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Acer showcases dynamic innovations at GITEX Africa 2024 to drive robust growth in the continent’s digital economy

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Acer Middle East is all geared up to showcase its line-up of exciting innovations and solutions that empower users to embrace the future, forge robust relationships with existing partners and strike up new alliances with stakeholders from across the region at  GITEX Africa (www.GITEXAfrica.com), taking place between May 29-31 in Marrakech, Morocco.

To celebrate its participation, Acer is demonstrating two hero gaming products – Nitro V 15 and Predator Helios Neo 16 – both cutting-edge gaming devices featuring the latest Intel 14th Gen CPUs and top of the line NVIDIA 40 series GPUs. They also come equipped with pre-installed software to optimize gaming performance and cooling (NitroSense and PredatorSense). In addition, Acer will be exhibiting Aspire 3 – an everyday PC that enables individuals to be productive with a long battery life, a powerful i7 processor and an FHD display.

Acer’s participation at GITEX Africa is in line with its strategic focus to showcase their latest product innovation and service offerings. During the event, Acer aims to connect with decision-makers from across industries, including government and other complementary sectors, who share a common goal of enhancing the IT industry and are interested in ensuring the effective and beneficial use of their technology products.

Commenting on the occasion, Michele Montecchio of Acer Middle East said: “We are thrilled to be taking part in GITEX Africa, proudly displaying our global expertise in developing cutting-edge innovation and technology that can become the catalyst for a progressive and prosperous future for Africa and its people. Our line-up of the latest Acer devices and services at the event are in alignment with Acer’s strategic emphasis to supply and serve the African market in the long-term, enabling the growth of robust IT infrastructure – especially around healthcare and education sectors – and thereby unlocking the tremendous opportunities across the continent. We look forward to witnessing the major positive impact Acer’s strategic presence will have on the region’s technology landscape.”

Bringing together industry leaders, disruptive innovators, technology enthusiasts and experts from around the world, GITEX Africa 2024 connects tech titans, governments, start-ups, investors and global innovation hubs to accelerate a dynamic technology future for the continent.

Recognized as the world’s next biggest digital economy, Africa is expected to see tech investment soar from US $115 billion to $712 billion over the next 25 years, and represents the biggest opportunity for growth for Acer – with revenues anticipated to double year on year.

Acer’s growing footprint in the continent comes at a time when technical skills across majority of African countries have seen a healthy increase in availability due to the expansion of the tech industry, allowing more young talents to upskill and be ready for the future.

For more information, visit www.Acer.ae

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.

Media Contacts: 
Acer Middle East&Africa – Marketing Dep – +971 4 8056000
Gambit Communications – Aisha Almawed  – +971 505840618

About Acer: 
Founded in 1976, Acer is one of the world’s top ICT companies with a presence in more than 160 countries. As Acer evolves with the industry and changing lifestyles, it is focused on enabling a world where hardware, software and services will fuse with one another, creating ecosystems and opening up new possibilities for consumers and businesses alike. Acer’s 7,700 employees are dedicated to the research, design, marketing, sale, and support of products and solutions that break barriers between people and technology. Please visit www.Acer.com for more information.

© 2024 Acer Inc. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. All offers subject to change without notice or obligation and may not be available through all sales channels. Prices listed are manufacturer suggested retail prices and may vary by location. Applicable sales tax extra.

Merck Foundation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) acknowledged their 165 scholarships provided to doctors in 42 critical specialties – celebrating our legacy to transform patient care landscape in Africa

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Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) marked milestone of providing 165 scholarships to doctors in 42 critical specialties during their annual Alumni Summit – Celebrating  their legacy of transforming patient care landscape in Kenya; Merck Foundation Kenya Alumni Summit and Merck Foundation Awards Ceremony 2024 were conducted in Nairobi chaired by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, Merck Foundation CEO; Merck Foundation announced the 2024 Call for Applications for 2 categories that includes 8 Awards for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, Students, and new potential talents in these fields. They also awarded the Media Award Winners of 2023; Merck Foundation CEO announced that their TV Program “Our Africa” will be aired on KTN, Kenya, every Saturday at 5pm and repeated every Thursday at 6:30 am.

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany conducted the Merck Foundation Kenya Annual Summit and Awards Ceremony 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, chaired by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. During the Summit, they met and acknowledged the Merck Foundation Alumni and the Winners of the Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2023 from Kenya.

Dr. Kelej expressed, “It was a proud moment for me to meet and acknowledge our Merck Foundation Alumni who are becoming the future healthcare experts of Kenya. I am happy to share that we are transforming the patient care landscape in Kenya by providing 165 scholarships one-year PG Diploma and Two-year Master degree in in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties such as; Oncology, Fertility, Embryology, Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular, Endocrinology, Sexual and Reproductive Care, Gastroenterology, Respiratory, Acute Medicine, Clinical Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Neonatal Medicine, Urology, Pain Management, Cardiology, Critical Care, Rheumatology and many more.

We are committed to transforming patient care in Kenya and we will continue to scale up these numbers in order to create a stronger platform of skilled medical professionals and strengthen the public healthcare system in Kenya and rest of Africa.”

“Moreover, it was amazing to felicitate the 9 winners of Merck Foundation Media Awards 2023 from Kenya and discuss with them the critical role they can play to create a culture shift, be the voice of the voiceless and be the Merck Foundation health and social champions”, added Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej.

Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT emphasized, “We strongly believe that empowering people will lead to a better future, we also believe good healthcare can transform the lives of individuals and families across developing countries. It can significantly contribute to economic and social development because healthcare is a major driver of economic growth and, consequently, of social progress.”

During the program Merck Foundation CEO also announced the broadcast of their “Our Africa” TV Program on KTN Kenya, every Saturday at 5pm and repeated every Thursday at 6:30 am.

Watch the Promo of ‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ here: https://apo-opa.co/3Vn7gsK

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of “More Than a Mother” Campaign shared, “I am excited for the airing of “OUR AFRICA” on KTN, Kenya, part of our long-term partner The Standard Media Group. “Our Africa” is a first-of-its-kind TV program that is set to be the voice of the voiceless and break the silence about many critical and sensitive social and health issues in Africa like Breaking Infertility Stigma, Importance of early detection&prevention of Diabetes, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage, Stopping Gender-Based Violence, promoting a Healthy Lifestyle, Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Sustainability, and many more”

‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ is a pan-African TV program that is conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation to feature African Fashion Designers, Singers, and prominent experts from various domains with the aim to raise awareness and create a culture shift across Africa.

Watch the First Episode here: https://apo-opa.co/3Vp2URI

Watch the First Episode promo here: https://apo-opa.co/3V5UcXs

The TV program has been broadcasted on prime TV stations of many countries, and is also on social media handles of Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej [Facebook (apo-opa.co/3VqfVdR), Instagram (apo-opa.co/3X1Bl2h), Twitter (apo-opa.co/3UZszis) and YouTube (apo-opa.co/3yI2AVB)] and Merck Foundation [Facebook (apo-opa.co/3XasnzJ), Instagram (apo-opa.co/3Vsub65), Twitter (apo-opa.co/3Vn8unI) and YouTube (apo-opa.co/3X4xy4c)].

Merck Foundation is committed for the past 12 years, since 2012, towards healthcare capacity advancement, patient care transformation and reshaping the landscape of the public healthcare sector in Kenya, the rest of Africa and beyond.

In Kenya, out of the total 165 scholarships provided by Merck Foundation;

7 Scholarships have been provided for Oncology to develop and support the cancer care capacity in the country.
96 scholarships provided for one-year PG Diploma and two-year Master degree in Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiology and Endocrinology for Kenyan doctors from different provinces across the country, which is very important to improve access to quality and equitable diabetes and hypertension patient care not only in Nairobi but nationwide.
25 scholarships have been provided for Fertility, Embryology, and one-year PG Diploma and two-year Master degree in Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, as a part of “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” Campaign.
37 Scholarships of one-year Online PG Diploma and two-Year Master degree provided in other critical and underserved specialties like Gastroenterology, Respiratory Medicine, Acute Medicine, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Neonatal Medicine, Urology, Pain Management, Critical Care and Rheumatology, as part of Merck Foundation Capacity Advancement Program.

The following Media Winners were recognized during the ceremony:

Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” Media Recognition Awards 2023

Elizabeth Angira, MT Kenya Times and People Daily, Kenya (PRINT- First Position)
Moraa Obiria, Nation Media Group, Kenya (ONLINE – First Position)
Isabella Maua Chemosit, The Times, Kenya (ONLINE – Second Position)
Sophia Rukwaro, Black Hustlers TV, Kenya (ONLINE – Third Position)
Caren Waraba Sisya, Citizen Radio, Kenya (RADIO – First Position)
Angela Kezengwa, Citizen Radio, Kenya (RADIO – Third Position)
Elizabeth Atieno Ochieng, TV 47 KENYA, Kenya (MULTIMEDIA – Second Position)

Merck Foundation “Diabetes&Hypertension” Media Recognition Awards 2023

Dorcas Wangira, BBC, Kenya (ONLINE – Second Position)
Mildrine Nafula Sabwami, North Rift Radio FM, Kenya (RADIO – First Position)

Moreover, Merck Foundation CEO announced the Call for Applications for their 8 important awards for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields from Kenya.

Details of the Awards:

1. Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.

2. Merck Foundation Film Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024:  All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.

3. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.

4. Merck Foundation Song Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.

5. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

6. Merck Foundation Film Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

7. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

8. Merck Foundation Song Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.

Entries for all the awards are to be submitted via email to:

submit@merck-foundation.com

For information on the above awards, please visit our website:

www.Merck-Foundation.com

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

More images: https://apo-opa.co/3yNvrHZ

Contact details:
Mehak Handa
Community Awareness Program Manager
+91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669
mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard!
Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/3RbQwSL
Twitter: https://apo-opa.co/4aNGJJE
YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/3x4gYqz
Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/3Vsub65
Threads: https://apo-opa.co/3R9yrEO
Flickr: https://apo-opa.co/3x2AO5A
Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com
Download the Merck Foundation App: https://apo-opa.co/45eUj7K

About Merck Foundation: 
The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website.  Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/3RbQwSL), Twitter (https://apo-opa.co/4aNGJJE), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/3Vsub65), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/3x4gYqz) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/3x2AO5A).

Western Digital Brings World’s Highest Capacity 2.5” Portable Hard Disk Drive (HDD) & Other Innovative Storage Solutions to GITEX Africa 2024

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Western Digital, a global leader in data storage solutions, will showcase its latest innovations at GITEX Africa (https://GITEXAfrica.com), including the world’s highest storage capacity in a 2.5” portable HDD, the WD My Passport portable HDD line (https://apo-opa.co/458hgt6) and the new 8TB[1]. With the surge in digital content traffic, fueled by the rise of social networks, widespread adoption of mobile devices, and growth in internet penetration, the need for high-performing and high-capacity storage solutions is increasing. Western Digital’s participation at GITEX Africa (29-31 May 2024), underscores its dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions tailored to the unique data storage needs of the African market.

The all new 8TB[1], its highest capacity yet on an external desktop solid state drive (SSD), will be on display at the event. Featuring the speed and reliability of an SSD, this new class of drives gives content creators and business professionals an easy way to back up and access their high-resolution photos, videos, and files quickly in a single, convenient location. From photo and video pros to tech enthusiasts, there are a growing number of digital creators generating massive amounts of content who need flexible high-capacity storage solutions to do more, faster. 

With up to 6TB[1] capacities now available for the WD My Passport hard drive line, adventurers can store more and effortlessly backup their digital memories with peace of mind. The My Passport® Ultra drive is a trusted, portable storage solution that is equipped with USB-C™ technology and a modern metal design. It is ready right out of the box and features a convenient, slim form factor that is easily transportable. Its password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption helps keep precious content safe and secure. The My Passport hard drives are available in a variety of different colors to suit any style.

Speaking about Western Digital’s participation at GITEX Africa 2024, Ghassan Azzi, Sales Director for Africa at Western Digital said: “At GITEX Africa 2024 we will be presenting our flagship products to the African market and showing how we can help empower African businesses and consumers with innovative data storage solutions. Africa is undergoing rapid evolution, and our technology is designed to be adaptable to the continents’ changing needs. This year, our showcased products have a strong focus on meeting both professional and personal needs, aligning closely with consumer preferences and applications.”

Among the other products on display at the Western Digital booth will be the 24TB[1] G-DRIVE® (https://apo-opa.co/3yDHZS4) PROJECT – from the new range of 24TB[1] SanDisk Professional desktop solutions. This external HDD allows quick backup or adds extra storage to your computer and saves valuable project work. Compatible with Thunderbolt 3™ and USB-C (10Gbps); it also features a PRO-BLADE™ SSD Mag slot for modular SSD performance in sharing and editing across devices.

Western Digital will also be showcasing a variety of its consumer flagship products targeted at photographers, content creators and gamers, including:

SanDisk Extreme PRO® Portable SSD, a powerful NVMe™ solid state performance with up to 4TB[1] capacity and featuring 2000MB/s read/write speeds[2] in a portable drive that’s reliable enough to take on any adventure.
WD Blue® SN580 NVMe SSD, a PCIe® Gen 4.0 SSD with up to 4,150 MB/s read speeds[2] (1TB[1] and 2TB[1] models) and fast file copies with nCache™ 4.0 technology.
WD_BLACK™ SN850P NVMe SSD, with up to 4TB[1] capacity and read speeds up to 7,300MB/s[2]; this SSD is officially licensed for the PlayStation® 5 console, allowing gamers to store more titles with worry-free installation.

Enterprise focus products will also be on display, including WD Purple® Pro HDDs, which are built for smart video and surveillance; WD Gold® HDDs, an excellent choice for enterprise customers; and the Ultrastar® DC HC570 22TB[1] CMR HDDs, designed for cloud and data centers. 

Attendees and delegates to GITEX Africa can learn more by visiting Western Digital’s stand number 5B-30.

[1] 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on the operating environment.

[2] 1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.

About Western Digital:
Western Digital is on a mission to unlock the potential of data by harnessing the possibility of using it. With Flash and HDD franchises underpinned by advancements in-memory technologies, we create breakthrough innovations and powerful data storage solutions that enable the world to actualize its aspirations. Core to our values, we recognize the urgency to combat climate change and have committed to ambitious carbon reduction goals approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Learn more about Western Digital and the Western Digital®, SanDisk® and WD® brands at  www.WesternDigital.com

Western Digital, the Western Digital design, the Western Digital logo, SanDisk, the SanDisk design, the SanDisk logo, SanDisk Professional, the SanDisk Professional logo, WD, the WD logo, WD_BLACK, the WD_BLACK logo, G-DRIVE, My Passport, PRO-BLADE, SanDisk Extreme PRO, Ultrastar, WD Blue, WD Gold and WD Purple are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Pictures shown may vary from actual products.

© 2024 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. is the seller of record and licensee in the Americas of SanDisk® products.

Ethiopia’s gold exports reach 75% of annual target in first 9 months

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Ministry of Mines (MoM) has reported that the country’s gold exports have reached 75% of the annual target during the first nine months of the 2023/24 budget year.

According to Minister Habtamu Tegegn, over three tons of the precious metal were exported during this period, which is 12.6% more than the same time in the previous budget year. Out of the total quantity, 2.4 tons were exported by companies, while the remaining 0.4 tons came from artisanal miners.

“The revenue target from gold export has reduced in the nine months of the budget year, even though it is higher than compared with the previous year,” Habtamu told the parliament. He attributed this reduction to factors such as delays in production by certain investors and the ongoing issue of gold smuggling.

Despite the revenue target reduction, the Minister noted that the overall performance of the mining industry has been positive. Gold exports during the specified period generated $274 million, an 83% increase compared to the previous year.

In addition to gold, Ethiopia also exported 9.9 tons of processed and rough opal, 11,176 tons of lithium, 69.8 tons of tantalum ore, and 79.5 tons of jewelry. The total export value of industrial minerals reached $13.3 million.

“Overall, the mining industry has generated $289 million in exports during the stated period, which represents a 68% increase over the same period last year,” Habtamu said.

The Minister also highlighted progress in import substitution, with the cement industry meeting 64% of its coal demand from domestic sources. Two new factories are expected to begin producing washed coal in the upcoming year, while one facility is currently providing this service.

However, the steel industry faced a 22% decrease in production during the nine-month period, as players struggled to secure foreign currency for imported inputs. The industry also continues to struggle with the import and illegal trade of finished steel goods.

Overall, the data presented by the Ministry of Mines suggests that Ethiopia’s mining sector is making strides, with gold exports leading the way, but challenges related to logistics, investment, and competition from illicit trade persist.