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Adebola Makinde

Kenya to host the 10th edition of Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in 2023

Digital Inclusion

Kenya to host the 10th edition of Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in 2023

Mali and Chad, Ethiopia and Sudan, and countries virtually across Africa have witnessed internet censorship by the government. In Nigeria, following a series of sanctions on the use of social media as well as triggers from the 2020 #endSARS protest that culminated in the Twitter ban, questions are being raised

GITEX 2022: NITDA seeks international collaboration for local startups

Amazon Web Services

GITEX 2022: NITDA seeks international collaboration for local startups

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has made critical efforts to partner with foreign-based startups and enable international investments to achieve digital innovations in Nigeria. At the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2022, the Director General of NITDA, Mr. Inuwa Kashifu Abudullahi in a discussion with the Amazon Web

Yego Mobility launches to compete with other ride-hailing startups in Kenya

Yego Mobility launches to compete with other ride-hailing startups in Kenya

Mobility company, Yego Global has launched its taxi-hailing subsidiary, Yego Mobility Kenya Limited in Kenya and is set to charge drivers 12% commission, the lowest after Little. This development comes at a time when drivers of competing companies: Uber Kenya; Bolt, formerly Taxify; Little Kenya, and a host of others

Pan-African digital rights agency, Paradigm Initiative files lawsuit against NITDA

Pan-African digital rights agency, Paradigm Initiative files lawsuit against NITDA

Paradigm Initiative (PIN), an agency connecting youths to digital opportunities as well as preserving digital rights, has petitioned the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in court. This is following a series of back-and-forth by PIN to ensure the updated code endorsed by the IT agency is re-evaluated. NITDA, in

Nigerian proptech, SmallSmall raises $3 million seed round to expand across the country

Nigerian proptech, SmallSmall raises $3 million seed round to expand across the country

Founded in 2018 by Tunde Balogun, Naomi Olaghere, and Pidah Tnadah, SmallSmall, formerly called RentSmallSmall, was established to enable monthly payments for renters. This started as a result of the disappointment of the CEO, Balogun, having arrived from the UK to Nigeria where he was unable to find Landlords that

Safaricom deploys 5G commercial launch in Kenya, debuts network in East Africa

Safaricom deploys 5G commercial launch in Kenya, debuts network in East Africa

Largest telecommunications provider in Kenya, Safaricom, has rolled out its 5G Wi-Fi network in the country making it the first in the East African region. This comes after its announcement in March 2021 where it stated it has activated its service in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii and Kakamega. According to the

Nigeria's Central Bank to redesign Naira notes: What else is the CBN doing right?

Central Bank of Nigeria

Nigeria's Central Bank to redesign Naira notes: What else is the CBN doing right?

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has announced the plan of the apex bank to redesign Naira notes. Currencies such as N200, N500 and N1000 are expected to cease from circulation by December 15, 2022, while they would no longer be a legal tender by January 31,

Nigeria’s apex bank, CBN records N8 billion in eNaira transactions

Central Bank of Nigeria

Nigeria’s apex bank, CBN records N8 billion in eNaira transactions

In an effort to achieve a cashless economy, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), eNaira, was launched by the President, Mohammadu Buhari in October 2021. A year after its launch, the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced at the ‘eNaira 1-year anniversary’ event in Lagos on Tuesday that it has recorded

Binance partners with Utiva, target students across over 19 African countries

Binance partners with Utiva, target students across over 19 African countries

Largest cryptocurrency exchange platform, Binance, through its philanthropic arm, Binance Charity has partnered with edtech startup, Utiva to skill up 50,000 youths in technology. As part of its offering, it will also provide scholarships for 1000 Africans and enable a one-year intensive skill training program. The program aims at

Uneven concentration of Startups: Inside Lagos State Government plan to launch Venture Capital Fund

Uneven concentration of Startups: Inside Lagos State Government plan to launch Venture Capital Fund

Merely checking for what Silicon Valley means, the first result that might pop up is a Wikipedia page that tells you: “Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global centre for high technology and innovation.” It is common to read that capital cities of African

Flourish Ventures launches Madica, aims at investing $6 million in African pre-seed startups

Flourish Ventures

Flourish Ventures launches Madica, aims at investing $6 million in African pre-seed startups

Global Venture Capital Firm, Flourish Ventures has set up an investment program Madica to serve mission-driven and under-represented African pre-seed startup founders. The recently launched sector-agnostic program scheduled for a 3-year frame will back 25-30 African entrepreneurs and invest $200, 000 capital in each tech startup while providing mentorship and

Reasons The NCC Ordered 10% Reversal of Telcos Tariff Hike

Reasons The NCC Ordered 10% Reversal of Telcos Tariff Hike

Following the complaints of subscribers, the Nigerian Communications Communications (NCC) in a statement rejected the 10% tariff hike in the prices of voice calls and data services of telecom operators in the country. Although, the move by these operators was in line with the mandate of the commission as provided

NCC Issues Additional 5G Spectrum Licences at $273.6 Billion Each

NCC Issues Additional 5G Spectrum Licences at $273.6 Billion Each

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed its plan to auction two more fifth generation (5G) network licences at $273.6 billion each. This comes after its first issue of 5G network licences to winning bidders — MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications Limited in December 2021. The offer includes remaining lots

NITDA Partners with Edtech Platform, Coursera, Enables Digital Skill Acquisition for Nigerians

NITDA Partners with Edtech Platform, Coursera, Enables Digital Skill Acquisition for Nigerians

In a press statement, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami has launched a digital skill acquisition programme in partnership with the edtech platform, Coursera. This announcement comes immediately after the inception of Nigeria’s Startup Bill, catalyzing the tech ecosystem. The programme under the auspices of the

Nigerian Vehicle Financing Company, Moove Raises £15 Million, Aims at Reducing Carbon Emissions in the UK

Electric Vehicle

Nigerian Vehicle Financing Company, Moove Raises £15 Million, Aims at Reducing Carbon Emissions in the UK

Nigerian-owned world’s first mobility fintech company, Moove, with operations in Nigeria (Lagos and Ibadan) and eight other markets across different African countries as well as in India and the UK — has raised £15 million ($16 million) from Esmo Asset Management to scale operations after its August launch in the

Kenyan Startups, Wasoko and Sendy Still in Operation, Dismiss Shut Down Report

Kenyan Startups, Wasoko and Sendy Still in Operation, Dismiss Shut Down Report

Amidst controversies of some Kenyan startups about shutting down operations wholly or partly in a Business Daily report, Wasoko, an e-commerce company has issued a press statement to clarify its position in the market. “We are aware of growing reports which claim that Wasoko, Africa’s largest B2B e-commerce network

MTN Nigeria Partners with Intelligra to Drive Financial Inclusion in the Country

MTN Nigeria Partners with Intelligra to Drive Financial Inclusion in the Country

South African telecommunications company subsidiary in Nigeria, MTN, has signed a partnership with a smartphone financing company, Intelligra through its device financing program. This occurred at a press conference on October 12 where it announced its collaboration with SLOT, Stanbic, VFD MFB, PT MFB and Credit Direct to enable flexible

Fintech Startup, NALA Activates Apple Pay For African Customers In Diaspora

Fintech Startup, NALA Activates Apple Pay For African Customers In Diaspora

Tanzanian fintech startup, NALA has added Apple Pay to a list of its payment options for its users based in the US and UK. This will enable cross-border payments to beneficiaries dominating East African markets (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda) and Ghana. This update comes after the company deployed a

Meet The Three Founders Building Fast Forward Venture Studio to Help African Startups from Idea Level

AltSchool Africa

Meet The Three Founders Building Fast Forward Venture Studio to Help African Startups from Idea Level

Opeyemi Awoyemi is a Nigerian serial tech founder having led several significant startups. Before exiting one of his well-known establishments, Jobberman, an online job site founded in 2009 — he was the co-founder. It was eventually acquired by Ringier One Africa Media (ROAM) in 2016. After this, he went on to

Maplerad Secures $6 Million in Seed Funding, to Soar Client Acquisition Among Others

Maplerad Secures $6 Million in Seed Funding, to Soar Client Acquisition Among Others

US-based Nigerian Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform, Maplerad has raised $6 million in Seed funding led by Peter Thiel Valar Ventures to accelerate product offerings, empower builders and businesses and help consumers make payments across borders differently with Wirepay, its cross-border payment solution. Other participants in the round include; Golden Palm Investments

Bike-Hailing Business Perils in Nigeria: Examining SafeBoda's Masterplan

Alastair Sussock

Bike-Hailing Business Perils in Nigeria: Examining SafeBoda's Masterplan

After the Lagos state government ban on motorcycles, residents are having to deal with fare hikes and staking their mental health. The ban has also led to the diversification of startups such as Maxng, and Gokada as well as failed business operations as in the case of OPay‘s ORide

Lifestores Healthcare secures $3 million pre-series A to expand markets across Nigeria

Aruwa Capital Management

Lifestores Healthcare secures $3 million pre-series A to expand markets across Nigeria

Nigerian healthtech startup, Lifestores Healthcare has raised $3 million pre-series A making its total funding $4 million after its $1 million seed round in 2020. The recent funding led by Health54, the healthcare-focused corporate venture capital arm of CFAO Group, with Aruwa Capital Management as supporting lead and participation from

Pan-African Data and Intelligence Company, Stears, Raises $3.3 Million in Seed Round

Black Founders Fund 2022

Pan-African Data and Intelligence Company, Stears, Raises $3.3 Million in Seed Round

Founded in 2017 by four Nigerian graduates of the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford — Michael Famoroti, an economist; Bode Ogunlana, a software engineer; Abdul Abdulrahim, a data scientist and Preston Ideh, a corporate lawyer — the group aimed at creating a solution to the difficulty in accessing

Bike-Hailing Businesses Perils in Nigeria: Diversification as a Means to What End?

Bike-Hailing Businesses Perils in Nigeria: Diversification as a Means to What End?

To live in Lagos is to survive a living hell – or so it seems. Waking up by 4 am to escape the traffic or at least to get to work early amidst traffic, then having to join the evening rush hour with a population of not less than 15 million