Author: Akin Naphtal

As part of an effort to ensure the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission is set to license Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). The telecom regulator, NCC stated MVNOs licensing will help generate employment and bridge the gap between the unserved and the underserved in society. It will also further engender competition and provide choices for telecommunication consumers, the commission noted. MVNO is a telecommunications product and service operator that leverages the capacity of a fully Licenced Telecommunications Service provider or Mobile Network Operator (MNO). The MVNO reaches a “Wholesale Agreement” or…

Digital Realty, the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, today announced the successful completion of its previously announced agreement to acquire a majority interest in Teraco, a leading carrier-neutral data center and interconnection services provider in South Africa, from a consortium of investors, including Berkshire Partners and Permira, in a transaction valuing Teraco at approximately $3.5 billion. The acquisition of Teraco adds South Africa to Digital Realty’s three existing markets on the continent, including Kenya, Mozambique, and Nigeria. The strategic importance of these four markets has been enhanced by the recent and ongoing…

Amazon’s cash-cow cloud division AWS has launched a new service designed to help companies deploy their own private 5G networks — eventually, at least. AWS first announced AWS Private 5G in early preview late last year, but it’s now officially available to AWS customers starting in its U.S. East (Ohio), U.S. East (N. Virginia), and U.S. West (Oregon) regions, with plans to roll it out internationally “in the near future.” But — and this is a big “but” — despite its name, AWS Private 5G currently only supports 4G LTE With AWS Private 5G, companies order the hardware (a radio…

Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, and Chase, the largest co-brand card issuer in the U.S., today launched the new Instacart Mastercard credit card, with Mastercard as the exclusive payments network. With this first-ever credit card from Instacart, cardmembers can earn unlimited cash back with a range of redemption options, along with additional rewards and benefits. The new Instacart Mastercard from Chase, a World Elite Mastercard, offers cardmembers: Accelerated earning opportunities on groceries and everyday purchases 5% cash back on Instacart purchases made at more than 800 national, regional, and local retail brands from more than 70,000…

Nigerian fintech startup TeamApt has completed a major round of financing that has seen it bring on board one of the world’s largest fintech specialists – QED Investors. Launched in 2015, TeamApt was formed to solve inefficiencies in Nigeria’s growing digital financial services market, and has a variety of products. The startup counts 100 per cent of the country’s commercial banks amongst its customers and in 2019 secured a switching licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as a US$5.5 million Series A funding round. The startup raised a multi-million US dollar Series B funding round last…

Global provider of solutions for trade facilitation Webb Fontaine and the Niger Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with its partners, have launched the Niger National Single Window (NNSW) platform to bolster foreign trade. The initiative was launched by Yayé Djibo, representing the office of the President of the Republic of Niger, Colonel Diori Hamani from the General Directorate of Customs and Ousmane Mahaman, Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Niger (CCIN). The platform is powered by Webb Fontaine’s technology and is designed to facilitate a cashless and paperless trade ecosystem “reducing the time and cost…

Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Hon Ama Pomaa Boateng has opened the training of this year’s Girls in ICT for SHS on Cyber Security and Data Privacy targeted at 100,000 girls. The beneficiary regions are Northern, Bono East, Bono, Ahafo, Volta and Oti for the first phase of the program. The program is organised by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE); Ghana Education Service (GES) and Huawei Technologies, Ghana. Speaking at the St Mary Girls Vocational Institute – a TVET school in the Northern region, Ms Ama Pomaa Boateng…

Following two years of negotiation, multinational wireless communications engineering company SkyMax Network Limited (SkyMax) and Ericsson have entered into an MoU to build a next-generation 5G broadband network, inclusive of a digital services delivery platform, across Sub-Saharan Africa. Under the MoU, Ericsson will be SkyMax’s trusted partner for network supply, rollout, and optimisation and for managed services. SkyMax will also be able to tap Ericsson’s technologies and global deployment experience in network design, network management and market development. Ericsson will explore partnership opportunities in end-to-end business and technology solutions including Radio Access and Mobile Transport network solutions, core network and…

Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has said the implementation of the digital postcode system will begin before the end of this year. Mr Franklin Alao, director, Corporate Communications, NIPOST, who revealed this in a statement on Wednesday said the implementation will boost the country’s revenue generation and tackle insecurity. He said plans are in top gear, towards achieving a perfect digital postcode system in Nigeria, and that the agency will not rest until Nigerians are positively impacted by the initiative. Dr Ismail Adewusi, postmaster general of the federation/CEO of NIPOST, had earlier said digitalised postcode system would speed up economic activities…

Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, has signed a $125m revolving credit facility with Citi through its branch offices and subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa. Airtel Africa, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, said the facility is in line with its strategy to raise debt in its local operating companies and will include both local currency and US dollar-denominated debt. “The facility has a tenor up to September 2024 and will be used to support Airtel Africa’s operations and investments in four of its subsidiaries,” it said in a statement filed with the Nigerian…