Author: Akin Naphtal

Kenya’s leading telecommunications company, Safaricom PLC, has announced a sponsorship of Ksh 25 million for the Lewa Safari Marathon, commemorating 25 years of partnership, and showing Safaricom’s commitment to one of Kenya’s most iconic events. In collaboration with Lewa Safari Marathon, Safaricom has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at safeguarding endangered species such as black rhinos and Grevy’s zebras, while simultaneously promoting sustainable development within local communities. Through partnerships and investments with like-minded organisations, Safaricom has continued to play a major role in driving positive change and preserving Kenya’s rich biodiversity. In a LinkedIn post announcing the sponsorship,…

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has invited technologists and tech enthusiasts across the country to attend the upcoming edition of DevsInGovernment scheduled for Thursday, 14th March. Dr. Tijani announced this via his LinkedIn page, where he also posted an image showing that the CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr. Vincent O. Olatunji, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadia Bala Usman, and the Statistician General of the Federation and CEO, National Bureau of Statistics, Adeniran Adeyemi, will be attending. DevsInGovernment is a recurring event aimed at bringing together technologists,…

Moroccan FinTech, tookeez, a pioneering startup, has secured $1.5 million in a fundraising round led by the Azur Innovation Fund, a public-private seed capital fund renowned for its support of innovative ventures. Azur Innovation Fund has built a reputation for championing ambitious projects that aim to reshape the customer loyalty landscape across Africa and the MENA region. At the core of tookeez’s platform lies an innovative concept aimed at simplifying and enhancing consumers interaction with loyalty programs. By consolidating loyalty points from a diverse array of brands into a single, user-friendly wallet, tookeez empowers consumers to seamlessly transact across a…

MTN Group has announced the appointment of Ali Monzer as CEO of MTN South Sudan, effective 1 April 2024, succeeding Gordian Kyomukama, who is set to retire after a distinguished career with MTN. MTN announced the new appointment on its LinkedIn page. Speaking on the appointment, MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said, “I am pleased to have Ali spearheading our operations in South Sudan and believe he will add immense value to the market. His wealth of experience and proven track record in technology and operations make him well-positioned to drive MTN South Sudan’s continued growth and success.”…

Amid concerns of Chinese short video platform, TikTok, potentially shutting down in the United States (US), former Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick, is reportedly aiming to purchase the popular social media platform. TikTok, owned by China-based parent company ByteDance, has faced scrutiny from US lawmakers over fears of data privacy and national security risks associated with its Chinese ownership. With new legislation looming that could force ByteDance to sell TikTok or face closure, Kotick has emerged as a potential buyer. Reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that Kotick has approached ByteDance founder, Zhang Yiming, to express his interest in acquiring…

Nigerian fintech, PalmPay, has unveiled two financial products, namely, Unlimited Free Transfer and Target Savings to cater to the needs of its app users in its bid to foster financial inclusion across Nigerian communities. With the introduction of these financial features, PalmPay users can now benefit from unlimited free transfers to all banks in Nigeria and personalise their savings strategy according to their specific preferences regarding amount, duration, and frequency. The Unlimited Free Transfer feature, spearheaded by PalmPay Nigeria’s Managing Director, Chika Nwosu, aims to provide accessible and cost-effective financial services to users, allowing them to conduct transactions without being…

Nigerian AI-powered startup, BFREE, has secured $2.95 million in a funding led by Capria Ventures, a venture capital firm specialising in applied generative AI solutions across emerging markets. The funding round marks a major milestone for BFREE, which seeks to pioneer customer-centric solutions for borrowers and lenders in Africa. Founded in 2020 by Julian Flosbach, Chukwudi Enyi, and Moses Nmor, BFREE initially focused on automating credit collections through AI-powered software. The company has since evolved into a comprehensive platform that evaluates and acquires non-performing loan portfolios from banks and fintechs, thereby opening new avenues for global funds seeking exposure to…

Telecom giants MTN and Airtel have increased investments in infrastructure across Nigeria, to help Nigerian consumers transition to 4G and 5G networks, with MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, noting a surge in the deployment of 4G and 5G sites across the country. MTN Nigeria reported a 2.7% increase in the number of 4G sites, resulting in a rise in 4G adoption from 79.1% to 81.5% among its customer base. Moreover, the company witnessed growth in its 5G infrastructure, with the number of 5G sites climbing from 588 to 2,106, boosting 5G usage from 3.1% to 11.3%. Airtel has also launched…

Consumer-focused startup, Inflection AI, has announced that its chatbot, Pi, has surpassed a million daily active users, while also unveiling an upgrade to the artificial intelligence (AI) powering the tool to enhance its capabilities and competitiveness in the market. Pi, introduced in May 2023, leverages generative AI technology to engage users in conversations, enabling them to ask questions and share interests. With its intuitive interface and advanced AI capabilities, Pi has rapidly gained popularity among consumers, evident in its milestone achievement of surpassing 1 million daily active users. Inflection AI’s latest offering, Inflection-2.5, is positioned to rival existing models such…

LinkedIn the premier social network targeting business professionals, has revealed the sales figures for its premium subscription business for the first time, reporting revenue of $1.7 billion in 2023. LinkedIn had not previously provided a breakdown of its financial performance since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2016. The company’s overall fiscal performance for 2023 was previously disclosed at $15 billion, with $7 billion attributed to its hiring software sold to corporate recruiters. However, in recent years, LinkedIn has been expanding its premium subscription business, catering to job seekers and individual users, with subscription plans starting at $39.99 per month. A…