Tech
Why Youth Entrepreneurs Are Key To Tackling Climate Change in Africa By Tony Elumelu

Published
6 months agoon
By
Ekwutos Blog
I am a proud Nigerian and a proud African. I am also a philanthropist and entrepreneur—and I have seen firsthand that to effectively tackle climate change within the African context, from Egypt to Nigeria to South Africa, we must look to the people it impacts.
Too often our businesses have not created value on our continent or traded commodities for short-term profit, not long-term investment. Fostering entrepreneurship, sustaining young entrepreneurs, who will grow businesses and create sustainable employment, is a crucial pathway to achieving long-term climate solutions.
In 2010, my wife and I had an idea. Concerned with escalating poverty, we founded the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and committed $100 million to identify, mentor, and fund young African entrepreneurs—young people with brilliant ideas and the drive to tackle the continent’s most pressing challenges. They lacked capital, connections, and mentors. They lacked luck. We wanted to change that. It was a bold bet aimed at empowering Africa’s most vulnerable and populous demographic, encouraging them to create their own wealth, rather than relying on aid. And the bet paid off.
Since its inception, the foundation has empowered 20,000 entrepreneurs across 54 African countries, who have created 400,000 direct and indirect jobs and generated over $2.3 billion in revenue. We have provided access to business training to more than 1.5 million young people.
Given the scale of the task, we partner with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the European Union (EU), and other partners to deepen our reach and impact. We provide funding, mentorship, business training, and advocacy support to entrepreneurs—specifically, in fragile regions, conflict zones, and underserved communities.
Together, we address challenges like youth unemployment, poverty, and insurgency through entrepreneurship. In 2022, we partnered with UNICEF Generation Unlimited (GenU) and IKEA Foundation, to launch a Green Entrepreneurship Program that empowers youth whose businesses address the triple planetary crisis. Of the 20,000 young men and women entrepreneurs that TEF has empowered, more than 500 are directly or indirectly solving challenges related to climate change, and over a third (35%) working in the agricultural sector.
By empowering young people, we are establishing a dynamic engine that drives economic growth and development across the continent. These entrepreneurs also become vital pillars of support within their communities. They are not only creating essential jobs and income, but also uplifting families and breaking the cycle of poverty. And now, more than ever, is the time to bring a climate-lens to this entrepreneurship.
Africa is warming more quickly than the rest of the world. By 2030, an estimated 118 million Africans are projected to face drought, and rising sea levels threaten coastal regions, potentially displacing millions. Climate change is impeding access to basic necessities: water, power, food, and education. But these challenges also offer extraordinary opportunities for those with an entrepreneurial mindset to tackle climate change, while simultaneously creating significant economic value.
For instance, how can we enhance the sustainability of smallholder farmers, which comprise 80% of all farms in sub-Saharan Africa and employ 60% of the continent’s workforce? What strategies can be employed by African nations with vast forests—such as Gabon, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and Congo—to effectively leverage these critical carbon sinks?
To unlock the full potential of green solutions in Africa, we must nurture entrepreneurship—and this cannot be achieved by governments alone. We need to integrate government incentive schemes, with the opportunities presented by the private sector. It is imperative that we unite philanthropies, policymakers, and businesses. I refer to this movement as “Africapitalism”—a call for partnership led by the private sector, focused on fostering prosperity for all.
Global warming is not an inevitable fate. Entrepreneurs are inherently problem solvers; they possess the curiosity to explore opportunities and challenges, the creativity to devise innovative solutions, and the determination to transform obstacles into successes. Youth entrepreneurship can be a solution to averting the looming crisis of climate impact. It’s time to harness this power.
You may like
Plateau killings barbaric – CAN demands justice for victims
Rights group condemns killings in Plateau, calls for govt intervention
I’m coming for you – Congressman vows to begin Trump’s impeachment
‘I have played godfather, now I want to be father’ — Ukachukwu declares as he clinches APC Anambra ticket
Nigerians Govt orders universities, polytechnics to publish budget, others on websites
Pope makes surprise appearance during Mass in St. Peter’s Square
Tech
The 50-year-old code that reshaped the world: Bill Gates on the ‘revolution’ that started Microsoft

Published
2 days agoon
April 4, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Even as he grows older, Microsoft founder Bill Gates still fondly remembers the catalytic computer code he wrote 50 years ago that opened up a new frontier in technology.
Although the code that Gates printed out on a teletype machine may look crude compared to what’s powering today’s artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, it played a critical role in creating Microsoft in April 1975 – a golden anniversary that the Redmond, Washington, company will celebrate on Friday.
Gates, 69, set the stage for that jubilee with a blog post reminiscing on how he and his old high school friend – the late Paul Allen – scrambled to create the world’s first “software factory” after reading an article in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics magazine about the Altair 8800, a minicomputer that would be powered by a tiny chip made by the then-obscure technology company, Intel.
The article inspired Gates, who was just a freshman at Harvard University, and Allen to call Altair’s maker, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, and promise the company’s CEO Ed Roberts they had developed software that would enable consumers to control the hardware.
There was just one hitch: Gates and Allen hadn’t yet come up with the code they promised Roberts.
‘The coolest code I’ve ever written’
Gates and Allen tackled the challenge by latching onto the BASIC computer language that had been developed in 1964 at Dartmouth College, but they still had to figure out a way to make the technology compatible with the forthcoming Altair computer, even though they didn’t even have a prototype of the machine.
After spending two months working on the program with little sleep, Gates finished the code that became the basis for the Altair’s first operating system.
“That code remains the coolest I’ve ever written,” Gates wrote in his blog post, which includes an option to download the original programme.
The code would go on to provide the foundation for a business that would make personal computers a household staple, with a suite of software that includes the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs, as well as the Windows operating system that still powers most PCs today.
“That was the revolution,” Gates said of the code in a video accompanying his post. “That was the thing that ushered in personal computing”.
Gates’ recollection of the code is part of a nostalgic kick that he has been on this year as he prepares to turn 70 in October.
The trip down memory lane included the February release of a memoir exploring his early years as an often-misunderstood child with few friends and a hailing of the 25th anniversary of the philanthropic foundation he created after stepping down as Microsoft’s CEO in 2000.
The tech giant initially stumbled after Gates’ departure but has been thriving under CEO Satya Nadella, and has amassed a market value of about $2.8 trillion (€2.5 trillion).
In his memoir, Gates also reflected on his tempestuous relationship with fellow PC pioneer, the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, whose company will be celebrating its golden anniversary next year.
“Fifty years is a long time,” said Gates, whose personal fortune is estimated at $108 billion (€98 billion). “It’s crazy that the dream came true”.
Tech
Lucid Had Another Record Quarter Thanks To Tesla Owners Who Jumped Ship

Published
3 days agoon
April 3, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
The American luxury EV maker had its fifth consecutive record quarter.
- Lucid Motors delivered 3,109 cars in the first quarter.
- That’s a 28% increase year-over-year.
- A big reason for the uptick? Tesla owners.
The Lucid Air is a phenomenal machine, albeit a very expensive one. It’s the longest-range electric vehicle on sale today, with up to 512 miles on a full charge. It’s also extremely comfortable, but it costs between $70,000 and $250,000.
Despite the high price tag, the Air just helped Lucid achieve its fifth consecutive record quarter for deliveries. Thanks in no small part to Tesla owners ditching their EVs for other battery-powered cars, Lucid delivered 3,109 units in the first quarter of this year–an impressive increase of 28% over last year.
“Tesla owners always have been a source of customers for us,” said Lucid’s Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff during a Fox Business interview last week. “We saw a dramatic uptick in the last two months. Right now, 50% of all the orders that we have are from Tesla owners.”
More Lucid Stories
Compared to last year’s fourth quarter, Lucid delivered just 10 more vehicles, but a record is still a record. When it comes to manufacturing, the California-based startup built 2,213 cars at its facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, with an additional 600 units in transit to Saudi Arabia, where they will be assembled at the company’s AMP-2 facility. Compared to Q1 2024, Lucid built 28% more cars in the first quarter of this year.
Deliveries of the new Gravity SUV are yet to begin, with the first demo units scheduled to be finalized by the end of April. As a reminder, Lucid also built a handful of Gravity SUVs late last year, but that was a limited run intended for employees and company friends. In other words, although Lucid doesn’t split the delivery numbers for its two models, all the cars delivered in Q1 were likely Air sedans.
With the Gravity, Lucid is broadening its appeal to a wider audience that may not be so convinced about a luxury electric sedan. “More than 75% of our Gravity orders are from people who don’t own a Lucid,” said Winterhoff. That said, don’t expect Lucid’s first SUV to be affordable. The Gravity Grand Touring starts at $94,900–this gets you up to 450 miles of range on a full charge and seating for up to seven adults. A cheaper Touring trin, which will start from $79,900, will go on sale in late 2025.
Lucid Motors Deliveries
Period | Units Delivered |
Q4 2022 | 1,932 |
Q1 2023 | 1,406 |
Q2 2023 | 1,404 |
Q3 2023 | 1,457 |
Q4 2023 | 1,734 |
Q1 2024 | 1,967 |
Q2 2024 | 2,394 |
Q3 2024 | 2,781 |
Q4 2024 | 3,099 |
Q1 2025 | 3,109 |
Tech
Ford’s EV, Hybrid Sales Surge In Q1 Ahead Of Tariff Chaos

Published
3 days agoon
April 3, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
It was a record start to the year for electrified vehicles, mainly led by the Mustang Mach-E. But that could get pricier soon.
- Ford sold 73,623 electrified models in the U.S. in the first quarter, a 26% year-over-year growth.
- It was a record start to the year for hybrids, up 33% while Ford’s EVs were up 12%, mainly led by the Mustang Mach-E.
- Deliveries of the 2025 Mustang Mach-E, with improved range and more features, is imminent. But it could cost substantially more with President Trump’s 25% tariffs.
Ford sold more than half a million vehicles in the U.S. across powertrain types in the first quarter of this year.
While its overall sales sank marginally, electrified vehicles grew 26% year-over-year. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric models now together account for 15% of Ford’s overall sales, a 3% jump over last year.
The Dearborn automaker sold 501,291 units in the first quarter, a 1.3% year-over-year drop. Gas-powered vehicles accounted for 427,668 units (85%) of the total sales, whereas fully electric models made up 22,550 units (4.4%) and hybrids totaled 51,073 units (10.1%).

2025 Mustang Mach-E Rally_04
The Mustang Mach-E outsold the gas-powered Mustang again and every single Lincoln model on sale. Ford sold 11,607 Mach-Es, a 21% increase year-over-year. By comparison, buyers drove home only 9,377 combustion-engined Mustangs, a sharp 31.6% drop.
Sales of the E-Transit electric van increased nearly 30% to 3,756 units. However, the F-150 Lightningdid not perform as well, even though the overall F-Series trucks grew by 24.5%. Only 7,187 Lightnings found homes so far this year, a 7.1% drop.
By comparison, sales of the Chevy Silverado EVgrew 125% to 2,383 units. General Motors also just launched cheaper versions of the 2026 Sierra EV, which has the potential to put the automaker at the forefront of the electric truck race in the coming months.
However, Ford’s momentum with its electrified models risks stalling as President Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts went into effect on Wednesday. While most Ford cars are assembled in the U.S., all of them get over half of their parts content from overseas—mostly Mexico—according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

2025 Ford F-150 Lightning with the
A whopping 78% of the Mustang Mach-E’s parts are sourced from Mexico and the crossover is also assembled there. Even the hugely popular Bronco Sport and the Maverick are assembled across America’s southern border.
Unless the president provides American automakers with some tariff relief or trade concessions, their momentum risks getting wiped out, at least in the short term.
Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
Related Stories

Plateau killings barbaric – CAN demands justice for victims

Rights group condemns killings in Plateau, calls for govt intervention

I’m coming for you – Congressman vows to begin Trump’s impeachment
Trending
- Trending6 months ago
NYA demands release of ‘abducted’ Imo chairman, preaches good governance
- Business6 months ago
US court acquits Air Peace boss, slams Mayfield $4000 fine
- Politics6 months ago
Mexico’s new president causes concern just weeks before the US elections
- Entertainment6 months ago
Bobrisky transferred from Immigration to FCID, spends night behind bars
- Entertainment6 months ago
Bobrisky falls ill in police custody, rushed to hospital
- Politics6 months ago
Russia bans imports of agro-products from Kazakhstan after refusal to join BRICS
- Politics6 months ago
Putin invites 20 world leaders
- Politics1 year ago
Nigerian Senate passes Bill seeking the establishment of the South East Development Commission.