Author: Akin Naphtal

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has announced that electric trains will significantly stimulate economic activities across various sectors in Tanzania. Speaking during the official launch of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) electric train between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, President Hassan emphasized the transformative potential of the new railway system. The President highlighted that the electric trains would particularly benefit industries, agriculture, livestock keeping, tourism, and trade. She expressed optimism that the industrial sector would see substantial growth across different regions due to the reliability and efficiency of the new transport system. Addressing the issue of inadequate transport infrastructure, President Hassan…

In a crucial decision earlier this year, African heads of state convened at the annual African Union summit to endorse a groundbreaking initiative: the Protocol on Digital Trade, known as the “Digital Protocol.” This protocol, approved under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), marks a significant milestone for the continent, promising to revolutionize digital trade and integrate Africa more deeply into the global digital economy. The Digital Protocol aims to foster continent-wide digital trade, empowering individual African nations and the continent to thrive in the digital future. By harmonizing rules, standards, and practices, the protocol addresses critical challenges and…

In a remarkable announcement of executive appointments, the MTN Group has named Mohammed Rufai as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Congo-Brazzaville, while Ayham Moussa will take over as Chief Operations Officer (COO) of MTN Nigeria. Rufai, a recipient of the 2017 edition of the Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards (GITTA), who currently holds the position of Chief Technical Officer at MTN Nigeria, will assume the new role on September 1. With over 24 years of experience in the ICT sector, Rufai has been with MTN since 2002. His career with MTN began in Nigeria and later took…

Vertiv, a global leader in digital infrastructure, has aimed to address the challenges of increasing demands driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and the rapidly evolving telecom and technology ecosystem in Africa. The Sales Director for Strategic Telecom Clients of Vertiv in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa EMEA, Jon Abbott while speaking to Kenyan leaders in the local, tower, and colocation sectors in Nairobi, provided valuable insights into the operational and technological transformations anticipated to reshape the communications network landscape by 2030. According to the 2023 Digital Quality of Life Index, which assesses digital well-being for 92 percent of the…

Social media giant, Meta, which operates platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, profited a 73% increase in net income for the second quarter of 2024, reaching $13.47 billion. This rise follows the company’s impressive earnings report, highlighting strong performance in its core advertising business amid ongoing investments in artificial intelligence (AI). Meta shares were up more than 7.5% in premarket trading, reflecting investor optimism after the company’s second-quarter earnings exceeded analysts’ expectations. The stock had already gained 2.5% by market close on Wednesday. The positive financial results have reassured investors after a less favorable response to the company’s previous…

OpenAI’s Chief Executive, Sam Altman has announced a collaboration with the United States Safety Institute to provide early access to its forthcoming generative AI model for safety testing. This partnership, revealed in a post on X, aims to assess and address potential risks in AI platforms. The U.S. AI Safety Institute, a federal body under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), focuses on ensuring the safe and secure development of AI technologies. OpenAI’s agreement to work with the institute follows a similar arrangement with the U.K.’s AI safety body in June. These moves appear to counter claims that…

In an age where digital infrastructure is both a lifeline and a liability, organizations are under increasing pressure to deliver seamless experiences while managing complex IT systems. The recent global outage served as a stark reminder of the fragility of these systems, highlighting the critical need for rapid and efficient incident response. In this landscape, generative AI (GenAI) and automation are emerging as powerful tools to enhance operational resilience and risk management. PagerDuty, a leader in digital operations management, is at the forefront of this transformation. The company is integrating cutting-edge GenAI capabilities into its Operations Cloud, aiming to empower…

Google has announced the selection of 10 startups for its Africa Accelerator Programme, a three-month virtual initiative aimed at empowering African startups to leverage technology in addressing some of the continent’s most pressing challenges. In a statement released by the tech multinational, it emphasized the crucial role startups play in driving economic growth and technological advancement in Africa. Despite the ongoing “funding winter” in Sub-Saharan Africa, marked by a slowdown in investment, Google highlighted the resilience and creativity of African entrepreneurs. Since its inception in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 106 startups from 17 African…

IBM Security’s report reveals that severe staffing shortages are exacerbating the financial impact of data breaches while adopting AI is helping to mitigate these costs. The report tagged “Cost of a Data Breach” highlights a significant rise in the cost of data breaches, marking the largest increase since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to IBM, the global average cost of a data breach in 2024 has surged to $4.88 million, a 10% increase from the previous year. The report underscores the impact of staffing shortages on breach costs. Organizations facing severe staffing issues reported an average breach cost of €5.28 million,…

eMedia Holdings has revealed future plans for its eVOD streaming service, following a significant viewer adoption report. Launched in August 2021, it has registered 1.13 million users, according to the company’s annual report for the 2024 financial year. While eMedia has not disclosed the number of active eVOD users, the report highlighted a 19% increase in watch time over the 2023 financial year, reaching a total of 1.3 billion minutes. Looking ahead, eMedia plans to expand its applications for smart TVs, enhancing the service’s accessibility and user experience. The eVOD platform, featuring both free and subscription-based components, was introduced to…