Author: Akin Naphtal

IT services company Accenture has joined hands with multinational consumer goods firm Unilever to tap into Unilever’s AI research and technology implementation. The collaboration aims to enhance productivity, drive efficiencies, and accelerate disruptive AI-powered innovations on a large scale. As per the company the collaboration will kick off from Unilever’s recently opened global AI Lab, Horizon3 Labs, located in Toronto. Accenture also has one of its six Gen AI studios in North America. The joint efforts will focus on exploring new applications to scale generative AI. This may involve utilising assets from Accenture’s AI Navigator or its proprietary “switchboard”,…

Clearwave Fiber has made significant progress building a state-of-the art, all-Fiber Internet network in Lake City, Fla, with several thousand residents in the area now able to receive the most advanced internet technology available. This expansion is part of the company’s effort to deliver Fiber Internet service to thousands of homes and businesses across the state. “We’ve now launched our services and installed many customers in Lake City, thanks to the efforts of our construction crews and the ease of working with local officials and businesses,” said Clearwave Fiber’s Southeast Region President Ashley Phillips. “We’re excited to bring superior speed…

Liquid Intelligent Technologies has announced the appointment of Lerato Dipuo Phueginia Pule as the new chief financial officer (CFO) for its South African operations, effective from 1 February 2024. Commenting on the appointment, Deon Geyser, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa, warmly welcomed Lerato to the executive team, praising her extensive industry knowledge and proven track record. “As a results-driven leader, she will be instrumental in overseeing Liquid South Africa’s financial strategy as the organisation continues to build on its vision of a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind while enhancing shareholder value,” he said. Dipuo is…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are very critical to creating wealth, employment, and economic prosperity and would play a key role in the efforts to fully restore the country’s economy. Speaking, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services in the Commission, Engr Ubale Maska, who stated this at the opening of the National SMEs/Entrepreneurship Forum for Start-ups in Emerging Technologies organised by the NCC in Abuja, observed that the transformative agenda of President Bola Tinubu is to turn around the economy through SMEs, Start-ups and other technological innovations. The Commissioner, Maska, who was represented…

Mobile banking has become increasingly popular, offering convenience and efficiency to users. Nigeria, being one of Africa’s leading economies, has witnessed a rise in the adoption of mobile banking apps. These apps have become a game-changer for millions of customers. We take a closer look at five of the most popular bank apps, and how they are revolutionizing the way we manage our finances. 1. Opay App Opay is a mobile-based platform that offers a range of financial services, including payments, transfers, loans, savings, and more. The app which was initially launched as a ride hailing platform in 2018, has…

Amazon’s streaming platform, Twitch, has announced its decision to end its operations in South Korea by February 2024, due to the considerable financial challenges posed by high operating costs and inflated network fees in the country. Twitch’s CEO, Dan Clancy, expressed the company’s inability to find a sustainable business model in Korea, citing persistent losses. He revealed that network fees in the country are ten times higher than those in most other nations, despite the company’s efforts to reduce operating costs. South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT has issued a statement acknowledging the ongoing review of network usage fees,…

Kenya’s High Court has temporarily halted the implementation of Maisha Namba, a proposed digital ID system intended to replace the unsuccessful Huduma Namba, introduced in 2005 as a permanent way of granting personal identification to Kenyan citizens. High Court Judge, John Chigiti, cited the absence of a data protection impact assessment, as the reason for the pause. The court ruling states: “The leave granted by the court operates as a stay restraining implementation or further implementation by any person of the respondents’ 1st November 2023 decision to roll out or pilot Maisha Namba, including the digital card, digital ID, unique…

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the leading infrastructure solutions provider on the continent, announced that it has secured a US$350 million long-term line of credit with the African Development Bank (AfDB). The agreement, which was signed during the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28), supports urgently needed financing for infrastructure projects to underpin sustainable development and economic growth. The collaboration is a significant milestone in a long-standing relationship, with AfDB becoming a shareholder in AFC in 2019, and the institutions co-investing in multiple transformational infrastructure projects. Most recently, both institutions joined the US, EU and governments of Angola, the…

Shanghai authorities, in a meeting with Microsoft President and Vice Chair, Brad Smith, have expressed their desire for Microsoft to play a role in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to stimulate local businesses. Shanghai’s Communist Party Secretary, Chen Jining, conveyed the message during the meeting noting the importance of Microsoft’s involvement in promoting AI technology to enhance the local business landscape in the Chinese financial hub. In addition to encouraging AI promotion, Shanghai authorities expressed openness to collaboration with Microsoft on the study and development of technology-related governance frameworks and standards. This could create an avenue for establishing guidelines and…

After gaining a foothold in Eastern Europe in 2020, SME lending business, Lidya, has decided to close its operations in Poland and the Czech Republic, as it redirects its efforts towards the Nigerian market. Co-founded by Jumia co-founder, Tunde Kehinde, the seven-year-old company has a particular focus on Lydia Collect, a loan recovery tool that initially served its in-house SME lending business but has since become a central element of Lidya’s new business direction. Lidya Collect, developed on the foundation of Nigeria’s Global Standing Instruction (GSI) technology, serves as a tool for recovering loans. The GSI is a last-resort system…