General
Investment in Female Founders is Our Collective Responsibility
By Nitin Gajria
So goes the old adage: The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world. While some might find depth and truth in this saying, others might beg to differ based on realities that determine the social challenges women face the world over.
So, as we move rapidly toward the middle of the 21st-century, how can we be effective allies in support of the cause to level the playing field and empower women, right here on the continent, with tangible opportunities for stepping into the leadership role proposed by this idiom?
The Balance defines economic power as the ability for countries, businesses or individuals to improve their standard of living. This increases their freedom to autonomously make decisions that benefit them, while reducing the ability of any outside force to impact their freedom. The key to dismantling the structural challenges women face, therefore, lies in strengthening their economic power.
These challenges are numerous and, according to the African Development Bank, they continue to drive gender inequality and even limit the continent’s progress in totality. In a similar vein, challenges identified, at the Africa Union Gender Pre-Summit on the 2016 African Year of Human Rights, as pressing for women included, but were not limited to, economic exclusion and discrimination from financial systems.
Despite these odds, however, African women repeatedly feature at the top of global surveys on entrepreneurship with the United Nations (UN) reporting that the 27% female entrepreneurship rate in Africa is the highest in the world. The UN goes on to warn, however, that most female-led enterprises in Africa are small businesses with few growth opportunities while also citing that female entrepreneurs are not evenly spread across the continent.
The reality-check list on the continent’s state of female entrepreneurship is long and includes greatly uneven access to funding for female entrepreneurs when compared with their male counterparts. For example: from January 2019 to April 2020, 13.4% of the 276 disclosed deals went to companies with at least one female on the founding team and this was just 5.7 % of the total invested capital. Within the first 4 months of 2020, this declined to 3.2%.
Moreover, while venture capital funding for startups across the continent in 2017 reached an all-time high of more than $500 million, representing a 53% year-on-year increase, only $30 million (5.3%) went to companies with female co-founders. Of the $725.6 million in funding that was invested across the African continent in 2018, only 2% went to women-owned or women-led businesses. Meanwhile, the e-Conomy Africa 2020 report by the IFC and Google highlighted that women comprise 20% of the total population of developers in Africa.
Even with the numbers noticeably low, African women constantly endeavour to push through, despite the structural hurdles they face – and it shows. The startup ecosystem has begun to create opportunities for women who code across the region.
Beyond the continent’s own economic growth, economic power afforded to women (through investments made in their entrepreneurial pursuits) will go a long way in reclaiming their social standing and in reclaiming their rights in areas such as education, safety and personal freedoms. Empowering female entrepreneurs is essential for both economic and social development on the continent.
Google,org recently partnered with the Tony Elumelu Foundation giving a $3M grant to provide rigorous entrepreneurship training, mentorship, coaching, access to networks and key markets to at least 5000 women.
There will also be $5,000 in seed capital in the form of one-time cash grants to 500 African women informal business-owners in rural and low-income communities across Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and select Francophone countries.
This is part of the 2021 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, preparing women to navigate their businesses through the start-up and early growth phase. We are determined to help female entrepreneurs grow their businesses by creating initiatives that go beyond just allowing capital and by providing relevant training.
In most emerging economies, entrepreneurship is the path to job creation and income generation and it can be a solution to reducing inequalities among men and women. By tackling systemic barriers-to-entry, and facilitating meaningful participation in entrepreneurship, we hope to encourage women to become entrepreneurs.
Through programmes that support women with funding, we will generate prosperity in Africa. We hope that the idiom, The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world, will have real and unequivocal resonance.
Nitin Gajria is the MD of Google Africa
Search Engine Optimization isn’t what it used to be.
Gone are the days of stuffing keywords, buying random backlinks, and expecting overnight rankings. Today, SEO is a sophisticated blend of technical precision, content authority, brand positioning, and strategic digital PR.
At RiseGrower.com, we’re launching with one mission:
To help brands grow through ethical, scalable, authority-driven SEO.
This isn’t just another SEO agency. This is the next evolution of ranking strategy.
🌍 SEO in 2026: What Has Changed?
Search engines—especially Google—have become dramatically smarter.
Modern ranking systems analyze:
- Topical authority
- Content depth and expertise
- User engagement signals
- Link quality (not quantity)
- Brand credibility
- Search intent satisfaction
SEO today is no longer about “gaming the algorithm.” It’s about becoming the most trusted answer in your industry.
That’s where RiseGrower comes in.
🚀 What RiseGrower.com Is Built For
We specialize in performance-focused SEO strategies designed to:
- Increase organic traffic
- Improve high-intent keyword rankings
- Strengthen domain authority
- Build sustainable backlink profiles
- Turn search visibility into revenue
Our approach combines:
- Advanced technical SEO audits
- Strategic content architecture
- Authority guest posting campaigns
- White-hat link acquisition
- On-page optimization
- Data-driven reporting
We don’t chase vanity metrics. We build growth systems.
🧠 Our Philosophy: Authority Wins
Search engines reward expertise and trust.
That’s why our strategy centers around three pillars:
1️⃣ Topical Authority
We help brands dominate entire keyword clusters—not just single keywords.
2️⃣ Editorial Authority
Through high-quality guest posting on real industry publications, we build contextual backlinks that move rankings safely and effectively.
3️⃣ Technical Excellence
From crawl optimization to structured data, we ensure search engines fully understand and prioritize your content.
🔥 Why Most SEO Strategies Fail
Many businesses struggle with SEO because:
- They focus only on backlinks without strategy
- They publish content without search intent research
- They ignore technical site health
- They chase short-term wins instead of long-term growth
SEO is not a trick.
It’s a system.
RiseGrower builds systems.
📊 Our Approach Is Data-Driven
Every campaign starts with:
- Competitive analysis
- Keyword gap research
- Link profile audit
- SERP intent mapping
We analyze what’s ranking—and why.
Then we engineer a strategy that outperforms it.
🏢 Who We Work With
RiseGrower is built for ambitious brands:
- SaaS companies
- eCommerce brands
- Agencies
- Startups
- Enterprise businesses
- Niche industry leaders
If your goal is sustainable organic growth, you’re in the right place.
⚖️ White-Hat SEO Only
We believe in:
- Real editorial placements
- Ethical outreach
- Genuine authority building
- Search engine compliance
We do not use:
- Private Blog Networks (PBNs)
- Spammy link schemes
- Automated backlink tools
- Manipulative ranking shortcuts
Long-term growth requires integrity.
📈 The Rise of Performance-Based SEO
The future of SEO isn’t “deliverables.”
It’s measurable outcomes.
At RiseGrower, we align our strategy with:
- Ranking milestones
- Traffic growth targets
- Lead generation goals
- Revenue impact
Because rankings are only valuable if they drive business growth.
🌟 What Makes RiseGrower Different?
We blend:
- SEO strategy
- Digital PR
- Authority guest posting
- Content intelligence
- Conversion-focused thinking
We don’t just improve rankings.
We build market leaders.
🔮 The Future of Search
AI-generated content is flooding the internet. Competition is rising daily.
Search engines will increasingly reward:
- Authentic expertise
- Brand mentions
- Trusted backlinks
- Valuable long-form content
- Real-world credibility
The brands that invest in authority now will dominate tomorrow.
RiseGrower was created for that future.
🚀 Launching Soon
RiseGrower.com is preparing to launch with a clear promise:
Growth through strategic SEO authority.
If you’re ready to:
- Outrank competitors
- Scale organic traffic
- Build long-term visibility
- Turn search into revenue
We’re ready to grow with you.
Wholesale marketplaces were created so that business owners could find profitable offers and make deals on B2B platforms worldwide. In addition to buyers and sellers, there are traders, distributors, logisticians, and other professionals on such platforms. Let’s take a closer look at these professions. Traders purchase goods in order to resell them at a higher price; speculation is allowed on B2B marketplaces and is a legal instrument. Distributors are the official representatives of the manufacturer, meaning you can purchase original products at the lowest price. Most often, goods are purchased in China and then transported by sea to European countries or North America. We suggest you try the Globy Platform, where the most reputable Asian distributors are registered. Logisticians can also register on Globy. They provide services for the transportation of goods by sea. The following are the advantages of Globy, which are mentioned most often:
- quick registration on the portal;
- website with simple navigation and management;
- excellent choice of reliable suppliers;
- most relevant products in the catalog;
- free registration;
- no commission.
Some B2B platforms process payments, but Globy allows participants to make money payments outside the platform using one of the secure methods. In addition, Globy does not charge a commission when concluding a purchase deal. To start working on the platform, you need to register in accelerated mode or fill out a form with your company’s details. You can be sure that your banking details, personal, and contact information are protected. Third parties can only see the information that you leave open. When registering, do not forget to enter your company’s contact information (messenger, phone, email) so that new partners can contact you. You can pay attention to the fact that the Globy catalog contains items without specifying a price, but the product profile contains the vendor’s contacts. You can contact the seller to discuss the deal details, determining the price of the product.
Logistics Tool on Globy
There is often a situation when the supplier does not provide transportation services and the buyer has to search for a carrier on their own. In fact, this problem is solved simply. Globy has a special tool that helps you quickly find a charterer. You would open the freight calculator and fill in all the fields in the suggested form. You would specify the sending and destination port, and don’t forget to specify the dates and choose the container size. If you want to place containers in an optimal way, then use the load calculator, which is also available for free on the official website. You can use these tools only after registration. You can log in quickly if you have a Google account or a LinkedIn profile. After entering the data, the freight calculator will process your request and provide a list of prices. You can select a suitable line and contact the charterer to discuss the details of the contract. It is recommended to choose a sea delivery with a minimum number of intermediate stops, in which case the cargo will arrive at the destination port faster.
Receiving Cargo at the Destination Port
Buyers should remember that you can check the cargo when it arrives at the port. If the rules of transportation were violated, there was a long delay, or the goods were damaged, you can refuse the cargo, explaining the reason. You can discuss a price reduction with the supplier if the product has lost its proper appearance or the packaging is damaged. You can evaluate the cargo yourself or with the help of third-party experts. It is best to carefully check the documentation when receiving the goods at the port. All documents must be executed in accordance with international law. You can register on Globy today, find the goods you need, and use the logistics tools for free. More than fifty-five thousand users have already been registered on the platform, which indicates the high authority of Globy. If you have any questions, you can ask them in the Help Center on Globy website.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Shipping giant, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has signed a 45-year concession agreement with Nigerian maritime company, Nigerdock, to develop, operate and maintain a new container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
A statement by MSC on Thursday noted that the new container terminal would be completed by 2028 with a 910-meter quay, six Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, two ship berths, three barge berths, and up to 18 meters of draft.
The dedicated MSC terminal would be part of the company’s announced $1 billion investment in infrastructure and logistics in Nigeria.
“We are thrilled to take this step forward in our partnership with MSC to develop a world-class container terminal within Snake Island Port.
“This gives the world’s leading shipping line a home in Nigeria and brings significant foreign direct investment into the country to accelerate growth in the maritime and logistics industry,” it said.
Global shipping companies are pushing to secure long-term footholds in emerging markets as supply chains are reconfigured worldwide.
MSC said the terminal, to be built by ITB Nigeria and DEME Group, is expected to be ready by 2028.
It will occupy 30 hectares (74 acres) and feature a 910-metre (3,000 ft) quay capable of handling ship‑to‑shore cranes and mobile harbour cranes, serving both deep-sea vessels and barges.
MSC President, Mr Diego Aponte, said: “Completing this key phase in the development of Snake Island Container Terminal with Nigerdock and our trusted partners demonstrates MSC Group’s commitment to providing excellent service to our customers in Nigeria and throughout Africa.
“The new terminal will open up opportunities, enhance efficiency, and elevate Snake Island Port as a major global shipping centre.
“Together with our Group’s other long-term investments in Nigeria, it will generate many local jobs and significantly increase economic revenue and resilience.”
Snake Island Port is an 85-hectare facility operated by Nigerdock, a maritime and logistics company, and comprises three terminals serving the Lagos port complex.
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