Author: Akin Naphtal

MTN Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to investing in Nigeria’s youth ecosystem, backing a youth-led creative and innovation platform, “The Gathering on 100,” with over N45 million to support emerging ideas and startups. The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, disclosed this on Sunday night at the National Stadium Surulere during the youth-focused initiative. He said the funding reflects the company’s long-term vision of enabling young Nigerians to build and scale innovative enterprises. Toriola described “The Gathering on 100” as a youth-driven movement designed to bring young people together for 100 hours of creativity, collaboration, and self-expression, noting that it captures the…

Cisco has announced its intention to acquire Astrix Security Ltd., a leading innovator in Non-Human Identity (NHI) security, to strengthen its capabilities in securing the rapidly growing ecosystem of AI agents. The move comes as organisations worldwide accelerate the adoption of agentic AI — autonomous AI systems capable of making decisions and taking actions at machine speed. While these AI agents promise unprecedented productivity, they also introduce a new and rapidly expanding attack surface that traditional security models are struggling to address. ALSO READ: BAYOBAB NAMES WANITA RAMSUBAK AS GM FOR PLANNING AND INTEGRATION   “AI agents represent an entirely new class of coworker,” said Peter Bailey…

MTN Digital Infrastructure, the parent company of Bayobab, has announced the appointment of Wanita Ramsubak as the new General Manager: Digital Infrastructure Planning and Integration, effective 1 May 2026. Wanita will report directly to Mazen Mroué, CEO of MTN Digital Infrastructure. With over a decade of experience spanning the telecommunications value chain, Wanita brings deep expertise in wholesale, enterprise, fixed, and mobile infrastructure across Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. She first joined the MTN Group in 2018 as Senior Manager: Group Strategy and Transformation and most recently served as General Manager: Technology Infrastructure. ALSO READ: IOT WEST AFRICA KICKOFF PRIORITIZES ENERGY, AI, AND LOCAL TECH…

The opening keynote panel session at the annual IoT West Africa set the tone for critical conversations on urban transformation, as industry leaders explored how artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) can drive Africa’s smart city ambitions. The session, themed “Building the Smart Cities of Africa: Harnessing AI & IoT for Urban Innovation,” featured a high-level panel including Olakunle Falola, Executive Commissioner at the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission; Akinbulejo Onabolu, Head of Enterprise Segments at MTN Nigeria; Angela Chilotam Nnamani, Head of Returns Payment Processing Unit at the Nigeria Revenue Service; Marco Rebecchi, Country Manager for Nigeria and Ghana at Nokia;…

UniCloud Africa (UCA), the premier pan-African sovereign cloud platform, and Open Access Data Centres (OADC), Africa’s fastest-growing data centre company, have announced a major strategic partnership aimed at fast-tracking the continent’s digital transformation and technological sovereignty. Under the agreement, UniCloud Africa will deploy its enterprise-grade sovereign cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure within OADC’s state-of-the-art, carrier-neutral data centre facilities in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Africa. The collaboration provides a secure, localised foundation for governments and enterprises seeking to modernise operations while ensuring full data residency and regulatory compliance. Advancing the “One Cloud, One Africa” VisionThe…

National Communications Authority Deputy Director-General Suleman Salifu has called for stronger collaboration between Ghanaian and Zambian technology ecosystems to drive digital transformation, innovation, and cross-border investment. He made the call during a high-level bilateral meeting between the two countries’ communications and technology sector ministries, held at the NCA Tower in Accra. The two-day engagement, hosted by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations and led by sector Minister Samuel Nartey George, brings together regulators, policymakers, and private sector players to strengthen cooperation in key areas such as fintech, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure. Mr. Salifu reaffirmed the NCA’s commitment to…

Amazon has announced plans to invest up to $25 billion in artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, as part of an expanded long-term partnership aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of generative AI technologies. The new commitment adds to the $8 billion Amazon has already invested in the company. The agreement also includes a major infrastructure commitment, with Anthropic expected to spend more than $100 billion over the next decade on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The collaboration, which began in 2023, is focused on enabling businesses to build, deploy, and scale generative AI solutions more efficiently across industries. As part of…

MTN Digital Infrastructure, the parent company of Bayobab, has announced the appointment of its Chief Executive Officer, Mazen Mroué, to the Board of the Global Leaders’ Forum (GLF), a prestigious network of senior connectivity leaders shaping the future of digital infrastructure and telecommunications worldwide. The appointment, announced on Wednesday, highlights the increasing influence of African-led infrastructure companies in global industry conversations and underscores Bayobab’s commitment to driving inclusive, innovative, and responsible connectivity across the continent and beyond. The Global Leaders’ Forum brings together top executives from the telecommunications and digital infrastructure sectors to tackle key priorities around inclusivity, innovation, and…

MTN Group and its major subsidiary MTN South Africa have once again achieved the highest Level 1 contributor status under Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) for 2025, reinforcing the telecom giant’s long-standing commitment to transformation and inclusive growth in South Africa. This marks the sixth consecutive year for MTN Group and the seventh year in a row for MTN South Africa. The results are contained in the company’s annual B-BBEE compliance report, verified by an independent agency. “For MTN, long-term business success and societal progress are deeply interconnected,” said MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita. “Maintaining a Level 1…

Cellulant has appointed Anthony Hernandez, a seasoned fintech and banking operations leader with over 25 years of global experience, as its new Chief Operating Officer to strengthen execution and scalability as the firm expands across the continent. The appointment, announced on Wednesday, forms the latest addition to Cellulant’s refreshed leadership team. It follows the February 2026 hiring of Michael Muriuki as Chief Product and Technology Officer and the March 2026 appointment of Darren Makarem as Chief Financial Officer. Hernandez, who most recently served as Head of Customer Operations at Railsr (formerly Railsbank), a UK-based embedded finance platform, brings deep expertise…