Author: Akin Naphtal

Microsoft and AI firm, G42, have announced a digital investment initiative in Kenya, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, as part of a broader partnership with various stakeholders, including an initial investment of $1 billion spearheaded by G42. A centrepiece of this initiative is the construction of a state-of-the-art green data centre by G42 and its partners. This facility, designed to run on Microsoft Azure, will establish a new East Africa Cloud Region. The project is set to enhance the digital infrastructure across East Africa and support a range of cloud services. The initiative…

Smart Africa has signed a partnership agreement with GITEX Africa to organise several high-profile events, including the 2nd Ministerial Peer Exchange, the 3rd meeting of the Council of African ICT Agencies (CAITA), and the inaugural Africa Digital Health Leadership Forum. These events will take place from 29th to 31st May, 2024, in Marrakesh, Morocco, at GITEX Africa, the continent’s largest tech and startup event. The partnership covers venue provision, participant invitations, and event visibility. The Africa Digital Health Leadership Forum, set for 31st May, will unite leaders from the health and ICT sectors, including entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers. The forum…

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a three-day capacity-building workshop on data generation, analytics, and storage to enhance the service’s capabilities in modern customs operations through improved data handling.During the launch, which took place on Monday, 13th May, at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC) in Gwagwalada, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Malanta Yusuf, representing the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, highlighted the crucial role of data in strategic planning and operational efficiency.He stressed that effective decision-making is heavily dependent on robust data generation and analytics. “Historical data is essential for organisations like Customs, responsible for border…

The Digital Economy Magazine has named Kenya’s Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, John Kipchumba Tanui, MBS, as its Personality of the Week. An alumnus of the University of Nairobi, where he attained an MBA in International Business, and Moi University, where he earned a B. Tech in Electrical and Communication Engineering, Eng. John Tanui has proven himself keen on leveraging innovative technologies to solve the most pressing challenges facing Africa’s economies. Eng. John Tanui holds over 24 years of experience in the technology sector globally, beginning his career as a trainee engineer at Pegrume in 1998. That same…

Japanese multinational technology company, Konica Minolta, has been recognised as a Market Leader in market research firm, Quocirca’s latest assessment of the Cloud Print Services Landscape for 2024, published on 16th May, 2024. Quocirca’s research indicated a 14% increase in organisations using cloud print management solutions, with adoption rates climbing from 55% in 2023 to 69% in 2024. The trend is expected to continue, with 26% of respondents planning to adopt cloud print management solutions in the near future. Despite this growth, security has remained the top barrier to adoption, with 32% of respondents citing the protection of corporate data…

Digital Realty, the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data centre, colocation, and interconnection solutions, has announced that its innovative liquid-to-chip cooling technology is currently available for use. This innovation marks a major advancement in managing high-density workloads, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) and data-intensive applications. Digital Realty’s new offering builds upon the company’s standardised high-density colocation services by introducing direct liquid cooling (DLC), which brings liquid directly to customers’ infrastructure. This enhancement allows businesses to deploy high-density configurations within a shared environment, close to cloud, network, and AI service providers, while accommodating individual setup needs for greater flexibility.…

President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has lauded Ghana’s strides in e-government infrastructure, particularly in the realms of fintech and financial inclusion, placing Ghana among African countries leveraging technology to reshape public service delivery and expand financial access. Addressing attendees at the 3i Africa summit in Accra, which was held from 13th to 15th May, President Akuffo-Addo stated that 17 million Ghanaians now possess a digital ID linking them seamlessly to the critical services they need to thrive in the modern world. This has made it possible for the Ghana.gov portal to facilitate “transactions worth some GH¢1.6 billion since…

Innovative technology organisation, Next Step Foundation, has partnered with Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust (AT4D) to leverage technology to support individuals with disabilities in the global south. The collaboration will see both companies addressing issues such as data accessibility and quality, capacity building, skills gap, and the ethical and social implications of AI. Speaking at the launch event held Tuesday, 14th May, Philip Thigo, a distinguished member of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on AI, stressed the potential of AI in advancing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thigo commended the efforts of local startups in combating inequality, particularly…

Kenya’s Safaricom PLC has announced earnings of $1 billion before interest and tax for the period ending 31 March 2024, marking Safaricom as the first company in the region to surpass the billion-dollar mark. The telecommunications giant reported group-level earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $724 million, exhibiting a 3.5 percent year-on-year growth, despite factoring in startup costs and investments in Safaricom Ethiopia. Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa expressed satisfaction with the achievement, stating, “we are extremely pleased with what we have been able to achieve as a group despite the significant startup costs in our Ethiopia business. We expect…

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digitisation, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has announced the launch of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) dedicated to extending Nigeria’s fibre optic infrastructure by an additional 90,000 kilometres. “We have secured approvals for projects that will significantly benefit Nigerians, particularly our burgeoning digital startup ecosystem,” stated Dr. Tijanin in a LinkedIn post following a Federal Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday, 14th May. Dr Tijani emphasized that extensive groundwork has been laid for the establishment of the SPV, which will operate under a governance and operational model inspired by successful Public-Private Partnership setups in Nigeria. He…