Author: Jessica Adiele

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have formalized a partnership aimed at advancing data privacy and protection within Nigeria’s rapidly growing telecoms sector. With telecom subscribers rising from just 500,000 in previous years to nearly 180 million in 2025, the need for robust data…

Paga’s partnership with PayPal is set to transform cross-border payments for Nigerians, providing a regulated and seamless bridge to the global commerce ecosystem. While the announcement initially sparked mixed reactions, CEO Tayo Oviosu has clarified the company’s commitment to resolving historical PayPal challenges. Addressing Years of Frustration For years, Nigerians…

Nigerian fintech Cardtonic has launched a new Platinum virtual card that enables users to make contactless in-store and online payments globally, marking a significant expansion of how virtual cards are used across Africa. The new card is tokenized and NFC-enabled, allowing users to pay via Apple Pay and Google Pay…

Modern businesses depend on web data for lead generation, competitor tracking, and market research. Yet many teams still struggle to collect that data efficiently. The tools are either too technical, too expensive, or both. Spidra is addressing that gap. Co-founded by Olumide Shittu, Spidra is a no-code, AI-powered web scraping…

Google has opened applications for the 10th cohort of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, marking a milestone edition that places artificial intelligence (AI) at the heart of its support for African founders. The programme aims to equip growth-stage startups with the tools, mentorship, and networks needed to scale AI-driven solutions…

Zoom is deepening its push into intelligent workplaces with new AI-driven features designed to make hybrid collaboration more seamless and productive. At the centre of this shift is Zoom Spaces, the company’s AI-first flexible workplace platform, which aims to simplify how employees use offices while giving IT teams greater visibility…

LemFi has expanded into Australia after receiving regulatory approval from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), allowing the fintech to operate as an independent remittance dealer in the country. The move marks a significant milestone in LemFi’s global growth strategy and reflects regulatory confidence in its compliance and…

African fintech Nomba has acquired a licensed Payment Service Provider and Money Services Business in Canada, giving the company regulated infrastructure to support business-to-business payments between African companies and Canadian partners. The acquisition, completed in Q2 2025, provides Nomba with on-the-ground regulatory coverage in Canada. This allows the fintech to…

Spotify has rolled out a major update to its lyrics feature, adding offline access for Premium users, expanding lyrics translations globally, and repositioning lyrics more prominently within the app as it looks to boost engagement and subscriptions. The update allows Premium subscribers to view song lyrics even when they are…

London-based mobility fintech GoCab has raised $45 million in fresh funding to accelerate the expansion of its drive-to-own vehicle ownership model across Africa and other emerging markets. The round comprises $15 million in equity and $30 million in debt, forming part of a broader $60 million Shariah-compliant debt facility currently…

Kaspersky has upgraded its Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform, introducing new AI-driven capabilities aimed at improving threat detection, operational flexibility, and security operations efficiency. The standout enhancement is an artificial intelligence mechanism designed to detect potential account compromise. The system analyses user login behaviour over time, builds baseline…

Checkout.com, a leading global digital payments provider, has partnered with Spotify to enhance the streaming platform’s payments experience for its 700 million monthly active users, including 280 million paying subscribers across more than 180 countries. A smoother global payments experience The partnership positions Checkout.com as Spotify’s global acquiring partner, ensuring…

Online design platform Canva has significantly increased its Pro subscription price in Nigeria, raising the monthly fee from ₦2,800 to ₦5,500. The change affects individual creators, students, and small businesses who rely on the platform for everyday design tasks. New pricing structure According to checks by Technext, users on older…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released its 2025 Fintech Report, outlining a strategic roadmap to elevate Nigeria from a continental fintech leader to a global rule-setting hub. The report highlights Nigeria’s strengths in real-time payments, digital innovation, and financial inclusion, while identifying regulatory and operational challenges that must…

Mozilla has announced that Firefox will soon allow users to block all generative AI features in the browser, responding to growing demand from users who prefer a more traditional, non-AI browsing experience. The new controls will roll out with Firefox version 148, scheduled for release on February 24, and will…

Adobe has announced plans to discontinue Adobe Animate, its long-running 2D animation software, as the company deepens its focus on AI-driven creative tools. In an update published on its support site on Monday and in emails sent to customers, Adobe said Adobe Animate will be officially shut down on March…

OpenAI has launched a new macOS app for Codex, its AI-powered coding tool, as competition intensifies around agentic software development — a fast-emerging approach where AI agents independently handle complex programming tasks. The release marks a significant step in OpenAI’s effort to close the gap with rival tools such as…

Access Bank has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as the new chair of its board, marking another key leadership change at Nigeria’s largest lender by assets. The appointment follows the retirement of Paul Usoro, SAN, who stepped down in late January after completing his regulatory tenure. The decision was disclosed by Access…

MTN Ghana has announced a US$2 million contribution to the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations to support the government’s One Million Coders Programme, a flagship initiative aimed at accelerating Ghana’s digital transformation and equipping young people with future-ready skills. The funding will help train one million Ghanaians in…

Google, in collaboration with a consortium of African universities and research institutions, has launched WAXAL, a large-scale open speech dataset designed to help artificial intelligence systems better understand and process African languages. The initiative targets one of the most persistent challenges in AI development on the continent: the lack of…