Author: Akin Naphtal

To hasten the adoption of broadband in the nation, MTN Nigeria Communications PLC on Wednesday in Lagos launched its Home Broadband service. According to Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, General Manager of Fixed Broadband at MTN Nigeria, the service was created to help the Federal Government realise its goal of having more than 70% of Americans using broadband by 2025. She stated that thanks to the service, clients now have access to improved, round-the-clock online ordering options. Ikenna-Emeka estimates that Nigeria, which has a population of over 200 million, now has a 44.3% internet penetration rate, compared to internet penetration rates of 68,…

Safaricom has appointed a new Chairperson of the board after current Chair Michael Joseph stepped down to lead the company’s Ethiopia campaign. Confirming the development, the company announced the appointment of John Ngumi to replace Joseph. Joseph remains the current Chairman of Kenya Airways, a position he has held since October 2016. He was appointed to chair the Safaricom PLC board in August 2020, having previously worked for the company as founder CEO from July 2000 to November 2010, and then again as acting CEO from July 2019 to March 2020. Joseph released a statement which reads: “I want to…

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has disclosed that it will disconnect six million mobile handsets it alleges are fake and being used on different networks in the country. The Commission said there is an influx of fake mobile handsets into the country and the more consumers reject fake handsets, the less traders will be tempted to import them. According to the regulator fake handsets lower the quality of service on communication networks, negatively impact customer experience and emit electromagnetic waves that are detrimental to health. UCC Corporate Affairs Director Fred Otunnu said the regulator made use of the country’s central…

MTN has announced that its CEO leading its Rwanda operation, Mitwa Ng’ambi, will move to the position of CEO of MTN Cameroon effective 1 September 2022. Ng’ambi will be replaced by MTN South Africa’s Chief Consumer Officer Mapula Bodibe. Based on MTN Rwanda’s half-year results for the period ended 30 June 2022, Ng’ambi is poised to leave her position on a high note. In a statement of MTN Rwanda’s half year results for the period ended 30 June 2022, the company said Ng’ambi has been with MTN Rwanda since 2019 and has led the organisation through a number of significant…

Africa-focused tech magazine, TechBerg has unveiled Zandile Keebine, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GirlCode as its Woman in Tech Wednesday (WTW). WTW, one of the most high-profile tech personality ratings is a weekly review and rating of female tech personalities in Africa. It’s a special publication based on critical analysis and facts in the tech space. Zandile Keebine is a software developer and a Business Analyst. Her tech journey began in 2013, at Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering, where she was an intern. The program ignited her passion for technology and discovered her passion for creating life-changing solutions…

As entertainment and technology continue to submerge, brands and consumer connectivity gets more progressive, deepening brand adoption and patronage. To influence customers in choosing a company’s brand, or convert a competitive customer to buy one’s brand for a loyalty switch, companies ride on the popularity of celebrities who hold a critical space in the branding of their products. Celebrities are instrumental in brand endorsements to drive the brand’s message to their fans and followers. Celebrities are seen as a popular figure who influences and control a large number of followership. Their ability to influence and connect to businesses and potential…

No doubt, technological innovation enables sophisticated product development, better market infrastructure, and the implementation of reliable techniques for control of risks which helps businesses to reach geographically distant and diversified markets. Digital innovation has significantly influenced financial institutions’ operations. The role play by tech innovations offers businesses and individuals to easily make transactions, check their account balance or even make transfers and engage in other banking operations on their phones. According to Jim Marous, a financial expert and analyst, “financial institutions must be able to deliver an easy to navigate, seamless digital platform that goes far beyond a miniaturized…

The director general of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari, has said that the agency is currently putting finishing touches to the processes and modalities that will enable it to begin mass production of Android phones for Nigerians. According to the DG, apart from the need to widen the capacity of the machines involved in the mass production of Android phones, there was also the need for the agency to finalise the legal framework for the purpose of intellectual property rights. Ari said, “Yes,it is true that in June last year, we gave a sample of our android mobile…

Crypsense Digital Group a Kenyan-based Digital Assets Capacity Building & Management Platform is among the first African-based Web 3 startups to qualify for the Draper VeChain Web 3 Accelerator Program. A 12 Week Accelerator Program delivered globally to high-growth blockchain companies. The team pitched together with some of the top 15 globally fastest growing Web 3 startups in Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, Metaverse & GameFi to a panel of expert judges from the Web 3 industry from VeChain, Draper University & Cream and was qualified for the program. Draper University a leading pre-accelerator and Incubator in Silicon Valley that fosters the…

Kenyan startup Duhqa, a B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods in FMCG, cold chain and pharmaceuticals, has closed a US$2 million seed round to scale its service offering within Kenya and East Africa. Founded in 2021 by Victor Maina, Davis Angwenyi and Dudu Moilwa, Duhqa is a B2B retail-tech platform that empowers informal African merchants to digitally source and pay for inventory, and get delivery conveniently, and access short-term financing. The startup operated in stealth mode for much of last year and joined Techstars during the accelerator’s October 2021 batch. After raising US$150,000 in pre-seed funding last year,…