Africa
Africa’s Talking Drum: The Kingdom That Covered Its Cracks With Gold
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu Africa’s Talking Drum: The Kingdom That Covered Its Cracks With Gold In the prosperous kingdom of Maleko, the palace...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bids Farewell to Outgoing Russian Ambassador to Somalia
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bids Farewell to Outgoing Russian Ambassador to Somalia Mogadishu Somalia | 19 May 2026 The Minister of Foreign Affairs...
Opposition Again Calls for Massive Protest Against Somalia’s Government
Opposition Again Calls for Massive Protest Against Somalia’s Government Mogadishu, Somalia – Members of the opposition to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held an...
Kenya transport strike turns deadly as fuel protests shut down major cities, several killed
Kenya transport strike turns deadly as fuel protests shut down major cities, several killed A nationwide public transport strike in Kenya has continued...
Africa’s Talking Drum: The Day the Birds Stopped Singing
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu Africa’s Talking Drum: The Day the Birds Stopped Singing In the green kingdom of Luthando, mornings were once greeted...
Statement by the Federal Government of Somalia
Statement by the Federal Government of Somalia Mogadishu | 18 May 2026 The Federal Republic of Somalia strongly condemns the attempted drone attack...
Uganda enacts sovereignty law imposing strict limits on foreign influence and political activity
Uganda enacts sovereignty law imposing strict limits on foreign influence and political activity Uganda has officially enacted a new law aimed at tightening...
Africa’s Talking Drum: The Village That Banished Laughter
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu Africa’s Talking Drum: The Village That Banished Laughter In the quiet highlands of Bemora, laughter was once everywhere. Children...
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BBNaija Season 11: Meet the Housemates Battling for ₦160m Grand Prize
BBNaija Season 11: Meet the Housemates Battling for ₦160m Grand Prize The 11th season of Big Brother Naija has officially kicked off with...
Sewuese Dies After Allegedly Being Trafficked to Cotonou for Prostitution
Sewuese Dies After Allegedly Being Trafficked to Cotonou for Prostitution A young Nigerian woman identified as Sewuese has died after she was allegedly...
Shakira Reveals What Drew Her to Burna Boy for World Cup Song
Shakira Reveals What Drew Her to Burna Boy for World Cup Song Colombian superstar Shakira has explained why she turned to Nigerian Grammy-winning...
Wanted Soldier Arrested While Allegedly Supplying Military Uniforms to Terrorists
Wanted Soldier Arrested While Allegedly Supplying Military Uniforms to Terrorists Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a soldier who had been declared...
Lagos police arrest woman over alleged N450m land fraud involving 30 buyers
Lagos police arrest woman over alleged N450m land fraud involving 30 buyers The Police Command in Lagos State has arrested a 41-year-old woman,...
“Maybe He’s a Racist” — Trump Takes Aim at NBA Superstar LeBron James
“Maybe He’s a Racist” — Trump Takes Aim at NBA Superstar LeBron James US President Donald Trump has stirred controversy after suggesting that...
Africa’s Talking Drum: Mama Nkem Left Before Her Daughter Was Ready
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu Africa’s Talking Drum: Mama Nkem Left Before Her Daughter Was Ready In Umuoma Village, people said that a mother’s...
Cash Reportedly Stolen From Super Falcons Players’ Hotel Rooms in Casablanca
Cash Reportedly Stolen From Super Falcons Players’ Hotel Rooms in Casablanca The Super Falcons’ preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations...
Harvard-Trained Nigerian-American Engineer Raises $7m for Robot Designed to Assist Hair Braiders A Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, Yinka Ogunbiyi, has secured $7 million in seed funding to develop a robotic device designed to make hair braiding faster and less physically demanding for professional stylists. Ogunbiyi’s company, HaloBraid, is developing what it describes as the world’s first patented braid-assist robot. The device is designed to work with hairstylists by handling some of the repetitive movements involved in knotless braiding. The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. AlleyCorp and Bling Capital were also among the investors. The technology has already attracted significant interest, with more than 7,000 salons reportedly waiting to use the system. HaloBraid is designed as a collaborative robot, meaning it works alongside a human stylist instead of attempting to replace one. The hairstylist remains responsible for sectioning the hair, creating the initial knot and completing the final styling. The robot then assists with the repetitive weaving process down the length of the braid before the stylist returns to finish and shape the ends. According to the company, the technology could cut the time spent on some knotless braid appointments by roughly half, allowing salons to serve more clients while reducing the physical pressure on stylists. For Ogunbiyi, the idea was born from personal experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she spent four days installing knotless braids on herself, an experience that made her consider how technology could assist with the most repetitive aspects of the process. She subsequently teamed up with co-founder David Afolabi to develop HaloBraid. The company’s technology is also aimed at addressing the physical demands of professional braiding. Stylists who spend years performing repetitive movements can experience problems affecting their wrists, hands, shoulders, back and joints. By assisting with the most repetitive stage of braiding, HaloBraid hopes to reduce the strain on beauty professionals and help them work more efficiently. Ogunbiyi said the technology would not take away from the personal experience of visiting a salon. Rather, she believes it can allow stylists to spend less time on repetitive movements while continuing to handle the creative and personal aspects of hairstyling. Before launching HaloBraid, Ogunbiyi worked on smart kitchen appliances and Internet of Things products. She holds a joint master’s degree in engineering and business administration from Harvard University. With a $7 million investment and thousands of salons already expressing interest, HaloBraid is seeking to introduce robotics into one of the world’s largest and most labour-intensive beauty markets.
Harvard-Trained Nigerian-American Engineer Raises $7m for Robot Designed to Assist Hair Braiders A Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, Yinka Ogunbiyi, has secured $7...
Days to Their Wedding, VeryDarkMan Sends Peller and Jarvis a Serious Warning
Days to Their Wedding, VeryDarkMan Sends Peller and Jarvis a Serious Warning Social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has...
IOC Declines to Investigate Infantino Over Alleged Political Neutrality Breach
IOC Declines to Investigate Infantino Over Alleged Political Neutrality Breach The International Olympic Committee has refused to pursue a complaint against FIFA President...
