Author: Akin Naphtal

MTN Group has announced two internal executive appointments, both taking effect in September 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen its leadership capacity while advancing the execution of its Ambition 2030 strategy. Ashutosh Tiwary, Operations Executive: Francophone Markets Tiwary steps into his new role on 1 September 2026, bringing over 27 years of telecommunications leadership experience across Africa and India, marked by a strong record of driving growth, transformation, operational excellence and business turnarounds in highly competitive markets. Within MTN, he has held several senior leadership positions, beginning as GM: Prepaid Consumer Business in South Africa, where he played a…

According to International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s “Emerging Markets Insight”, the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) investment into emerging markets is creating new opportunities for economic transformation, but it is also placing growing pressure on electricity, water, and other critical infrastructure, The IFC noted that data centers and digital infrastructure are becoming critical foundations for countries seeking to participate in the AI-driven economy, alongside skilled human capital, access to finance and supportive regulatory frameworks. However, the organisation cautioned that the pace of AI infrastructure expansion could create significant challenges for emerging markets if supporting infrastructure fails to keep pace. Rising…

To understand how Africa’s hyper-connected future is being wired, one must look away from the glitzy consumer tech headlines and examine the deep digital bedrock beneath the soil. High above the bustling streets of Nairobi, within the strategic command corridors of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Kenya, sits Neeraj Pradhan, a man who views the vast, complex digital expanse of East Africa not as a chaotic marketplace, but as an intricate circuit board waiting for optimization.   Over nearly a decade, Pradhan has systematically transformed a commercial growth mandate into a broader infrastructure legacy. While the tech industry often favors flash over substance,…

South African neocloud provider Stratos Lab, global AI compute infrastructure innovator ECOBLOX, and premier South African data centre Digital Parks Africa officially announced the launch of Africa’s most powerful AI Cloud. Delivering exascale performance (7.2 EFLOPS) for sovereign AI across the continent, the deployment is powered by 50+ NVIDIA B300 HGX GPU servers, over 400 GPUs, supplied by GIGABYTE, an ECOBLOX ecosystem partner. The launch comes as global AI compute demand accelerates, positioning Africa at a pivotal moment to build sovereign AI capabilities through this landmark strategic partnership and joint deployment. The collaboration is aimed at setting a new standard…

Infobip, a global cloud communications platform, has launched a new SIM-based Number Verification solution designed to help telecom operators worldwide accelerate adoption of this authentication method through Network API aggregation and enterprise onboarding. This initiative gives mobile network operators (MNOs) a new way to unlock authentication revenue, while enabling enterprises to move beyond traditional one-time passwords (OTP) toward authentication experiences that are more secure and lower-friction. Rising fraud, delivery challenges, cost pressures, and tightening regulatory scrutiny are reshaping the authentication landscape. As a result, both operators and enterprises are increasingly seeking stronger alternatives to OTP-based verification.SIM-based Number Verification addresses this…

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is supporting efforts to strengthen harmonised national broadband mapping systems across beneficiary countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative is being implemented through a five-day Africa Broadband Maps Intermediate Geographic Information System (GIS) and Data Management for Broadband Mapping training programme, which began in Malawi on Monday. Hosted by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) in Lilongwe, the workshop is organised by the ITU with support from the European Union and delivered by Esri South Africa College. Building on participants’ existing GIS knowledge, the training provides practical experience in enterprise GIS architecture, multi-user geodatabases, data governance,…

Mastercard Chief Executive Officer Michael Miebach said the company’s second-quarter results demonstrated the resilience of global consumer spending even amid geopolitical uncertainty, while underscoring Mastercard’s expanding role as the “operating system of the digital economy.” Speaking on earnings day in an interview with The Motley Fool, Miebach highlighted solid transaction volumes, operating margins above 60 percent, continued strength in cross-border activity and robust growth in value-added services. He described the quarter as further evidence that both consumers and businesses remain healthy spenders. “It’s interesting when you look around the world and you read the headlines, see geopolitical complexity and volatility,…

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative Implementation Taskforce (NSCI-ITF), marking a shift in Nigeria’s sovereign cloud strategy from framework development to coordinated implementation and delivery. The National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), coordinated by NITDA, provides a national framework aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and developing a secure, resilient, competitive and investment-ready cloud and digital infrastructure ecosystem. The initiative is designed to enhance the protection and assurance of critical digital assets while promoting innovation, indigenous capacity, private-sector investment and access to global technologies. ALSO READ: NETWORK INTERNATIONAL APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OFFICER OF…

Network International has announced that Abdulla Nasser Lootah has been appointed Chief Public Sector Officer & Advisor to the Group CEO at Network International. In this newly created role, Abdulla Nasser Lootah will lead the company’s Public Sector P&L, drive growth in the UAE, while also supporting public and non-public sector growth initiatives across the wider Group, and position Network International as a trusted partner in the region’s digital payments and transformation agenda. Working closely alongside the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team, Abdulla will focus on strengthening strategic relationships, deepening the company’s proposition for government and strategic accounts, and…

Abraham Oluwambe, Chief Executive Officer of LiFi.net Limited, has underscored the urgent need to keep African internet traffic local and strengthen cross-border infrastructure following his participation at the African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF 2026) held in Kigali. Reflecting on the multi-day gathering of regional peers, Internet Exchange Point (IXP) operators, content delivery networks, data centre leaders and transit providers, Oluwambe said the event reinforced a shared continental mission. “Connecting with industry leaders reaffirmed one clear mission: keeping African traffic local, driving down latency, and building resilient cross-border infrastructure,” he stated. Oluwambe highlighted three key areas of focus that emerged…