Author: Akin Naphtal

Japan will start a pilot programme to test the use of a digital yen in April, joining a growing number of countries seeking to launch their own central bank digital currencies (CBDC), the Japan central bank announced recently. The long-anticipated move follows two years of experiments that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has been conducting to decide on issuing a CBDC and to move Japan closer to issuing a digital yen in the next several years. In the pilot program, the Bank will develop a system for experiments, and conduct simulated transactions with private entities in the test environment.The programme…

Ride-hailing platform Bolt has announced it has exceeded one billion rides on its platform across seven African countries, where it operates ride-hailing and delivery services. The Ride-hailing app also announced its plan to invest €500 million ($572 million) in its operations on the continent over the next two years, according to a recent announcement. The company’s investment in Africa will be used to expand services on the continent and create opportunities for over 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform in 2023. Bolt Business, the corporate travel arm, has already been launched in five African countries, providing local…

By Chris Sharp, CTO, Digital Realty Predicting the future is hard. Predicting the future of technology and data center technology is even harder. Technology – by design – evolves so rapidly, often in response to our ever-changing needs as a species. Take the global health pandemic, for example. Under normal circumstances, producing a vaccine can take anything from ten to 15 years. The development of the COVID-19 vaccine took under a year, highlighting the power of technology and innovation. 2022 was an interesting year for advancements in data center technology. Despite being a year of both recovery and rediscovery, technological…

The Digital Economy Magazine, has named Mrs. Olugbemisola Aruwayo-Obe, Country General Manager for IBM West Africa as the Digital Economy Personality of the week for Nigeria. (Feb.19th-25th)The Most sought-after Information Technology leader and vibrant visioner, Mrs Olugbemisola Aruwayo-Obe is a brilliant mind with innovative solutions that she has proposed and executed in her over 20 years cumulative industry experience.Mrs Olugbemisola experience spans across senior level executive and director position which has been value added and transformative in all her roles.As an experienced and a leading executive with standout achievement and growth, she is a leader by excellence, future oriented in…

The Digital Economy Magazine, has named Dr. Sujith Jayaprakash, Rector for BlueCrest University College Ghana as the Digital Economy Personality of the week for Ghana (Feb.19th-25th).Dr. Sujith Jayaprakash is a thought leader and a highly decorated domain expert in the field of Computer science and Information Technologies with over a decade of experience. His deep understanding of complex technology concepts, combined with his ability to articulate his ideas and insights clearly, has made him a sought-after voice in the industry. He was one of the founding fathers of the BlueCrest University College Ghana and is currently the Rector of the…

Nokia today announced the launch of AVA Customer and Mobile Network Insights, a cloud-native analytics software solution that simplifies the collection and analysis of 5G network data to provide communication service providers (CSPs) with stronger and more cost effective analytical capabilities. The solution delivers “intelligence everywhere” through AI and machine learning tools that support intelligent and automated decision making based on correlated reports generated from data across 5G networks. It leverages Nokia’s experience and leadership* in analytics that enable CSP efforts to increase operational efficiency, improve network performance, and boost customer experience. READ ALSO:The Data Center Revolution in Africa –…

With the rapid growth of digital transformation in the continent, data centers play a pivotal role in ensuring that data is safely stored and made accessible for users Africa is rapidly emerging as a major player in the global data center market, with a number of countries investing heavily in the development of data centers. This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing demand for cloud-based services, the growth of the digital economy, and the increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The data center revolution in Africa has become a crucial step towards…

While the collapse of FTX shaved $100 billion off of BTC’s market cap in just four days last year, BTC has managed to fully recover and stack on another $65 billion. A 48% Bitcoin $24,820 price surge since the start of the year has pushed BTC’s market cap past that of payment processing giant Visa once again. READ ALSO: Bolt Plans $100m Expansion in Kenya, Drivers Call for Lower Commission Fees Telecel Group acquires 70% controlling stake in Vodafone Ghana Josephine Anan-Ankomah becomes Ecobank Kenya new Managing Director With the BTC price currently at $24,365, its market cap of $470.16…

Exotel, an India-based customer engagement platform, has announced the launch of its cloud services in the UAE, aiming to provide businesses with advanced communication tools to enhance customer engagement. “UAE is a strategic market for Exotel, as the country has a rapidly growing economy and a large number of businesses. With a local infrastructure setup in place, we will be able to offer our platform to a wider range of businesses, ranging from SMEs to large Enterprises,” said Shivakumar Ganesan, co-founder and CEO, Exotel. The company has partnered with DU and Etisalat to set up local infrastructure and will provide…

The Kenyan government will launch a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) in March, according to Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, Amb. Julius Bittok. The UPI will be used to register all newborn babies and deaths that occur in the country. It will also provide a unique personal number for newborns that will be used in schools and colleges, as well as for identification, PIN numbers, the National Health Insurance Fund, and Kenya Revenue Authority. Amb. Bittok explained that the introduction of the unique identifier will bring an end to the national census exercise as the new technology will provide…