Author: Akin Naphtal

Africa’s leading Fintech Company, MFS Africa, has rebranded itself to showcase its growth and ambition in the digital payments space across the continent The company chose to rename itself after expanding quickly and buying several companies, including GTP, which gave it a larger share of the US market “It was getting harder for us to use the MFS trademark outside of Africa because it really belonged to another company in the US,” said Onafriq’s creator and CEO, Dare Okoudjou, stated. “With this new name, we can bring everyone together under one brand and identity.” The new name Onafriq reflects MFS…

The modern business model is one of agility. In the past few years, we have seen a growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) discarding traditional, hierarchical ‘top down’ infrastructures and creating flatter and more flexible structures. As reported in Mimecast’s “State of Email Security 2023 Report”, the modern work surface is dependent on collaboration tools, embracing ways to integrate communications and messaging with project management. While this culture promotes innovation, collaboration and an entrepreneurial work ethic, it easily puts strains on IT systems designed for a different age. Veeam’s Data Protection Trends 2023 Report highlighted that nearly 80%…

British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, says an agreement has been reached with like-minded governments and artificial intelligence companies, regarding the rigorous testing of new AI models before their release, to ensure safe development and deployment of AI. He revealed this during the two-day AI Safety Summit, held at Bletchley Park, UK, on Wednesday and Thursday, 1st and 2nd November. The summit addressed the risks and opportunities associated with AI technology. On Wednesday, the UK secured China’s support for an international effort to manage and mitigate the potential risks posed by AI technology. Building on this momentum, a “landmark agreement” was…

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijiani, has emphasized the critical role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive development in Nigeria. Dr. Bosun Tijiani made this known while speaking at the AI Safety Summit 2023 held at Bletchley Park in the UK, from Wednesday, 1st November, to Thursday, 2nd November. In a LinkedIn post, he stated that he was honoured to share insights at the summit, alongside other dignitaries of information and communication technology (ICT) from around the world. The Summit, which saw over 25 countries attending, including the US and China,…

Oswald Jumira, a seasoned technology executive, has been appointed as the new CEO of Liquid C2, the cloud and cyber security business unit of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a leading pan-African group to lead Liquid C2’s expansion, innovation and strategy in the fast growing and dynamic markets of Africa. Oswald Jumira has over 15 years of experience in technology and business development across numerous African countries. He has a background in fintech and digital products in various sectors such as Agriculture, Healthcare, Logistics and Education. He was previously the CEO of Vaya Technologies, another business unit of Cassava Technologies. Also, he…

In a venture facilitated by the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation (MoCD), UK-based private equity firm, Hannam Investments, has become the new private investor in AT Ghana (formerly AirtelTigo), marking a pivotal moment for the telecommunications company. A statement from the Ministry of Communication and Digitalization said, the newly formed partnership between Hannam Investments and AT Ghana is expected to enhance future communications, marketing materials, and branding initiatives. The collaboration symbolizes the beginning of a new era not only for AT Ghana but for Ghana’s entire telecommunications industry. Minister of Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, who played a key role…

Mobile Telecommunication Giant, MTN Ghana has recorded a profit of ¢2.77 billion, about 32% year-on-year growth in the third quarter (Q3) of 2023. The company’s Q3 financial performance report indicated that the growth was mainly driven by its three major services; data, voice and mobile money. MTN’s voice revenue increased by 14.5% year-on-year to ¢2.7 billion. The voice revenue it said contributed to service revenue declined from 33.4% to 28.1%. Its number decreased by a 9.3% year-on-year decrease to 25.8 million attributed to the communications regulator’s directive to SIM cards not registered with Ghana’s national identification card. In May 2023…

Ride-hailing giants, Uber and Lyft, have agreed to pay a combined sum of $328 million to settle New York Attorney General, Letitia James’, allegations that the companies systematically withheld pay and benefits from their drivers. The settlements come following a multi-year investigation into their practices. Under the agreement, Uber will pay $290 million, while Lyft pays $38 million, bringing resolution to the protracted investigation into their labour practices. The settlements include provisions to guarantee minimum hourly rates for drivers, offer paid sick leave, and provide notices and in-app chat support to address drivers’ questions regarding their earnings and working conditions.…

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Monday that it will offer a new option for its European users to enjoy its social media platforms without seeing any Ads. The EU regulations threaten to curb Meta’s ability to personalize ads for users without their consent and hurt its major revenue source. The Ad- free subscription plan, which will be available starting next month, is a response to the growing regulatory scrutiny and public backlash that Meta and other tech giants are facing over their data collection and advertising practices. Meta was fined 390 million euros earlier this…

MTN Ghana has re-registered 600,000 previously blocked SIM cards due to the National Communications Authority’s (NCA) SIM card re-registration initiative. This represents 11% of the SIMs re-registered. The total number of outstanding disconnected SIMs currently stands at 4.9 million at the end of September 2023. Adhering to the SIM re-registration directive by the NCA, MTN blocked 5.4 million SIM cards that lacked registration with the Ghana card as of May 31, 2023. But it was able to re-register about one-eleventh at the end of September 2023 This consequently decreased its subscriber base by 9.3% to 25.8 million. The telecommunications giant…