Author: Akin Naphtal

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy has partnered with Meta, 3MTT and RAIN to launch an AI academy. The initiative aims to expand Nigeria’s AI talent pool and strengthen the country’s growing technology ecosystem. Meanwhile, the programme will help participants develop practical AI skills for the digital economy. The academy will move participants from basic AI awareness to practical applications through training, technical support and commercial opportunities. According to Meta,the programme will feature three components: AI skills development, a startup pitchathon and a six-week developer bootcamp. The skills programme will target the wider 3MTT community and provide…

Hubtel, Ghana’s leading fintech and digital payment company, lends its support to MoMo from MTN for the launch of the MoMo Fintech Lab as its Official Technology Partner. As Official Technology Partner of the 2026 MoMo Fintech Lab, Hubtel will help power a national initiative designed to give fintech innovators a major boost. The launch took place on 12th August 2026 at the Accra Marriott Hotel. The company was represented by four senior executives: Nana Owusu-Marfo, Francis Wilson, Patrick Asare-Frimpong, and Augustine Gyawu Adjei, who lead Brand and User Experience, Infrastructure and Payments, Product Management, and Engineering in attendance respectively,…

Airtel Africa has officially activated satellite-to-mobile connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement, made in Kinshasa on August 14, 2026, marks a major milestone, as the technology has moved from the pilot stage to full commercial rollout in Africa, according to telecom reports across the continent. Through its partnership with SpaceX, Airtel has consequently positioned the DRC as the first market within the Airtel Africa group to offer direct satellite-backed mobile services to customers. With the new service, subscribers with compatible smartphones can connect directly to Starlink’s satellite network in areas without traditional mobile coverage, provided they…

Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expanded its international technology collaborations by signing strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Canadian technology companies Goose FL and Fireflies AI in Toronto, Canada. The partnerships are aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s engagement with global technology players and creating new opportunities for innovation and digital development. Witnessed by NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the agreements are designed to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation, strengthen its technology ecosystem, and deepen the country’s partnerships with global technology companies. This initiative will aim for three major areas, starting with financial inclusion. Through these partnerships, NITDA and its…

Kenya is intensifying its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to expand digital skills, cloud computing capacity and artificial intelligence capabilities, following a high-level visit by Cabinet Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, to the company’s Nairobi offices. The Cabinet Secretary, accompanied by senior government officials, held discussions with Robin Njiru, OGW, Public Sector Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa at AWS, and the local AWS team. The engagement built on earlier talks with Jyoti Ball, General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, and focused on accelerating Kenya’s digital transformation through skills development, innovation and connectivity. A key highlight…

According to John Tanui, Principal Secretary in Kenya’s State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, technology-driven mining, supported by digital skills and local value addition, could become a key driver of Kenya’s economic transformation. Following the meeting held with Joseph Kitilit, Chief Executive Officer of National Mining Corporation (NMC), Tanui said this initiative is set to increase productivity geological mapping, data management, traceability, and connectivity across the value chain while attracting commercial investment. Kenya needs to shift from raw mineral extraction to processing, value addition and local manufacturing to retain more economic value and increase its export potential, Tanui…

Jean-François Fallacher, CEO of Eutelsat, a global leader in satellite communications, announced that the successful completion of the IRIS² programme’s First Rendez-Vous marks the transition from planning to execution for Europe’s sovereign multi-orbit connectivity infrastructure. The expanded constellation will run to 348 satellites: 330 in low Earth orbit from Eutelsat, 18 in MEO from SES. 66 of the LEO satellites are earmarked specifically for defence, security and emergency services, with launch planned from 2029. Separately, Eutelsat is extending its existing OneWeb network through 2034 with 229 additional satellites on top of the 440 already procured, a roughly €1 billion investment.…

SeerBit, a leading Pan-African payments company, has announced a partnership with PayPal, allowing merchants across its supported markets to accept payments directly from PayPal users at checkout. Following this new integration, customers shopping on seerBit-powered platforms can now choose PayPal alongside cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, while allowing merchants to manage all transactions in one place. This integration is expected to enhance buyer confidence, reduce cart abandonment, improve conversion rates, and make payment across borders more seamless. “African businesses have the talent and products to compete globally; the missing link has often been access to trusted, convenient payment options.…

Nvidia has announced partnerships with major global investment firms and financial institutions, including Apollo, Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Brookfield, and KKR, to establish independent financing platforms to mobilize more than $500 billion in third-party capital over time. The funding will support the expansion and development of AI infrastructure as demand for artificial intelligence continues to grow worldwide. With this new development, Nvidia and the AI industry have moved from an era in which companies bought chips and built data centers project by project to one in which AI factories can be financed as productive infrastructure. Now, AI is moving from…

Airtel Kenya has revised the completion timeline for its $150 million Nxtra data centre in Tatu City, moving the target launch from early 2027 to July 2027, Managing Director Djibril Tobe confirmed this week. Tobe said construction is progressing steadily on what is set to become East Africa’s largest data centre by capacity , roughly ten times the size of any facility currently operating in the region. Airtel broke ground on the project in September 2025, and the adjusted schedule reflects the scale of the build as it advances through subsequent phases. The facility is designed to deliver 44 megawatts…