Author: Akin Naphtal

Airtel Kenya has announced the appointment of Djibril Tobe as the new Managing Director of Airtel Networks Kenya Limited, effective 1st July 2026. He succeeds Ashish Malhotra, who has taken up a new role as Chief Executive Officer of Indus Towers Limited Africa. Tobe brings over two decades of high-impact leadership experience across Africa’s telecommunications and FMCG sectors, making him a strategic fit to drive Airtel Kenya’s next phase of growth and innovation in a highly competitive market. Most recently, Tobe served as Managing Director of Airtel Congo B, where he led overall business operations. Prior to that, he held…

Grey, the Y Combinator-backed global payments platform, has expanded its services in Ghana and Kenya by introducing local currency deposits, allowing users to fund their accounts directly in Ghanaian Cedis (GHS) and Kenyan Shillings (KES) via bank transfers and mobile money. The new feature aims to simplify the often fragmented process of moving money between local payment systems and global financial services. Users in both countries can now seamlessly top up their Grey accounts without relying on multiple platforms or intermediaries. Ghana and Kenya rank among Grey’s fastest-growing markets, driven by rising participation in the global economy and the need…

French telecoms giant Orange has named Usman Javaid as its new Chief AI Officer (CAIO), effective 1 September 2026. Javaid will succeed Steve Jarrett, who is leaving the company to join leading AI firm Anthropic. The appointment highlights the fierce competition for top AI talent in the technology sector, where companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta are reportedly offering substantial compensation packages to attract and retain experienced leaders. Usman Javaid brings more than 20 years of international technology and telecommunications experience to the role. Since April 2023, he has served as Global Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Orange…

BT Group and Verizon have announced a major strategic partnership, agreeing to combine their international enterprise operations into a new 50:50 joint venture. The new company will have approximately $4 billion in combined annual revenue and serve a customer base spanning more than 180 countries. It will focus exclusively on providing advanced connectivity and network services to multinational organisations worldwide. The joint venture will merge BT International, known for its secure and resilient global communication and network services, with Verizon’s international enterprise wireline business. As part of the deal, Verizon will make a $625 million equalisation payment to BT. The…

Bayobab has announced the appointment of Ronsley Kubie as its new General Manager: Satellite Business and Partnerships, effective 1 July 2026. In an official announcement, Bayobab expressed pleasure at welcoming Kubie, highlighting his extensive experience across the telecommunications value chain. This includes satellite communications, wireless technologies, enterprise connectivity, and large-scale network infrastructure projects across Africa and international markets. Most recently, Kubie served as Africa Head of Sales at AXESS Networks / Hispasat, where he led regional commercial strategy and played a key role in driving the adoption of multi-orbit satellite solutions. His work spanned key sectors including Internet Service Providers…

The Gate London City, a premium aparthotel in the heart of the City of London, has partnered with Inntelo AI to introduce an advanced agentic AI solution, making it the first hotel in the UK capital to adopt the platform. The property, managed by EQ Group, a European hospitality platform with nearly 10,000 rooms across the UK and Europe is using the technology to enhance guest experiences while prioritising staff development. In a notable departure from typical AI implementations, The Gate London City has paired the rollout with a comprehensive training and upskilling programme for its team. Rather than using…

Paystack has announced the early access launch of Paystack Index, an experimental product developed in collaboration with TSG Labs, the venture studio and emerging technology arm of The Stack Group. The new product builds on Paystack’s existing payment infrastructure, including Paystack Checkout, by allowing users in Nigeria to complete purchases with supported merchants directly through AI agents. It aims to explore how people want to use AI for everyday transactions, beginning with familiar tasks such as buying airtime and mobile data, funding wallets, sending money, and ordering food. Paystack Index is now live in Nigeria and currently integrates with supported…

MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, has achieved a remarkable global milestone by securing the second position in the prestigious 2026 Ranking Digital Rights (RDR) Index. The company becomes the first telecommunications operator headquartered in an emerging market to break into the top three worldwide. This strong performance underscores MTN’s sustained commitment to transparency, robust governance, and the protection of digital human rights across its operations. The RDR Index serves as the leading global benchmark for how technology and telecommunications companies uphold fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and privacy through their policies, practices, and disclosures. MTN earned a…

Digital innovation must go beyond technology to deliver meaningful societal impact through trust, adaptive regulation, and human-centred design, Dr. Peter Ndegwa, Group Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom PLC (Kenya and Ethiopia), has said. In a long-form LinkedIn post, Dr. Ndegwa noted that Africa’s youthful population will see one in four people on Earth being African by 2050, positioning the continent at the centre of global conversations on labour markets, consumption, investment, climate strategy, and the future of work. “Digital is the default foundation from the outset in many sectors,” he observed. However, he stressed that technology alone is insufficient without…

MTN Nigeria has elevated long-serving executive Bukola Ajayi to the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO), placing one of its most critical technology leadership roles in the hands of a veteran with over two decades of experience within the organisation. Ajayi, who previously served as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, takes over at a pivotal time as the company accelerates investments in cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, automation, and digital services to strengthen its position in Nigeria’s highly competitive telecoms market. With 27 years of experience in technology, Ajayi has played a central role in shaping MTN’s enterprise…