Author: Akin Naphtal

MTN Group has announced the appointment of two new Chief Executive Officers for its operations in Côte d’Ivoire and Zambia as part of its ongoing leadership refresh across key markets. Abbad Reda has been appointed CEO of MTN Côte d’Ivoire, while Larry Annetts will assume the role of CEO of MTN Zambia. Reda brings a wealth of experience within the MTN Group, having held several leadership positions across Africa and Asia. He most recently served as CEO of MTN Zambia. Prior to that, he was CEO of MTN Afghanistan and served as CIO of MTN Ghana for nearly eight years.…

Nigerian business banking startup Brass has announced plans to cease operating as an independent company, with its customers set to be migrated to Paystack Microfinance Bank (Paystack MFB) as part of a broader integration into Paystack’s banking infrastructure. The company disclosed on Monday that interested customers would be transitioned to Paystack MFB before July 31, 2026, marking the final phase of a rescue and restructuring process that began two years ago. According to Brass, the move will see its business banking operations fully absorbed into Paystack MFB’s regulated banking framework. “Brass will move its business banking into Paystack MFB. As…

OPay has announced that it has exceeded 45 million users and now supports more than one million merchants and businesses across Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in the country’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem. The fintech company, which launched operations in Nigeria in 2018, said its growth underscores the increasing adoption of digital financial services and agency banking solutions among millions of Nigerians. Over the years, OPay has emerged as a key player in advancing financial inclusion and supporting Nigeria’s transition toward a cashless economy. Its distinctive green Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals have become a common sight across markets, transport hubs,…

The African Union Commission and the Government of Nigeria have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Africa’s digital future following a high-level bilateral meeting between Lerato D. Mataboge and Bosun Tijani at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The strategic engagement focused on deepening cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa and strengthen alignment around key continental frameworks designed to drive economic growth through technology and innovation. During the discussions, both leaders emphasized the need to scale up investments in digital public infrastructure, harmonize data governance policies, and foster cross-border innovation ecosystems that support Africa’s…

Tolaram, one of Nigeria’s leading multinational conglomerates, has promoted Kavinkumar Murukanathan to the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Murukanathan, a seasoned technology and operations leader with nearly 15 years of experience within the group, will now oversee the company’s entire enterprise technology landscape. His mandate includes driving digital transformation, ERP systems, data analytics, cybersecurity, infrastructure management, enterprise architecture, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. In his new role, he is expected to work closely with business leaders across the group to strengthen operational excellence, enhance decision-making capabilities, and build future-ready platforms that support sustainable long-term growth. ALSO READ: LINX KENYA…

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has marked a major milestone in Kenya, with traffic increasing twentyfold across LINX Nairobi and LINX Mombasa, and a combined peak of over 330 Gbps. It follows the first LINX Connect Kenya member network event in Nairobi last week. The event brought together local Internet Service Providers (ISPs), data centre partners, and industry stakeholders to celebrate the growth and success of the LINX interconnection ecosystem in the region. Since entering the Kenyan market in November 2023, with the launch of its Nairobi Internet Exchange Point (IXP), LINX has built a thriving and dynamic interconnection community…

By the Provost, 02 Academy Nigeria I have spent years working closely with young people, brilliant, ambitious, full of promise. Yet, I continue to see a pattern that should concern every educator and industry leader: potential without preparation. But today, that gap is no longer just about curriculum versus industry. It is about education versus acceleration. While our institutions are still evolving at a steady pace, technologies like Artificial Intelligence are evolving exponentially. And that changes everything. The question is no longer whether students are ready for the workforce. The question is: are they ready to compete with and collaborate…

Vodacom M-Pesa Tanzania has partnered with global payments giant PayPal, enabling customers to transfer funds between their M-Pesa wallets and PayPal accounts directly through the M-Pesa Super App,a major boost for Tanzania’s digital economy The new integration marks a significant milestone in M-Pesa’s global payments expansion, bridging Tanzania’s dominant mobile money platform with one of the world’s most widely used digital payment systems. For the first time, Tanzanian freelancers, content creators, developers, entrepreneurs, and gig economy workers can deposit funds into their PayPal wallets and withdraw earnings from PayPal straight back into their M-Pesa accounts with speed, security, and convenience.…

Moniepoint Inc, Nigeria’s leading all-in-one financial ecosystem platform, has announced a major N3 billion investment to build three state-of-the-art Innovation Hubs at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) over the next three years. The ambitious initiative, one of the largest private-sector investments in Nigerian higher education in recent years, aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry by equipping students with cutting-edge skills in software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, robotics, product development, design, and entrepreneurship. The hubs will serve as permanent centres for hands-on, cohort-based learning, mentorship, and real-world project…

Paystack, one of Africa’s leading fintech companies, has launched a major redesign of its merchant Dashboard-the first complete overhaul in nearly a decade, introducing an intelligent AI-native Command Centre designed to deliver instant, data-driven answers to business questions. The new Dashboard transforms how thousands of African businesses interact with their payment data. Instead of navigating complex menus, merchants can now ask questions in plain, natural language, such as “What happened with this transaction?” or “Why is revenue down this week?”, and receive accurate, contextual responses in the form of text, tables, or charts, all grounded in their own Paystack data.…