Nigeria’s digital economy is set for a boost as Google launches Google-for-Nonprofit, a product that would pave access to a collection of premium apps.
Google’s Head, Government Affairs and Public Policy, West Africa, Titi Akinsanmi, said in a statement that ‘Google for Nonprofits’ was aimed at empowering ‘not-for-profit’ organisations by providing them with free premium services.
She explained that for organisations that qualify, Google for Nonprofits would give access to a collection of premium apps, the same tools large enterprise corporations used, at no cost, and once approved, qualifying nonprofits can gain access to programmes such as Google Ad Grants, G-Suite for Nonprofits, YouTube’s Nonprofit, among others.
This Akinsanmi noted, would assist non-profit organisations to work more quickly and efficiently to reach a wider audience, spur more supporters to take action and tell their story in a more compelling way.
”Nonprofits can qualify for a grant of up to $10,000 a month that is available for six months through Oct. 2020 to spend on text-based ads, among other offerings. For a NPO to be eligible for the Google for Nonprofits programme, it must be a registered non-profit charitable organisation in Nigeria and verified by TechSoup Nigeria.
It must also meet eligibility criteria listed on the Google for Nonprofits page- https://www.google.com/nonprofits/eligibility/. Nonprofits face unique challenges when making decisions about what technology to acquire, amid competing demands for funding and resources,” Akinsanmi said.
According to her, the company’s overall goal is to provide access to tools and technology quickly and effectively, so that these organisations can focus their efforts and resources directly toward achieving their goals, adding that Google had also announced its philanthropic arm, Google.org, which would be giving a grant to `Teach for Nigeria’, a non-profit organisation focused on support for students in underserved communities in the country, while the Coronavirus school closures persist.
Akinsanmi said that the grant would fund a two-year- teacher fellowship programme, to ensure more students in underserved communities got access to quality education, delivered by well-trained teaching staff, and would also fund an education intervention programme to help children in underserved areas get education through alternative means like TV, radio and on-the-street public communications.
According to her, Google training resources and programmes for up-skilling teachers working in target communities will be deployed and Google Digital Skills training curriculum and resources will be leveraged for the programme, which also aims at providing support and create partnerships that would ensure children from underserved communities were able to access the required level of education during these times.
Folawe Omikunle, Chief Executive Officer, `Teach for Nigeria’, said the organisation was working toward developing platforms that allowed Nigeria’s educational system to support all children to thrive and create a better future for themselves and their communities.
According to her, now more than ever, stakeholders must do whatever can be done to ensure that quality and relevant learning is happening for all children, regardless of where they are on the map.
Omikunle noted that the organisation was excited and confident that this collaboration with Google would move it a step closer to achieving their goals in these times.
