Author: Akin Naphtal

Egyptian fintech startup Lucky has secured final approval from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to launch the “Lucky One” card for all its customers. Founded in 2018 by Momtaz Moussa and Ayman Essawy, Lucky offers users access to a growing range of easy-to-use credit products, discounts, and cashback rewards, which can be used in person and virtually with over 20,000 local and global brands. The startup has grown rapidly since inception, and now has the largest merchant network in Egypt as well as over eight million registered users. It has seen 250 per cent year-on-year growth in gross merchandise…

Nigerian HealthTech startup HealthTracka has raised US$1.5 million in funding to expand into Kenya and Ghana in the coming months. Founded in May 2021, Healthtracka started with a B2C focus, where users book their lab tests on the website, have their samples collected at home and get digital results, with the cost of tests also covering a doctor’s review of results. Since then, its services have been extended to B2B2C, by offering API infrastructure for tele-health service providers, hospitals, and pharmacies, empowering them to provide at-home blood testing for their patients. The startup’s US$1.5 million funding round comes from Ingressive…

MTN Ghana will suspend pilot testing of its 5G piloting in Ghana this year to a later date. At a conference last year, MTN Ghana CEO Selorm Adadevoh announced plans for the company to pilot 5G in Ghana before the end of 2022. According to a report from a virtual Stakeholder and Media Forum, the MTN Ghana CEO stated that 5G piloting will no longer be feasible because the industry is not ready to roll out 5G licenses this year. He declined to give a future date for when 5G would be rolled out. The company announced plans for its…

Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Umar Danbatta, on Thursday, disclosed that the launching of the fifth-generation technology (5G) would take place in August this year. Mr Danbatta made this known to reporters at the 90th edition of Telecom Consumer Parliament hosted by the Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Commission in Lagos. “The Commission has set out the regulatory instruments needed for fast deployment of the new versatile technology for the benefit of the consumers and the stakeholders,” said Mr Dambatta. The NCC boss further urged all stakeholders to support the 5G project in Nigeria to ensure…

The Management of the Nigerian Communications Commission has appointed Reuben Muoka, an innovative journalist and consummate public relations practitioner, as its new Director of Public Affairs (DPA). Reuben Muoka takes over from Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, who has assumed duties as the Director of Special Duties Department of the Commission. The new NCC’s spokesman was recently promoted a substantive director, alongside Ismail Adedigba, now Director of Research and Development (R&D); and Gwa-Tobi Mohammed, who has also assumed duties as Director/Secretary to the Board of the Commission. Muoka was in 2021, appointed to head the Special Duties Department, which superintends the International…

Industry collaboration is very essential to a successful deployment of 5G Services in Nigeria, so says the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who in Lagos earlier today, urged industry stakeholders to stand with the Commission to explore the prospects and potentials of the new technology, which is enormous. Prof. Danbatta, who spoke at the 90th Edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP) hosted by the Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Commission, said the policy framework for the deployment has come into place and will facilitate deployment of services by the recent…

The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has said that building an advanced mechanism for a secured cyberspace, is one of the government top priority in order to provide enabling environment for the socio-economic growth of the country. Prof. Pantami who was represented by the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, stated this at the Cyber Secure Conference 2022 organised by Nigeria Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria, (CSEAN) with the theme: Cyber Security an Imperative for Tackling Security Challenges in Nigeria. He noted that Computer is gradually integrating…

In furtherance to transforming the country into a knowledge-based and IT-driven economy in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is introducing the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support Scheme (TIES) to provide opportunity and build capacity of both Hub Managers and Technology startups to ensure massive creation of entrepreneurs and jobs within the ecosystem. The Director-General NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, explained the purpose of during a webinar session with stakeholders and members of the TIES Scheme, noting that the idea was conceptualised during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist industry partners…

[Essen, Germany, June 20, 2022] currently, Huawei’s new-generation APM5950 cabinet won the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2022, a prestigious industrial design award, in the award ceremony for the Red Dot Design Award in Essen, Germany. The cabinet was chosen for its simplified design and innovative intelligent linkage between site and base station equipment. This award represents the industry’s recognition of APM5950’s industrial design and engineering capability and Huawei products’ industry-leading advantages. Simplified design: The APM5950 cabinet is simplified in appearance, installation, and maintenance, which makes it a perfect combination of function and industrial designs. Its high-efficiency modules can increase…

Kenyan insurtech startup mTek has secured US$3 million in funding from the Mauritius-based Finclusion Group to help it expand across the East Africa region. Launched in 2020, mTek is a digital platform that provides an entirely paperless ecosystem for the insurance industry, and allows customers to purchase insurance directly from the insurer, compare insurance policies and file claims through their smart devices. The startup has now secured investment from Africa-focused fintech platform Finclusion Group, to date totaling US$3 million, through both debt and equity. The funding will be used to accelerate mTek’s growth in the Kenyan marketplace through continual improvements…