Author: Akin Naphtal

Digital Realty Nigeria, formerly Medallion Data Centre Limited, has been honoured with the most coveted West Africa Datacentre of the Year award at the eighth Africa Digital Economy Awards (ADEA) held in Nairobi, Kenya in November. The CEO, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, was also named a Digital Economy Leader in Africa as he made it to the 2023 Africa Top 50 Digital Economy Leader listing. The recognition as the West Africa Datacentre of the Year solidifies Digital Realty’s position as a go-to provider for fast, efficient, and cost-effective data and connectivity services in Nigeria. Digital Realty Nigeria is a key player…

China has unveiled a new bill aimed at curbing in-game spending, adding to a number of measures released in a years-long effort to regulate the booming video game industry, and reduce spending limits of Chinese gamers. Released on Friday, 22nd December these regulations are the most explicit to date, targeting features that increase spending and imposing restrictions on digital wallet top-ups for in-game purchases. Key Restrictions Impact on Industry: Analysts have predicted that the regulations could reduce daily active users and in-app revenue for game developers. Also, game companies may need to rework their game design and monetisation strategies. International…

Ride-hailing drivers in Ghana have criticised the Ghana Revenue Authority’s decision to implement a vehicle income tax (VIT), which must be paid quarterly, and which is slated to take effect from 1st January, 2024. The tax notice states that anyone who owns a commercial vehicle, and earns income from its operation must pay the tax. Ride-hailing companies operating in the country, including Uber, Bolt, and Yango, are required to verify that their drivers have paid the VIT before allowing them to operate on their platforms. The GRA also requires ride-hailing companies to request a soft copy of the VIT sticker…

Kenyan telecommunications giant, Safaricom PLC, has announced a new partnership with premium music service, Mdundo.com to launch an exclusive subscription service, allowing Kenyans to enjoy their favourite DJ mixes for Ksh 5 per day. This subscription provides Kenyans with an affordable and convenient way to access a wide range of music content. The service is exclusive to Safaricom users, and can be accessed on Mdundo.com website. Chief Consumer Business Officer, Safaricom PLC, Fawzia Ali, explained that the “goal is to provide Kenyans’ freedom, choice and control over the content they consume, and we are delighted to embark on this journey…

Nigerian online forum, Nairaland, has resumed operations after it was taken down on Monday by Cloudflare, its hosting provider, following reports of abuse. Founder of Nairaland, Seun Osewa, confirmed the platform’s return in a statement, but added that Nairaland was only operating temporarily, and that additional downtime might occur. “We had to transfer Nairaland to a temporary host in order to bring it back to you. A very time-consuming process. We are not fully back, even though most features of the site are working. We still have a long way to go. Additional downtime is likely; don’t let it alarm…

Multinational ride-hailing service, Uber Technologies, has announced an increase in the minimum wage for drivers in France as part of a broader agreement between ride-hailing companies and driver representatives in the country. Aiming to improve the income and working conditions for drivers, Uber will increase the minimum income per trip for drivers from €7.65 to €9 ($9.85). Drivers will now have a guaranteed income of €30 per hour, and will also receive €1 per kilometre travelled. The changes in hourly income guarantee and minimum wage per kilometre will be implemented by May 2024, while the increased revenue per trip will…

South Korean tech giant, Samsung Electronics is set to invest approximately 40 billion yen ($280 million) over the next five years in a research facility dedicated to advanced chip packaging in Japan. The announcement was made by the city of Yokohama, where the facility will be established, providing Samsung with the opportunity to collaborate closely with Japanese companies specialising in chipmaking equipment and materials. Samsung’s chip business head, Kyung Kye-hyun, has noted that the Japanese facility would not only strengthen Samsung’s position in the chip market but also facilitate partnerships with Yokohama-based companies specializing in chip packaging. The facility will…

Apple has increased its focus on the production of its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, aiming for a launch as early as February 2024, according to sources familiar who spoke to Bloomberg on the matter. Full-speed production of the new headset has been underway at facilities in China for several weeks, with the goal of having customer-bound units ready by the end of January. The retail debut is anticipated to follow in February. The Vision Pro, priced at $3,499, was initially unveiled in June, and its availability in the U.S. was expected by early 2024. Apple has sent emails to software…

The European Union (EU) has announced PayPal’s decision to revise its terms and conditions to align fully with EU consumer protection regulations, after a constructive dialogue between PayPal, the European Commission, and national consumer protection authorities. The EU previously expressed concerns that PayPal’s existing terms and conditions were not only challenging for consumers to comprehend, but were also deemed unfair. In response, PayPal has committed to making significant amendments to enhance transparency and understanding for its users. As part of these changes, PayPal users will receive notifications detailing the modifications through a policy update scheduled for February. The revised terms…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to implement full blockage of all subscriber’s identification module (SIM) cards not linked to national identification numbers (NINs) by February 28, 2024. According to the instructions, the operators, including MTN, Airtel, Globacom, 9mobile, among others have been lettered to carry out the exercise as directed. Recall, the telecoms operators have 220 million subscriptions, of which MTN has 85 million; Glo, 61 million; Airtel, 60 million and 9mobile, 13 million. The mandatory NIN-SIM Linkage exercise began in December 2020 as directed by the Federal Government. The telecoms operators have already lost over…