Author: Akin Naphtal

Nigeria’s Minister for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has announced the government’s official launch of its Startup Engagement Portal, marking a crucial step in implementing the Startup Act that was signed into law thirteen months ago. The Startup Engagement Portal serves as the gateway to the benefits and opportunities outlined in the Nigerian Startup Act. Positioned as a one-stop shop for startups, the portal streamlines paperwork and registration processes with key agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria. One of the portal’s notable features is its…

The Chinese technology company Huawei launched the “Seeds for the Future” program recently in Botswana, aiming to cultivate local information and communications technology (ICT) talent and young leaders for the future and promote the development of digital communities. About 25 undergraduate students from four universities in Botswana will participate virtually in the program from Nov. 21 to 27. During the event, the students will gain rich experiences, including technical lectures, leadership workshops, Chinese cultural experiences and communication with peers from around the world, said David Zhang, managing director of Huawei Technologies Botswana, who officially inaugurated the ceremony in Botswana’s capital…

Vodafone, Ericsson, and Qualcomm Technologies have successfully tested a new radio and chipset technology that will enable customers to connect many more low-cost, energy-efficient devices to fast 5G networks. The technology, called RAN Reduced Capability (RedCap), is a new software enhancement that optimizes the network for low-powered devices like smart watches, credit card readers and portable routers, without draining their battery life. The companies demonstrated the technology in a European first test in September in the Spanish city of Ciudad Real, using Vodafone’s live, multi-vendor testing 5G network named ‘CREATE’ (Ciudad Real España Advanced Testing Environment). The test used Qualcomm’s…

General Motors’ (GM) self-driving unit, Cruise, is preparing to relaunch its robotaxi services, aiming to rebuild trust and demonstrate performance, after California authorities prohibited Cruise’s self-driving vehicles from public roads following a collision in October. Last week, Cruise temporarily halted all supervised and manual car trips in the US, coupled with an expanded safety review of its robotaxis. There was also a shake-up within the company, leading to CEO, Kyle Vogt, and Chief Product Officer, Daniel Kan, resigning. Though facing setbacks in a sector reliant on public trust and regulatory cooperation, Cruise had earlier outlined plans to expand its fully…

In this interview, Mudiaga Umukoro (MU), Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of Qore (Africa’s leading Banking-as-a-Service platform provider), discusses Fintech Growth, Digital Banking in Africa, and the groundbreaking initiatives driving Cloud-Native Solutions. Q: How will you describe the growth of Fintech companies and their impact on Nigeria especially as digital transformation continues to drive growth for the ecosystem? Fintech companies have made substantial contributions to Nigeria’s economy. Not only have they enhanced and streamlined operations in the extremely sensitive FSI sector, but they have also introduced numerous innovations that optimize the process of capital and funding for the production and…

Seacom, Africa’s converged ICT services provider, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lucas Malamule Ndala as new Group Chief Financial Officer (GCFO). Ndala’s appointment as GCFO marks a pivotal moment in Seacom’s ongoing journey of growth and innovation. Lucas Malamule Ndala is replacing Richard Schumacher, who previously held the role. With a career spanning over two decades, Ndala brings a wealth of financial expertise and industry insight to the organisation. He has a remarkable track record, having served in various executive roles within the Telkom Group, including CFO, COO, Group Executive for the GCEO Support Office, and board member…

In a world grappling with a perceived global shortage of tech skills and a burgeoning demand for flexible tech contractors, a ground-breaking solution has been launched. Introducing One Degree, the disruptive digital hiring platform that is set to reshape the way businesses connect with skilled tech contractors. Engineered with the modern gig economy, remote work, and radical flexibility trends in mind, One Degree seeks to revolutionise the recruitment process, facilitating seamless connections between businesses and high-quality independent tech contractors. “Today’s fast-paced global IT job market has added tremendous pressure on organisations to quickly and cost-effectively source the right talent. Traditional…

NTU Singapore and Mastercard have launched a new FlexiMasters programme, the NTU-Mastercard FlexiMasters in Cybersecurity & Digital Trust, to strengthen expertise in combating the growing threat of cybercrime. This marks the first milestone of the Mastercard-NTU Joint Lab, an industry-university partnership announced in December last year, aimed at strengthening and growing the cybersecurity ecosystem in the Asia Pacific region. The FlexiMasters programme is tailored specifically for mid-career professionals, allowing them to pursue their educational goals on a part-time basis and tailor their studies around existing work or family commitments. It is the first part-time FlexiMasters programme in cybersecurity within NTU’s…

The Global smartphone market returned to growth in October after more than two years of slump, helped by a recovery in the emerging markets, according to data from Counterpoint Research. The data showed that global monthly smartphone sell-through volumes grew 5%, making October the first month to record year-on-year growth since June 2021, breaking the streak of 27 consecutive months of negative year-on-year growth. The global smartphone sales have been under stress for last two years affected by various issues starting with component shortages, inventory build-up and lengthening of replacement cycles, Counterpoint said in its report. “Following strong growth in…

Crezco, a UK fintech company using open banking to make B2B invoice and bill payments as convenient as B2C card payments, has achieved several major business milestones through securing funding and integrating its technology into global small business platform Xero. Crezco has secured $12m in Series A funding from MMC Ventures and fintech-focused 13books capital to enable further growth. Additionally, its recent agreement with Xero has resulted in the technology partnership being integrated into its bill payment feature which will be launched to UK small businesses at the end of the month. Underpinned by Crezco’s account-to-account payments API, Xero will…