Author: Akin Naphtal

Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has been elected into the Nigeria Academy of Engineering (NAE). He was elected into the highest decision making body of the Academy as a result of his outstanding role in the development of engineering profession in Nigeria. The Council oversees the country’s highest professional bodies in science, technology and engineering. The Notice of the election, conveyed by Honorary Secretary of the Academy, Engr. Christy Adelowo indicated that Danbatta and other council members will serve for two years. Danbatta, a professor of telecommunications engineering with several decades of…

Ayear after Nigeria’s Access Bank Plc’s acquisition of African Banking Corporation of Botswana Limited (BancABC) Botswana, the subsidiary has registered a significant increase to its online banking customer base. According to Access Bank Botswana, there has been an increase of over 50% in usage of transactional platforms, and the volume of transactions processed through the system has more than doubled. The Bank attributes the growth to a well-orchestrated digitalisation strategy implemented during the 2021 financial year. Access Bank Botswana Managing Director Kgotso Elvis Bannalotlhe said: “A new board approved strategy was agreed by end of November – focusing on rapid…

The Cameroon Telecommunications Company (CAMTEL) has signed an agreement with the country’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to deploy broadband infrastructure and services. The agreement, signed by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Celestine Ketcha, will see newly constructed houses connected to the broadband services. Although neither the government nor the telco have divulged details of the duration of the project or costs involved, they said coverage will include Olembe (Yaounde), Banga-Bakoko (Douala) and “other towns that have not yet been connected”. In Olembe, the government is building 10, 000 houses and pinpointed 50,000 constructible plots. According to…

Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has announced Sophos X-Ops, a new cross-operational unit linking SophosLabs, Sophos SecOps and Sophos AI, three established teams of cybersecurity experts at Sophos, to help organizations better defend against constantly changing and increasingly complex cyberattacks. Sophos X-Ops leverages the predictive, real-time, real-world, and deeply researched threat intelligence from each group, which, in turn, collaborate to deliver stronger, more innovative protection, detection and response capabilities. Sophos today is also issuing “OODA: Sophos X-Ops Takes on Burgeoning SQL Server Attacks,” research about increased attacks against unpatched Microsoft SQL servers and how attackers used a fake…

With less than two weeks to the end of the mandatory SIM card registration exercise, MTN Ghana is enhancing its strategies to ensure that the millions of unregistered subscribers are registered before the 31st of July 2022 deadline. “From now to the 31st of July 2022, MTN will be sending urgent messages to customers who are not fully registered to do so before the end of the deadline or risk having their SIM cards disconnected,” a statement from the company said. MTN has also launched an internal campaign dubbed “GRAB, CHECK AND ACT (GCA)”, which is encouraging all staff, irrespective…

The new Google Wallet has begun appearing on phones in dozens of countries as the tech giant tries to reboot its mobile payments system. The Wallet, which is replacing the Google Pay app, will let users manage their payment cards, gift cards, rewards cards, as well as things such as event tickets, ID and more. It is being rolled out in 39 countries. In most, it will replace Google Pay, although the two will both be available in the US and Singapore. Google Wallet first appeared more than a decade ago but was rebranded in 2015 as Android Pay and…

In an effort to provide Nigerians with quality and stress-relieving entertainment, the customer-friendly telecommunications company, 9mobile, has launched its innovative online entertainment platform, 9TV. As part of efforts to provide Nigerians with quality and stress-relieving entertainment, the customer-friendly telecommunications company, 9mobile, has launched its innovative online entertainment platform, 9TV. 9TV is a one-stop entertainment hub where 9mobile subscribers on pre-paid and hybrid subscriptions can watch their favourite movies, TV shows, children’s entertainment, and live events on the go. Accessible on Android, and web platforms (www.9tv.com.ng), 9TV offers free to air local and international channels, video-on-demand, reality shows, and live events…

The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency, has announced plans for a formal launch of the upgraded Lagos State Resident Identity Card (LAG ID Card) for loan applicants. This was disclosed by the General Manager of LASRRA, Mrs Ibilola Kasunmu, who said the new LAG ID Card would be launched by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at Police College, Ikeja GRA. The unveiling of the card, which will take place on Wednesday (today), is expected to happen simultaneously across five divisions of the state, namely, Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe. Kasunmu said…

Nigeria’s pioneer and foremost Payment Service Bank, 9Payment Service Bank (9PSB) and SeerBit, a pan-African enterprise payment platform, have entered into a strategic partnership that will facilitate seamless access to financial services for individuals and businesses in Nigeria. 9PSB and SeerBit will co-create a seamless payment and omnichannel banking ecosystem that aggregates and simplifies transactions for banking agents, merchants, end consumers, and businesses. This partnership creates a unique opportunity to deploy a home-grown solution that sets out a roadmap for the digitisation of payments and enables the ecosystem for closing the financial exclusion gap. Speaking on the partnership, Branka Mracajac,…

Snapchat’s mobile features like snapping, chatting, and video calling are coming to desktop through a new web app. With the new Snapchat for Web, you can log in with your Snapchat account and send private messages or call friends on desktop. ‘“We are always looking for ways to meet our community where they are,” he says in an interview. “It just felt like something that was an unmet opportunity.” Nathan Boyd, Snapchat’s head of messaging product says a web offering makes sense because its users are using desktop computers more frequently. “We are always looking for ways to meet our…