Al Jazeera Launches My Nigeria Documentary Series

Premiering on Al Jazeera English on 24 August 2015, My Nigeria is a series of six half-hour documentaries that pulse with the energy of Africa’s leading economy telling the human story.

For every stereotype of corruption, scamming and extremism, there are many millions of Nigerians just making their country tick. Home to around one-fifth of Africa’s people, Nigeria is packed with talent, creativity, initiative and enterprise at all levels of society.

From stand up-comedian Basketmouth to Nollywood star turned politician Kate Henshaw, from ICT expert Gbenga Sesan to fashion designer Deola Sagoe, from football coach Femi Bamigboye to female mechanic Sandra Aguebor, each film focuses on one central character, who invites us into their world, sharing their story in their own words.

UNILAG Undergraduates Build Dove P1

A team of students in the University of Lagos have built an eco-friendly car named Dove P1. They state that the car does not emit gas and does not utilize fossil fuel.

They built the car under the Project Dove Initiative and have successfully completed their first model, Dove P1, utilizing locally sourced materials and building it at the university of Lagos.

The Dove initiative is a program in Nigerian Universities where students with automotive passion can harness their talents and produce eco-friendly vehicles.

Truppr Launches in Nairobi, Kenya

Nigerian startup Truppr, which provides a platform allowing fitness enthusiasts to connect with events and people around them, has been launched in Nairobi, Kenya; its first expansion outside of Nigeria.

Launched in August 2014 by Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) co-founder Bosum Tijani, Truppr provides a one-stop-shop for finding and booking sports venues, organising events, and finding teammates and fitness partners.

 

Nigerian Army Provides Free Medical Care To IDPs In Borno [2015]

The Nigerian Army says it has so far provided free medical treatment to about 300 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Chibok, Borno / Konduga community of Borno State, as part of activities marking this year’s Nigerian Army Day Celebration.

The army spokesperson, Sani Usman, in a statement said the free medical care which would last for three days – August 12 to 14 – is for the internally displaced persons in the area.

The immediate health needs of the displaced persons will be catered for during the exercise.

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Victor Shoaga, Ayodele Obasegun, Oyatope Blessing And Otaru Babatunde Develop Humane Application

Victor Shoaga, Ayodele Obasegun, Oyatope Blessing and Otaru Babatunde have developed Humane Application as a presentation for the 2014 Microsoft Imagine Cup. This accounts for why it is still only available on the Windows Phone platform at the moment. However, the team decided to take it to the next level by making improvements that will make it more widely accepted, of which includes compatibility with other platforms.

The developers are all students of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University.

Humane is virtual sensory software platform that allows visually impaired users to perform tasks on their smartphones which they cannot perform normally.

Humane makes smartphone operation easier for the visually impaired. It helps them select music files, play selected videos (though they can only listen), surf the web, set or check the time, the list goes on.

Humane Application, as it is, is an application software (not available for public download). It was developed for companies who are prospective buyers to add their own modifications to it, although individual buyers will still find it useful as it is.

How Humane Works

Humane is a software that comes with a manual controller. The software itself is downloaded into the user’s phone and then the user is given the controller and an identification number. The identification number is entered into the software for compatibility with the controller, meaning only one controller is able to work with a single software. The manual controller has two dongles for scrolling and a central “select” button, making its operation as easy as can be.

The Humane controller is durable, potable, easy to operate and light. The app also has a voice guide to notify when Humane has been successfully activated but the biggest merit is that for an app they can do so much, it connection is simply by Bluetooth – the same way two phones are connected for file sharing.

Challenges

Seeing as it is an extreme useful app, Humane Application has only a handful of challenges to overcome on its way to becoming widely accepted. For one, it is still only available on the Windows Phone platform, although plans are in place to roll it out on other platforms, so there’s no reason to bother.

Also, the manual controller has low ubiquity. Only a few controllers have been produced and as such, there is still a difficulty with dealing with the demand that will arise when Humane becomes widely known.

Another challenge faced on the part of the controller is it’s design. The controller is still in its prototype stage so it’s a bit bulky. But it works.

Summary

Humane Application is a whole platform on its own. It’s developers are working round the clock to add improvements and other uses, one of which is the Internet Of Things (IOT) module, which will allow visually impaired users to control appliances in their homes and Obstacle, which can notify a visually impaired operator against colliding with an oncoming obstruction to his path.