Author: Akin Naphtal

The Communications and Digital Economy sector in Nigeria has witnessed transformations under the new Government Administration. From the ministry to the various agencies, there has been a complete revamp in leadership. Among the fresh faces taking charge is Tola Odeyemi, a seasoned Public Policy Professional, who now assumes the role of CEO at Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), succeeding Sunday Adepoju. Odeyemi, who initially planned to be a medical doctor had her first degree from Morgan State University, Baltimore, USA and her second degree from George Washington University, Washington DC, USA. Tola Odeyemi ventured into policy when she joined the Central…

Estonian ride-hailing company, Bolt, has been dealt a blow as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has refused to renew its operating license in Kenya. The decision, which comes shortly before the expiration of Bolt’s current license, is a setback for the company’s plans to expand in the Kenyan market. Bolt had requested the renewal of its license, but the NTSA declined due to complaints from drivers and their representatives about alleged breaches of regulations by the ride-hailing giant. The NTSA has asked Bolt to provide a plan of action to address the issues before considering the license renewal.…

Egyptian Insurtech company Amenli, has successfully closed a $1 million equity funding round led by Alter Global, with participation from Digital Venture Partners (DVP), the corporate venture capital arm of Qatar Insurance Corporation (QIC). The funding will be used to expand Amenli’s team, enhance its product offerings, and strengthen its brand. Amenli, founded in 2020 by Adham Nauman, Omar Ezz El Din, and Shady ElTohfa, provides tailored insurance plans for individuals, families, and SMEs. The company aims to revolutionise Egypt’s underpenetrated insurance market, which currently stands at less than 1%. Amenli plans to introduce new products, target new customer segments,…

Vodafone has announced plans to fast-track the development of new platforms for Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) using the Arm® architecture to meet growing customer demand for faster, greener mobile connectivity. This next generation of platforms featuring high-performance Arm-based processors are optimised for use in Open RAN base stations and will be developed with enough compute power to support customer demand for advanced 5G services requiring greater capacity. Based on Open RAN principles, the processors are using industry standard servers while also delivering significant advances in energy efficiency. Open RAN’s software-driven networks broaden the vendor supply chain and encourage…

Vodafone and Nokia have announced the decision to strengthen their partnership with plans to run a commercial 5G Open Radio Access Network (RAN) pilot in Italy for the first time. Bringing together Nokia, one of the world’s largest RAN providers, and Vodafone’s unrivalled pan-European network, will provide a platform for more independent software providers, start-ups, and local companies to enter the fray using open APIs. This will encourage competition and innovation, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and giving it greater digital autonomy underpinned by a more resilient supply chain. Covering a cluster of sites in northern Italy, the pilot will involve Nokia…

Telecel Group, the majority shareholder of Vodafone Ghana, has successfully expanded the operator’s network infrastructure by adding 300 new 4G sites across various regions in the country. “This achievement has been accomplished in record time and stands as a direct testament to Telecel’s unwavering commitment to providing enhanced connectivity and outstanding services to Ghanaians,” the company said in a press release issued on Monday, 9th October, adding that it is fully committed to “substantially improving the quality of the network it has acquired”. Malek Atrissi, Chief Operating Officer at Telecel Group, stated “his accomplishment is not a one-off event but…

Nigeria’s Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has been placed under the reins of a new managing director/CEO in the form of Jane Egerton-Idehen, an exemplary figure who has repeatedly proven herself as an accomplished and dynamic leader in various sectors of the technology and telecommunications. While the above paragraph has sung a few of her praises, some may ask, who exactly is Jane Egerton-Idehen, and why does she deserve to be CEO of NIGCOMSAT? Jane Egerton-Idehen was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Her zeal to learn and excel took her through the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) from 1988 to…

The U.K. care home sector has been shrinking in capacity in recent times, a happening that has been considered a growing problem due to the steady rise of the average age of the general population. Despite the home sector market being estimated at £7.7 billion market in 2021, a lack of transparency over pricing and service availability, has created a challenge for families seeking to acquire the most suitable care home for their elderly loved ones. Lottie seeks to address the problem with an online marketplace that helps those seeking such care find the best care homes and services for…

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital economy, Bosun Tijiani, says the ministry has created a unique model to help implement its goal of training 3 million technical talents over the next four years. Speaking during the Moonshot conference hosted by TechCabal on Wednesday, 11th October, Tijani said the model was contained in its 31-page policy document. Tijiani revealed that the ministry was “using a 1-10-100-model”, and was “starting with 1% of our 3 million target and that will be for the first three months. And that 1% is going to be 30,000 people. So, starting this Friday, you will…

Pan African cloud and digital service provider, Inq.Digital Nigeria has chosen Ifeanyi Akosionu as managing director, in an appointment which took effect on Tuesday, 3rd October 2023. inq. Digital made the appointment known in a statement, adding that “with over 20 years of transformative leadership experience in the African technology and telecommunications sectors, Ifeanyi brings a wealth of expertise to his new role.” Executive Chairman of inq.Digital, Andile Ngcaba, also added that the company was “pleased that Ifeanyi Akosionu is joining inq.Digital Nigeria as managing director. He is an experienced technology and sales leader who has achieved remarkable results throughout…