While Nigerian participant did not make it to the semi-finals, no fewer than five African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius and Lesotho are vying with other participants from around the world to win the 2010 Microsoft Partners in Learning Innovative Education Awards later today in Cape Town, South Africa.

As the judges evaluate innovative work of about one hundred and twenty five teachers from around the world who are currently competing to win one of 12 worldwide innovative education awards at the ongoing the 2010 edition of Worldwide Innovative Education Forum holding in Cape Town, South Africa, there appears to be growing anxiety among the teachers as to who make semi-finalists.

As the competition get hotter, two secondary schools from the Sub Saharan Africa countries, including Nigeria and Ghana are currently flying the continent’s flag at the ongoing Microsoft partners in learning Worldwide Innovative Education Forum holding in Cape Town, South Africa.

The global software giant, Microsoft in partnership with Smithsonain Institution and TakingITGlobal have launched Shout initiative , a capacity building program designed to encourage teachers to use technology to help students explore, connect and act to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues, while gaining important skills including collaboration, critical thinking and social responsibility.

It had been long in coming, but then in 1996, seven years after it was introduced in the United States, the nation’s telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) did the right thing. It licenced 38 internet service providers to sell internet services in Nigeria.