Author: Akin Naphtal

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, formerly Twitter, has obtained a money-transmitter licence from the state of Utah, making Utah the 15th US state to grant approval for such a license. The approval, granted on last Friday according to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry, allows X to function similarly to payment platforms like PayPal’s Venmo, enabling the facilitation of money transfers between users. X incorporating payment features into its platform is a move that could potentially diversify its revenue streams beyond digital advertising, especially with the problems the platform’s digital advertising revenue has encountered lately. X’s digital advertising…

Microsoft has unveiled Copilot Pro’s subscription service at $20 per month for consumers and small businesses, with it building on the free AI Copilot introduced for Bing search last year, to bring advanced capabilities to widely used Microsoft applications like Word and Excel. Copilot Pro offers users an AI assistant capable of drafting texts and crunching numbers, and provides access to new tools and AI models, including the powerful GPT-4 Turbo. This aligns with Microsoft’s efforts to tap into the growing market for AI-driven productivity tools and cloud software. Additionally, the company is making its enterprise version more accessible by…

MultiChoice’s Showmax, is gearing up to launch Showmax 2.0, which the company unveiled during a press conference in Lagos on Monday, in February, focusing strongly on affordability and a mobile-first approach. Showmax 2.0’s subscription options include the Entertainment tier, the Premier League tier, and a bundle subscription combining both. The mobile-only subscription for the highly sought-after Premier League content, a significant attraction in Africa, will be priced at ₦2,900, which is ten times cheaper than DStv’s premium cable TV subscription. For those interested in a mobile-only entertainment subscription, the cost will be ₦2,500 per month, while the bundled subscription, covering…

Following a cybersecurity breach that saw the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) compromised, bipartisan lawmakers have begun urging the regulatory body to conduct a thorough review of its cybersecurity preparedness. The breach occurred earlier this week when an unidentified individual gained unauthorised access to the SEC’s X account, and posted a false message announcing the approval of exchange traded funds (ETFs) for Bitcoin. The misleading tweet, which claimed the SEC had greenlit the first U.S.-listed ETFs tracking Bitcoin, triggered a temporary surge in the cryptocurrency’s price to around $48,000. However, the market…

The Omniverse, a national network co-created in collaboration with the Innovation Support Network (ISN), and comprising 180 innovation hubs, incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces across Nigeria is set to launch its inaugural Summit. The Omniverse Summit, which will be held at Landmark Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, will begin on 27th February and end on 1st March 2024. It aims to serve as a dynamic convergence platform for the brightest minds in African innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Supported by the Digital Transformation Centre Nigeria, a joint initiative funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and…

South Africa’s Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has announced a partnership with leading climate technology company KOKO, with RMB acting as the lead mandated arranger and financier to accelerate KOKO’s mission in addressing environmental challenges. Across Africa, over 900 million people rely on fuels like charcoal for cooking, contributing to deforestation, household air pollution, and substantial greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the global aviation industry. To combat this issue, a comprehensive energy transition towards cleaner and modern fuels is essential. KOKO is at the forefront of this transition, actively replacing the demand for charcoal by supplying bioethanol cooking fuel to over…

Yellow Card, the largest and sole licensed Stablecoin on/off ramp in Africa, has partnered with leading U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, to expand and streamline access to USDC (USD Coin) and digital assets across Africa. Coinbase has integrated the newly introduced Yellow Card Widget, granting Coinbase Wallet users access to Yellow Card’s extensive network of payment methods spanning 20 African countries. This partnership aims to revolutionise the accessibility and convenience of digital assets throughout the African region. The Yellow Card Widget serves as an enhancement to Yellow Card’s existing Payments API, which facilitates businesses in providing local currency transaction options for…

Johan Paulsson, the CTO at Axis Communications talks about the 5 technology trends that are affecting the security sector in 2024. Even for those of us who have been working in the technology industry for decades, the pace of change over the past 12 months has been extraordinary. Once again, we’re left in no doubt that technological innovations are bringing both huge opportunities and more complex challenges than we’ve faced before, and they show no sign of slowing down. Keeping pace with the changes and their implications – for vendors, customers, and regulators – demands focus, energy, and diligence. The…

Safaricom, M-PESA Africa and Sumitomo Corporation – a leading Fortune 500 global trading and business investment company – have announced calls for tech startups looking to join the Spark Accelerator program, which aims at accelerating early stage startups to grow and scale their businesses. The three-month accelerator program will provide a blend of training, mentorship, funding and go-to-market support to spark the growth and scale of ventures that come into the accelerator and set them up for long-term success. “The Spark Accelerator program is in line with our ambition to be a purpose led technology company. With the accelerator, we…

The New Year started with OPPO new launch that has captivated audiences across countries with the unveiling of the Reno 11 which was held in Lagos. The event, full of excitement and a glimpse into the future of mobile technology, cemented OPPO’s loyalty to enhancing innovation. The event had in attendance celebrities and Top influencers across at the launching of the new product into the Nigerian Market. The event started with the OPPO’s Digital Marketing Manager, Folashade Omonijo, kickstarting with a warm welcome speech to the audience. With gratitude for the brand’s continuous support, Omonijo highlighted OPPO’s journey of delivering…