Author: Akin Naphtal

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has re-elected Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the United States as its Secretary-General, securing her a second term to lead the United Nations agency responsible for digital technologies and global telecommunications. Expressing appreciation for the confidence of member states, Bogdan-Martin said the digital landscape had undergone significant changes during her first term and would continue to evolve rapidly. She reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that technological progress benefits everyone, particularly the estimated two billion people worldwide who remain without internet connectivity. First elected in 2022, Bogdan-Martin assumed office in 2023 after serving as Director of ITU’s Telecommunication…

Zedvance Finance Limited has introduced ExtraCash, a new credit solution designed to provide eligible Nigerians with access to additional financing for personal expenses, professional needs and small business activities. Available through the Zedvance mobile app, the product offers credit to eligible customers, including salaried professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs and small business owners. The company said ExtraCash was developed in response to the reality that financial demands do not always coincide with the availability of funds, whether in managing unexpected expenses, meeting personal commitments, funding creative projects or addressing urgent business needs. Speaking on the launch, Adegoke Orimolade, Acting Managing Director of…

Bahrain-based payment technology provider Global Payment Services (GPS) has partnered with EazyPay and Mastercard to support the launch of a new Mastercard prepaid card programme in Bahrain, expanding the country’s digital payment offerings. Under the partnership, GPS will provide the technology infrastructure and payment processing capabilities required to operate the programme. Its services will cover card issuing and processing, tokenisation, API integration, fraud monitoring and 3D Secure authentication. The collaboration will combine GPS’s payment processing infrastructure with Mastercard’s global payments network to support EazyPay’s rollout of the prepaid card offering within an integrated technology environment. The programme is expected to…

French telecommunications operator Orange is introducing two redesigned super-apps, Orange and Sosh, from 19 November 2026, bringing artificial intelligence, telecommunications management, cybersecurity and everyday digital services together in a single mobile experience. The new applications will replace the existing Orange et moi and MySosh apps, giving customers a central platform to manage their mobile plans, bills, data usage and devices while accessing services such as email, television, news and cybersecurity tools. A major feature of the launch is Orange IAs, a new artificial intelligence service designed to make multiple AI models accessible through one platform. The service will be available…

IHS Holding Limited, operating as IHS Towers, has reported a 21.4% year-on-year increase in revenue from continuing operations to $490.5 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026, driven largely by strong growth in its Nigerian business. The telecommunications infrastructure company, which owns, operates and develops shared communications infrastructure across emerging markets, recorded revenue growth from $403.9 million in the corresponding period of 2025. Nigeria contributed $359.4 million, representing a 34.1% increase year-on-year, while revenue from its Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) segment declined by 3.5% to $131.1 million. According to the company’s financial results, growth in Nigeria was supported by…

Kenya has launched the SecureKE Sovereign Security Operations Centre (SOC) at Konza Technopolis, in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s national cybersecurity capabilities and protecting its growing digital infrastructure. The launch was announced by Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, who said the centre would provide shared cybersecurity services to government institutions and private-sector organisations. The facility is designed to support continuous security monitoring, AI-assisted threat detection, incident investigation, vulnerability management and coordinated cyber response. The initiative comes as Kenya expands digital connectivity and moves more public services online through its Digital Superhighway programme. According to Tanui, the country had recorded…

Mastercard has partnered with Liabify’s payroll technology platform, LiaPay, to introduce Mastercard Platinum prepaid cards for salaried employees across four Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets, expanding access to digital payments and earned wage access. The collaboration will initially launch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, before expanding to Saudi Arabia and Oman. It will enable employees to access their earned wages through the LiaPay mobile application and use their prepaid cards for everyday transactions, both online and in physical stores, as well as cross-border remittances. LiaPay combines payroll services with earned wage access (EWA), allowing employees to withdraw…

President William Ruto has nominated Lydia Sitienei, currently Director of Legal Services and Corporation Secretary at the Communications Authority of Kenya, to serve as the country’s second Data Commissioner, following a recommendation by the Public Service Commission. The nomination, announced by the Executive Office of the President, has been submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval under the Data Protection Act, Cap 411C. Should Parliament approve her appointment, Sitienei will succeed Immaculate Kassait, the inaugural Data Commissioner, whose six-year tenure is nearing its end, and will take charge of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). The…

Alexandra Olive Naa Korkoi Mensah As global leaders prepare to meet in Doha, Qatar, Ghana has an opportunity to advance a digital agenda that places people, opportunity and inclusion at its centre. For a young Ghanaian learning to code or a family without reliable mobile connectivity, digital transformation means opportunity, improved livelihoods and participation in a connected world. This is the broader context for the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference, PP-26, scheduled for November 9 to 27, 2026, in Doha. PP-26, the ITU’s highest policy-making conference, will determine its strategic direction, elect leadership and approve strategic and financial plans…

Ghana has called for stronger international cooperation, investment in digital infrastructure and equitable access to emerging technologies to ensure that the global digital revolution benefits all countries, particularly developing economies. The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, made the call at the Doha Ministerial Roundtable in Qatar, where he emphasised that the future of digital development must be defined by inclusion, partnership and practical action. He warned of an emerging digital divide centred on access to computing power, quality data and the capacity to develop advanced technologies. Using the example of a young Ghanaian innovator…