Author: Akin Naphtal

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…

Airtel Kenya’s mobile money subsidiary has launched Bizna Wallet, a dedicated business wallet designed to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) manage their finances more efficiently. The new solution allows entrepreneurs to keep business and personal funds separate while still operating through a single Airtel Money account. The wallet is linked to an existing Airtel Money account and provides a clear platform for handling business transactions. Kenyan customers can register for the service using the USSD code *334# or via the My Airtel App. Once activated, users can begin receiving payments while maintaining a distinct separation between personal and…

Vertiv, a global leader in critical digital infrastructure, has announced plans to expand its manufacturing and testing operations across Ireland and the North West, driven by rising worldwide demand for solutions that support artificial intelligence, colocation and hyperscale data centres. The company will apply to Donegal County Council for an additional 7,000 square metres of space at its Letterkenny facility. The expansion is expected to create up to 300 new jobs in the region.The move builds on Vertiv’s established presence in Ireland and the North West, which already includes operations in Letterkenny, Burnfoot and Campsie (Derry), a Central Procurement Office…

Nigerian-founded mobility technology company Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round, achieving a $2.1 billion valuation and securing unicorn status. The fresh capital will be used to build autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow the company’s autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by the end of the year. Moove also plans to enter additional global markets as it focuses on developing the operational backbone required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles. The round was led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital…

Botim, the UAE’s leading fintech platform, has partnered with Mastercard to introduce the Mastercard One Credential, a flexible payment solution that allows eligible Botim cardholders to manage multiple funding sources through a single card. The launch marks the first rollout of the solution in the UAE and across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA), underscoring both companies’ commitment to product innovation in digital payments. Mastercard One Credential enables users to link one payment product to multiple funding sources via a seamless digital interface. Eligible cardholders can switch between prepaid balances and credit funding without needing a separate card,…

Zayo is constructing more than 8,000 miles of new long-haul fibre across the United States in a collaboration with Nvidia, aimed at closing what the company calls a widening gap between surging AI compute demand and available network capacity. The expansion will deliver six new long-haul routes through emerging AI corridors, alongside overbuilds of existing infrastructure in ten high-demand markets. Zayo said the project is designed to connect AI factories, GPU clusters and hyperscaler deployments as they expand beyond traditional data centre hubs. Steve Smith, chief executive of Zayo, said the company had invested heavily in modelling where AI-driven demand…

MTN Uganda has reported a robust 37.7% rise in profit after tax for the first half of 2026, reinforcing the strong double-digit earnings momentum across MTN Group’s key operating companies ahead of the parent’s interim results. The Ugandan unit’s performance follows earlier announcements of a 70.6% PAT surge at MTN Nigeria and a 43.3% gain at MTN Ghana, highlighting resilient operational results across the group’s major markets for the six months ended June 2026. Service revenue at MTN Uganda climbed 9.4% to Ush1.9 trillion, underpinned by a 15.6% increase in data revenue to Ush566.8 billion and a 10.7% rise in…

While South Africa and Nigeria dominate headlines for the sheer number and capacity of data centers on the continent, a different ranking emerges when the focus shifts to independently verified resilience: Morocco leads by a wide margin, according to Uptime Institute records. According to an analysis by the Institute, Africa currently has 50 data centers that have been physically inspected and certified as meeting Tier III or Tier IV standards. Morocco accounts for 17 of them — more than three times the total of any other single country — yet it is rarely the first market named in sector discussions…

MTN Group has moved a step closer to completing its acquisition of the remaining shares in IHS Holding Limited after IHS shareholders overwhelmingly approved the transaction at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), marking a significant milestone in one of Africa’s largest digital infrastructure deals. The approval, secured through the required two-thirds majority at the EGM held on 4 August 2026, satisfies one of the key conditions precedent to the transaction. The acquisition, first announced by MTN in February 2026, remains subject to the necessary regulatory approvals before it can be finalised. Reacting to the development, MTN Group President and Chief…

Tosin Eniolorunda, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint Inc, has shared a thoughtful reflection on the deeper questions surrounding artificial intelligence, arguing that the conversation about AI must move beyond intelligence alone and confront the more fundamental issue of consciousness. In a recent commentary, Eniolorunda noted that discussions about AI typically centre on whether machines will outperform humans, automate work or transform industries. While important, he said these debates often overlook a more profound underlying question: what consciousness actually requires. “If consciousness depends on biological matter, then no matter how intelligent AI becomes, it will never be conscious,” Eniolorunda wrote.…