenic acid and oleic acid which render a beautiful, soft shade to the color of your eyes.

While your eye colour is determined by genetics, it does not always conform to the regular patterns.

5 foods that can change eye colour

<h1>In response to your bad behaviour, Uber has now made new rules for passengers. Among them are five reasons why you can now get kicked out of your ride at any point in the journey.</h1>

Like, in the middle of Third Mainland.

In the new guidelines, the ride-hailing company says “The way you behave while using Uber can have a big impact on the safety and comfort of drivers, as well as your fellow passengers. Courtesy matters…”.

It’s not as if you could always get into an Uber and do whatever you liked, but these new rules will help.

Here are a couple of things you can do if you have lost interest in using Uber.

1. Damage the driver or other passenger’s property. It’s really as simple as asking you not to do harm to any property. You are prohibited from intentionally spilling food or drink and breaking a phone. Uber also has a no smoking rule, and while you can be drunk, you will be thrown out if you throw up.

2. Make physical contact with the driver or other passengers. You would think this means touching but no, Uber has a NO sex rule, which means it no longer allows kissing, touching or any form of sexual contact.

To protect passengers in its new ride-sharing feature, violent physical actions are prohibited.

ALSO READ: <a href="http://pulse.ng/tech/little-cabs-ubers-kenyan-rival-is-bringing-the-battle-to-nigerian-roads-id5761624.html" id="71da1c3a-27e0-5745-a37c-d36cee24268a">Uber's Kenyan rival is bringing the battle to Nigerian roads</a>

3. Use inappropriate language or gestures. Because Uber is a cab service and not a meet-and-greet, passengers must not ask unnecessary or intrusive questions. You are also prohibited from using language that can be seen as disrespectful or aggressive.

4. Initiate unwanted contact after the ride. Things happen and a passenger can notice a number or address and transform into a full-time stalker. To prevent this, Uber has banned calling or visiting a driver or fellow passenger after the ride has ended. Yea, there are no Cinderella stories happening in an Uber cab anytime soon.

5. Breaking local law while using Uber. It’s as simple as this; if it’s illegal in Nigeria, you can’t do it in a Uber cab.

So, rules, rules, rules, what happens if I break them?

Apart from getting thrown out possibly in the middle of nowhere? Uber says if complaints are made, you will be contacted for investigations. Depending on how serious the allegations are, they can either suspend your account or take away your access to Uber.

On the surface, this should not cause a lot of problems, but with our knowledge of what goes on in Uber cabs, adjusting to the rules might more difficult for some than we think.

___5891250___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5891250___2016___12___13___14___uber-redmond-pie_2

The taxi service has updated its guidelines; passengers now have a new set of rules to follow.

Five reasons why you can get kicked out of your next ride

<h1>CoLab, Kaduna’s innovation centre, is opening its doors to female developers for free.</h1>

It’s no news that Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem is dominated by men; the imbalance is noticeable anywhere from incubators to founders.

The hub seems very interested in getting the female folk involved; in exchange for free access, the developers will design programs that will get more women involved in technology.

ALSO READ: <a href="http://pulse.ng/tech/y-combinator-5-tips-on-how-to-get-into-the-most-successful-incubator-in-the-world-id5532073.html" id="9bb9cc7a-41cd-53a0-87b9-ee28c43cf324">Five tips on how to get into the most successful incubator in the world</a>

CoLab’s founder, Sanusi Ismaila, first teased the announcement via his twitter handle.

This is not the first time the incubator is creating opportunities for women. Earlier this year, it gave free year-long access to female participants at the Startup Kaduna Hack Series.

___5890865___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5890865___2016___12___13___13___colab-open-techcabal_1

The Kaduna-based incubator is trying to get more young women interested in tech.

Female developers get free access to tech innovation hub

<h1>Ben Murray-Bruce takes the hot seat on the newest episode of My Worst Day With Peace Hyde as he speaks on common sense and the Miss World Beauty Pageant.</h1>

The Chairman of the Silverbird Group started his career in media and entertainment, before dabbling into pageants and most recently, politics, becoming a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He recounts to Peace Hyde how an ordinary day caused a chain of events that led to loss of life, money and goodwill on his worst ever day.

___5878402___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5878402___2016___12___10___9___MWD+-+Bruce_1

Looking forward to a milestone, Ben Murray-Bruce saw fear and violence turn it into his worst day ever.

"We lost millions of dollars", Ben Murray-Bruce tells Forbes Africa TV

Tomiwa Ilori, PIN's Program Assistant (ICT Policy), stated that “The year 2016 has shaped up to be the year of Internet shutdowns in Africa... in addition to an increasing number of legislations and policies that violate digital rights; and arrests of numerous bloggers, journalists and citizens who exercised their right to freedom of opinion and expression online.”

A major trend in recent times has seen African governments order telecom operators to increase prices or as most recently seen in Gambia, shut the populace off from access to the internet.

At best, this shows that private businesses still act at the behest of governments on the continent whe digital rights are involved.

According to Babatunde Okunoye, a member of the report's team, “2016, however, was not just about African governments’ actions to constrain Internet freedom. It was also very much about how citizens fought back... (they) increasingly led efforts that challenged the action of their governments.”

Oluwaseun Ajayi, a Google Policy Fellow resident at PIN and another team member, stated that: “This report, which focuses on the year 2016, recognises the importance of citizen vigilance and lawful action against the constraining of Internet freedom across the continent”

It beams the light on the system of regulation, highlights incidents around breached internet freedom and the telecommunications space in Africa.

This report, according to Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, is part of the organisation’s work towards the creation of awareness about, and advocacy for, digital rights in Africa.

“As we create awareness on the threat to Internet freedom and provide information on what can be done to improve digital rights across African countries, PIN leads advocacy efforts for digital rights of citizens and other stakeholders”  said ‘Gbenga Sesan, PIN Executive Director.

ALSO READ: <a href="http://pulse.ng/local/data-price-increase-ncc-will-still-hike-your-internet-cost-id5867294.html" id="9eb5228e-b258-50de-956f-10337ea47aa6">NCC will still hike your internet cost</a>

The Initiative provides digital rights training for media, advocates and civil society organisations and hosts the annual Internet Freedom Forum where various stakeholders discuss prevailing issues.

‘Gbenga believes that active citizens and civil society constrain the tendency of those who abuse authority to violate digital rights. “Or, at least, the problem gets attention and forces either denial or in some cases, reversal of violations.”, he says.

He continued: “With at least 10 countries imposing Internet or Internet application shutdowns, unfortunately, Africa was the hotbed for violations to digital rights... Those who constrain Internet freedoms should be seen as adversaries of development – something Africa needs in a hurry.

___5876604___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5876604___2016___12___9___16___pin-nigeria

The report considers access to internet resources with data from 30 African countries.

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria releases first edition of report

<h1>Uber is changing the way Lagos driver-partners access finance and grow their small businesses. The global ride-sharing platform has partnered with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) who will provide access to finance for budding transport entrepreneurs at just five percent per annum.</h1>

Uber has particular relevance in a city such as Lagos, where traffic congestion is an ongoing challenge. As Nigeria grows, rapid urbanisation means more people will use roads in its cities. Lagos is an economic hub which makes this challenge greater for those using its roads.

Ebi Atawodi, General Manager for Uber in West Africa says, “We are encouraged by the Lagos State’s commitment to ridesharing platforms like Uber. Their support of local entrepreneurs not only fosters the growth of sustainable businesses but strengthens a highly-viable transport industry in Lagos.”

Uber driver-partners in Lagos will also find it easier to buy their own vehicle. Driver-partners can now buy new cars that are locally-assembled in Nigeria by Stallion Motors; Hyundai i10 and Hyundai Grand Xcent, thanks to the new partnership.

If they qualify for the financing provided by LSETF, Uber entrepreneurs can buy any new locally-assembled car up to a value of three million naira and only need to contribute five percent of the vehicle purchase price when they buy the car.

According to Akintunde Oyebode, the Executive Secretary of LSETF, partnerships like this provide a platform for sustainable job and wealth creation and demonstrate a seamless collaboration between private capital and Government. “The partnership with Uber is proof of Lagos State Government's willingness to support innovative solutions that solve social problems, in this case, transport, and also provide jobs to its residents.”, he says.

The option to purchase locally made vehicles gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to obtain the assets required to grow their business and contributes to the growth of the local economy.

Access to affordable finance is critical to the success of any entrepreneur, as it frees up the cash flow for them to focus on growing their business.

The introduction of finance at a lower interest rate for driver-partners will help them thrive as they operate on the Uber platform.

The total offering to Uber Lagos entrepreneurs includes finance at a fixed interest rate of five percent per annum, with a loan period of 36 months.

Stallion motors are offering both the Hyundai Grand Xcent at three million naira and Hyundai i10 at two million and seven hundred thousand naira for this deal - both cars are locally assembled.

In order to qualify, Lagos entrepreneurs will be required to have been operating on the Uber platform and their Uber rating should be 4.5 or higher.

The Uber and LSETF partnership begins in December with the hopes of expanding it to more Uber partners in the near future.

___5871975___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5871975___2016___12___8___18___uber-redmond-pie_1

The package includes loans at an interest rate of five percent per annum, for periods of 36 months.

Driver-Partners can now get loans from Lagos State Employment Trust Fund

<h1>If day one was about the brightest minds in African tech, day two was about the people and companies that will build the future and the trends driving investment in them.</h1>

AFRITECH 2016 wrapped up with two panels discussing investment as well as venture capitalism, and MEST Demo Day.

Perhaps the most notable of the products, Henry Mascot of Curacel Health, pitched a system of managing electronic health records for African health facilities to the judges, including Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, founder of the Growing Businesses Foundation.

Following on a brief speech by Samsung’s Director for West Africa, Olumide Ojo on collaborations between the company and other stakeholders at various levels, MEST founder, Jorn Lyseggen spoke, in 6 lessons, on his journey in the African ecosystem.

The discourse was started by a panel of investors moderated by Jorn Lyseggen that had Tomi Davies of the African Business Angel Network; Wale Ayeni of International Finance Corporation; DiGAME’s Nnnena Nkongho; Aadil Mamujee, an angel investor with Musha Ventures and Jason Njoku, founder of Spark and iROKO.

Speaking on investing in Afritech, the discussion revolved around the interactions between African startups and investors and how they raise and use capital.

In response to a question on what startups should prioritise in sourcing for investment, Jason Njoku advised that companies should not operate with a culture built around finding investment but focus on making their processes and products better.

As an opportunity for companies under the MEST program to pitch products, the event moved to Demo Day.

In addition to Curacel Health, the guys at Devless pitched a platform for developers while an app for conducting remote video interviews called Dropque was presented by the team at Dropque, another of MEST’s products.

Next, Jorn Lyseggen was joined by Michael Sharon, formerly of Facebook and Matt Michelsen of Gotham Africa, for the Silicon Valley Fireside Chat. From years of experience in the famed valley between them, the three spoke on the value of mentorships and re-educating the rest of the world about Africa.

Taking a cue from his time at Facebook, Michael Sharon advised startups and founders to run fast and break things by creating amazing products and causing disruption.

Finally, venture capital was given the spotlight; the closing panel was made up of Yassi Hasson of Barclays Accelerator, Hybr Group’s Charles Ojei; Levi Novitske of Singularity; Samuel Ajadi of the GSM Alliance as well as Omotunde Abimbola of Interswitch and Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien as they discussed “Corporate Venture Capitalism”.

Moderated by Jason Spingler, startups were encouraged to develop themselves within accelerators and incubator programs.

Yassi Hasson noted that founders need to understand that most venture capitalists are not interested in building the ecosystem in a holistic sense but in investing in successful products and as such they should focus on creating those products.

The Africa Tech Summit, in collecting the brightest minds as well as influencers and stakeholders in every level of African technology, has presented an opportunity for appraisal as well as earmarking the necessary elements for the levels of growth that is hoped for.

Between panels brimming with expertise and exhibitions of the continent’s talent, the event also provided an opportunity for participants to build networks with a view to future collaboration across the continent and beyond.

To pull the curtains on the summit,  Demo Day continued with pitches from Laystar and Flippy Campus in another display of the growing value that MEST is adding to the African tech ecosystem.

___5867884___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5867884___2016___12___8___1___MEST-Africa-Technology-Summit-Day-2-5-

Startups under the MEST Program pitched their products to investors and VCs from Silicon Valley.

Jason Njoku, Tomi Davies speak as event wraps up with MEST Demo Day

<h1>On December 06, 2016, continuing a tradition that started last year in Accra, MEST Africa hosted this year’s edition of the African Technology Summit at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos.</h1>

MEST, short for Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, is a technology incubator and training program that empowers African entrepreneurs to build successful companies, with headquarters in Accra, Ghana. It was founded in 2008 and has grown into One of FastCompany’s Most Innovative Companies in Africa.

Meltwater founder, Jorn Lyseggen opened the event, sharing the experience of watching the growth of African tech since his first trip to the continent in 2007. He added that the event was to allow stakeholders interact and explore opportunities for collaboration.

He made way, as Mitchell Elegbe, founder and CEO of Interswitch delivered the keynote address on lessons he has learned with a brief history of the company. Among other things, he advised participants on business models, that they are unique to circumstances and will not work across the board.

The event moved on to panels, collections of the brightest and finest minds in Africa’s tech space. The first of them, moderated by SuperGeeks' CEO, Samuel Uduma, had Google’s Aniedi Udo-Obong; CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Paraminder Vir; Managing Partner at I-Dev, Jason Spindler; Co-founder of Brave Venture Labs, Ibanga Umanah, as well as Uber’s General Manager for West Africa, Ebi Atawodi and Obi Ejimofo of Asoko Insight.

Comparing tech landscapes across regions, the panellists discussed collaboration, pan-african companies and talent, as Uber’s Ebi Atawodi remarked that it was important for everyone to see African countries as unique markets and companies should be interested in collaborating on a global level, not restricting themselves to the continent.

The next roll call had Kamar Abass of NTEL; Founder of MainOne, Funke Opeke; Suburban West Africa’s Suleiman Arzika, Chairperson of the Global Alliance for Affordable Internet, Omobola Johnson; and CEO of Kirusa, Inderpal Singh Mumick on a panel moderated by Ericsson’s Oluseye Soyode-Johnson.

All major stakeholders in telecommunications, they discussed building the infrastructure to support Africa’s ambitions, speaking on the prospects in providing broadband across Africa.

Next were leaders in Fintech; Andela alum and co-founder of Flutterwave, Iyin Aboyeji; Interpay’s Kojo Dougan; Paga’s Tayo Oviosu; CIO of Interswitch, Babafemi Ogungbamila; CEO of Simbapay, Nyasinga Onyancha and MFS Africa’s Dare Okoudjou sat on a panel helmed by Matt Flannery of Kiva and Branch. In response to questions on banking regulation and problems with access to financial data, Iyin Aboyeji noted that it was important to understand the limitations that banks suffer, and to provide the technology that they need to work optimally and in compliance.

The final panel discussed developments in agritech with panellists including Kachi Ekezie, Nasir Yammamma, Matija Zulj of Agrivi, CAVA’s Alexander Osikhena and Angel Adelaja, CEO of Fresh Direct.

Day one of the two-day event was rounded off with exhibitions by technology firms operating within the ecosystem.

As they work towards creating jobs and wealth in Africa through its technology and companies, MEST’s AFRITECH 2016 continues on December 07, 2016 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos with a demo day.

___5862537___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5862537___2016___12___7___1___4dc69f08644f4e59._medium

The most innovative minds on the continent shared panels and opinions on the future of Africa's technology

MEST convenes brightest minds in ecosystem for day one

At the store, customers tap their phone on a flat platform at the door which connects them to the store’s network and logs in their Amazon Prime account. Then they walk in and pick up the products they want.

The service, which is called Amazon Go, uses machine learning, sensors and artificial intelligence to track whatever items the consumers pick up. The items are then added to their virtual cart. If a shopper decides he doesn’t want a product, he can return it, the app takes it off his cart instantly.

As the shopper leaves, the app adds up all they have bought and charges their Amazon account.

With this technology, Amazon is trying to re-define how products are sold. Imagine a future where you walk into your favourite retail store and there’s no one in sight, all you need to shop is you.

No shop attendants. No checkout lines and all the difficulties that come with them.

Amazon says it began to work on the product in 2012. According to the company, its employees are currently testing the technology at a new Amazon Go store near their offices in Seattle, Washington. The product will be open to the public in early 2017.

temitope a

Articles written by the author

How 75 Nigerians who revolted against slavery chose to drown in the U.S

What to do when you overcook jollof

Wedding tradition in Sudan

3 popular Sudanese dishes you should try

How to remove snail slime

5 foods that can change eye colour

Five reasons why you can get kicked out of your next ride

Female developers get free access to tech innovation hub

"We lost millions of dollars", Ben Murray-Bruce tells Forbes Africa TV

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria releases first edition of report

Driver-Partners can now get loans from Lagos State Employment Trust Fund

Jason Njoku, Tomi Davies speak as event wraps up with MEST Demo Day

MEST convenes brightest minds in ecosystem for day one

With this technology, you will never have to wait in line to buy anything.

Omilola Osikoya hosts conference titled “The Flourishing Palm Tree and its Process"

You can find your loved ones during an emergency with Google's new app

Next edition in Apple's smartphone series could have a curved screen

Messaging app will stop working on older phones by end of 2016

Social networking giant acquires app maker, Yes Inc.

160 workers sacked as firm moves jobs to India