Author: Akin Naphtal

Cameroon’s state-run telecoms operator, CAMTEL, has approved a $5.2 million (326 billion Francs) budget for 2025, alongside a three-year strategic plan to achieve stable growth and consolidate its market position. Mohamadou Saoudi, Chairman of the Board, stated that the budget reflects CAMTEL’s commitment to modernizing its infrastructure, improving service quality, and enhancing its competitive standing. “This budget reflects CAMTEL’s ambition to modernize its infrastructure, improve the quality of its service, and consolidate its position in the market,” said Saoudi. The newly adopted 2025-2027 performance plan focuses on diversifying services, optimizing management, and promoting transparency and good governance. Saoudi emphasized the…

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced groundbreaking products, signaling the company’s continued leadership in AI and gaming technology. The highlights included AI models for robotics, new gaming chips, and Nvidia’s first desktop computer. Nvidia’s Cosmos foundation models were a standout innovation, designed to generate photorealistic videos to train robots and self-driving cars. These “synthetic” training datasets significantly lower costs than traditional methods, such as collecting real-world video footage or manually teaching robots. Huang emphasized Cosmos’ transformative potential:”We really hope Cosmos will do for the world of robotics and industrial AI what Llama 3 has done for enterprise AI.” Available under an…

Mauritania is advancing its national digital transformation strategy with the launch of its electronic visa (e-visa) system, announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad. Starting from January 5, all passengers requiring a visa to enter Mauritania must obtain their electronic visa before boarding their flight. Applications are to be submitted via the official website of the National Agency for the Population Register and Secure Titles (ANRPTS). The new policy applies to nationals of all countries except those with which Mauritania has reciprocal visa-waiver agreements. There are 18 such countries, including ten African nations: Morocco, Algeria,…

The Kenyan Communications Authority (CA) is intensifying efforts to enhance the country’s ICT sector by inviting public input on three critical regulatory initiatives designed to drive growth and innovation. One of the key initiatives involves a comprehensive review of the telecommunications market structure. This review aims to reassess the decade-old technology-neutral Unified Licensing Framework (ULF). The objective is to address and eliminate market entry and operational barriers, clarify the scope of existing licenses, and propose new licensing areas aligned with current ICT policies. Public input is being sought to strengthen the review process, adhering to the constitutional requirement for public…

MTN Group Limited has announced the sale of its Guinea-Conakry operations to Guinea. This move aligns with the telco’s Ambition 2025 strategy to optimize and simplify its portfolio, focusing on markets where it can drive significant growth and returns. The announcement, made by MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, marks the second major divestment by Africa’s largest mobile operator this year. In August 2024, MTN completed the sale of its Guinea-Bissau subsidiary to Telecel Group Mobile Limited. “This milestone marks a new phase for MTN Guinea-Conakry under local ownership,” said Mupita. “We thank the staff, customers, regulators, and broader…

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has identified 2025 as a “critical” year for the tech giant, with the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini set to take centre stage. Pichai emphasized the importance of accelerating progress during a strategy meeting, as reported by CNBC. “We need to internalize the urgency of this moment and move faster as a company. The stakes are high,” Pichai told employees, according to an audio recording obtained by the outlet. The meeting, where executives donned holiday sweaters, outlined Google’s priorities for the coming year. Pichai acknowledged the company’s challenges in the competitive AI space, noting that…

Algeria is intensifying efforts to fast-track its digital transformation. The government has unveiled an ambitious plan to implement over 500 digitalization projects between 2025 and 2026. Meriem Benmouloud, the High Commissioner for Digitalization, announced during the Government-Walis meeting at the Palais des Nations in Algiers. The initiatives, which are a core part of the “Algeria Digital 2030” strategy, aim to modernize public services, with 75% of the projects focused on improving transparency and simplifying administrative processes. Benmouloud emphasized that the digital transition is critical to positioning Algeria as a global leader in digital innovation. “Algeria is experiencing a clear transition…

Bamboo, a Nigerian investment platform, has become the first financial technology company in the country to secure a U.S. broker-dealer license. The certification, obtained through its affiliate, Bamboo Securities L.L.C., is a significant milestone for the company and the broader African fintech ecosystem. The license grants Bamboo the authority to partner directly with African brokers and financial institutions, creating a streamlined pathway for African investors to access U.S. stock markets. This development enables seamless integration for various companies with Bamboo’s platform, allowing their clients to trade U.S. stocks effortlessly through existing service providers. This move addresses a critical gap in…

IHS Towers has announced the completion of an agreement to sell its 70% stake in IHS Kuwait Limited to Zain Group, Kuwait’s leading mobile network operator. The transaction includes approximately 1,675 sites and an additional 700 managed sites in Kuwait. Valued at an enterprise worth $230 million, the deal represents a transaction multiple of 14.2x based on the estimated Adjusted EBITDA for IHS Kuwait after leases. This valuation significantly exceeds IHS Towers’ current group valuation multiple. Pending regulatory and government approvals, the sale is expected to close in the first half of 2025. ALSO READ: PALO ALTO NETWORKS SECURES TOP…

Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader, today announced it has received Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) High Authorization across its industry-leading network, cloud and security operations (SOC) platforms. Palo Alto Networks now has the most comprehensive suite of AI-powered cybersecurity solutions authorized for use in federal networks at the High-impact level. Palo Alto Networks platformization approach empowers organizations by seamlessly integrating diverse security solutions into unified platforms across network, cloud, and security operations. By harnessing the power of automation and AI, this holistic approach offers customers both operational efficiencies and protection against cyberthreats. Leveraging advanced technologies to…