Author: Akin Naphtal

Leading Nigerian impact investment firm, All On, has partnered with Baobab Plus Nigeria, committing $2.25 million to a credit facility for the deployment of 1,536 solar energy panels, ranging from 600W to 3KW in capacity, across Nigeria. The collaboration, which was agreed upon on 31st December 2023, leverages Baobab Plus Nigeria’s extensive Pay-as-you-Go Agent Network, which covers 21 locations in the Southwest, North Central, and Northwest regions of the country. All On noted that the partnership would not only bring light to homes and communities but also contribute to environmental conservation. All On’s CEO, Caroline Eboumbou, highlighted the company’s commitment…

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co and its affiliate, Kia Corp, have projected a two percent increase in their combined global sales for 2024, following a challenging year in 2023 where both companies failed to meet their sales target. The duo managed to sell 7.3 million vehicles in 2023, which was 3% less than their goal of 7.52 million. The underperformance was attributed to economic challenges including rising interest rates and inflation, making vehicles less affordable for some buyers. For 2024, the companies aim to achieve global sales of 7.44 million vehicles, with Hyundai and Kia setting individual targets of 4.24…

Chinese social media platform, TikTok, has decided to support local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya with a $1.49 million fund, in an investment which is one of the largest by a social media company in Kenya’s SME sector. The fund seeks to provide loans, grants, training, and mentorship to entrepreneurs using TikTok to showcase their businesses. It is a response to the challenges faced by SMEs in Kenya, with 83% reporting revenue declines during the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with Yunus Social Business, TikTok plans to support Kenya’s SMEs in various sectors that leverage the platform for promotion,…

Chinese tech giant, Huawei Technologies, has forecasted revenue exceeding 700 billion yuan ($98.5 billion) for the year 2023, marking a 9% year-over-year growth from the 642.3 billion yuan reported in 2022. Huawei’s rotating chairman, Ken Hu, shared this forecast in an internal New Year message to staff, while noting the company’s resilience and rebound following U.S. sanctions imposed in 2019. The sanctions had initially crippled some of Huawei’s business lines by limiting access to critical global technologies, particularly advanced chips. Huawei’s device business segment, including its smartphone business, outperformed expectations in 2023, according to Hu’s message. The company’s smartphone shipments…

PhiliaDX, a pioneering metaverse content development company, announced that it unveiled its cutting-edge immersive 3D content production solution powered by AI technology at CONTENT TOKYO 2023. Philia DX participated in the K-Metaverse Pavilion, a joint booth supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea and established under the ‘2023 Metaverse Global Marketing Support Project’ conducted by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA). Philia DX showcased their 3D content production solution to international audiences, and the company representatives conducted several meetings with potential partners from Japan and other countries. PhiliaDX’s 3D content production solution enables the rapid creation…

In today’s evolving world of technology and innovation, Kenya ICT Authority CEO, Stanley Kamanguya, from his early days as technical sales engineer at Atto Systems, to helming the affairs of the ICT Authority is a definition of the quote, “hard work always pays off.” Kamanguya’s journey reflects not just a career spanning nearly 20 years, but a disciplined and purposeful preparation for the evolving challenges that appear in the fast-paced world of information and communication technology (ICT). Academic Accolades Stanley Kamanguya emerges as a highly educated and accomplished professional, equipped with a solid academic foundation and a wealth of experience…

Smart Africa, in collaboration with the Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy, has organised the Digital Skills Forum, a pan-African event focused on promoting the development of digital skills in Africa. The event, held through the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) in partnership with the Centre Africain de Recherche sur l’Intelligence Artificielle (CARIA) and the Africa Digital Academy (ADA), aimed to broadcast the importance of digital skills for African pupils and students. The three-day forum, themed, “Building a digital talent pipeline for Africa,” covered topics such as digital education, professional training, digital inclusion, access to…

In a bid to foster technological improvement in Senegal, a pan-African group, AXIAN Telecom has announced that Free au Sénégal has secured its 5G license. This achievement underscores Free au Sénégal’s dedication to advancing technology and delivering cutting-edge solutions to the local community. With the advent of 5G, the company envisions a transformative impact across various sectors, including industries, education, and healthcare. The broader community is invited to join in celebrating this milestone, recognizing the potential positive effects that 5G connectivity will bring to Senegal. As AXIAN Telecom embraces the power of 5G, the company anticipates contributing to the overall…

Chinese tech giant, Xiaomi, has officially entered the electric car market with the introduction of its first electric vehicle (EV), the SU7, a high-performance sedan featuring “super electric motor” technology capable of accelerating faster than Tesla and Porsche electric vehicles. Speaking at the unveiling, Xiaomi CEO, Lei Jun, also spoke on the company’s ambitions, noting that “by working hard over the next 15 to 20 years, we will become one of the world’s top 5 automakers, striving to lift China’s overall automobile industry.” Despite the challenging backdrop of a saturated Chinese automobile market with slowing demand, Xiaomi aims to leverage…

Driverless cars could be on some UK roads by the end of 2026, the transport secretary has said in a recent statement. Mark Harper also said he expected to see the owners of those vehicles being able to travel without having to watch where they’re going by the end of that year. Last month the government announced plans for new legislation to bring automated driving to UK roads. But, critics argue if the tech is not ready it could cause serious accidents. Mr Harper said he has personally seen the technology being used in California adding he wants people to…