Author: Jessica Adiele

Lagos State Government-backed e-hailing platform, Lagride, has secured a $100 million financing facility from United Bank for Africa (UBA) to expand its Drive-To-Own programme, a move aimed at accelerating driver ownership and strengthening Lagos’ evolving mobility ecosystem. According to a statement from the company, the funding will support the transition…

Microsoft has disclosed that its long-standing partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria has trained more than four million Nigerians in digital and technology skills over the past five years, underscoring the country’s push to build a future-ready workforce. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Nonye Ujam, Director of…

Airtel Africa has announced a partnership with SpaceX to introduce Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity across its 14 African markets, covering a combined customer base of about 174 million subscribers. Under the agreement, Airtel Africa becomes the first mobile network operator on the continent to offer Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service. The initiative…

Stable, a Layer 1 blockchain network built for stablecoin-based transactions, has partnered with African fintech company Chipper Cash to expand cross-border digital payments across the continent. The collaboration will see Chipper Cash integrate StableChain, Stable’s blockchain infrastructure, to facilitate stablecoin and digital asset payments on its platform. The partnership is…

Snapchat has begun rolling out its end-of-year Recaps to users, offering a personalized look back at how they used the platform throughout 2025. The feature, which arrives as a short video, highlights moments from Snaps, Stories, and Chats, showcasing how users connected and expressed themselves over the past year. Users…

Meta has officially retired Facebook Messenger’s desktop app for Mac and Windows as of December 15, 2025. Existing users are now being directed to the Facebook website or Messenger.com to continue using the messaging platform. Originally launched at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Messenger’s desktop app struggled to compete…

Zoom has officially rolled out its AI assistant to the web as part of its AI Companion 3.0 update, extending access to free users for the first time. The assistant provides capabilities such as summarizing meetings, listing action items, and generating insights — all designed to make virtual collaboration more…

Meta’s social networking platform, Threads, is deepening its push into interest-based conversations with an expanded communities feature and new engagement tools designed to keep users active on the platform. The company announced on Monday that it has increased the number of available communities on Threads and has begun testing badges…

Zambia has taken a significant step in modernizing public service delivery with the official launch of an online passport application and payment system on ZamPortal. The new digital platform allows citizens to apply for passports and other travel documents remotely, reducing long-standing inefficiencies associated with the manual application process. The…

Nigeria has taken another step forward in strengthening its national digital identity infrastructure following the delivery of 350 NIMC-certified Android devices from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The devices, designed specifically for National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment, were officially handed over to the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) at its…

Airtel Uganda has significantly expanded its 5G network footprint, extending coverage to 365 active sites across major towns and regional centres, in a move that strengthens the country’s digital infrastructure and prepares the network for increased data demand during the festive season. The expanded rollout now covers key urban and…

LemFi has introduced Global Accounts, a new financial solution that allows Nigerians to receive, hold, and transact in USD and GBP directly through the LemFi app. The product targets Africa’s growing freelance and digital economy, enabling professionals to access global payments without intermediaries or delays. The solution provides true international…

Pick n Pay is accelerating its digital transformation under the leadership of Kerry Janse van Rensburg, the retailer’s newly appointed head of digital operations. The strategy is aimed at positioning Pick n Pay as a digitally-led, agile retailer capable of delivering seamless and personalized experiences to customers across all touchpoints,…

Mastercard has announced a new partnership with TerraPay, a global money movement and payment infrastructure company, to expand the capabilities of digital wallets across international markets. The collaboration will enable mobile money wallets, fintech apps, and banks integrated with TerraPay to make NFC-based payments at more than 150 million Mastercard…

São Tomé and Príncipe has officially become the latest African nation to adopt Starlink, SpaceX’s high-speed satellite internet service, marking a significant step forward in the island state’s pursuit of universal digital connectivity. With this rollout, the country joins 25 others across the continent where Starlink is already commercially available.…

Vodacom has unveiled the Value News Network (VNN), a new social-driven content platform designed to help customers easily discover the company’s latest value offerings, digital services, and promotional deals. The platform will publish weekly content across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, presenting Vodacom’s products in a more interactive, educational, and accessible…

Spotify is testing a new way for listeners to take greater control of its recommendation engine with the launch of AI-powered “Prompted Playlists.” The experimental feature, now available to Premium subscribers in New Zealand, allows users to generate hyper-personalized playlists using detailed text prompts — marking Spotify’s most flexible personalization…

The Walt Disney Company has signed a three-year partnership with OpenAI, enabling users to generate AI-powered videos featuring Disney’s most beloved characters on the Sora platform. The agreement comes alongside a $1 billion equity investment by Disney in OpenAI. Launched in September, Sora allows users to create short videos from…

Norway-based browser company Opera has officially launched its AI-powered browser, Neon, following months of testing. Unlike its free AI-enabled browsers, Neon requires a subscription of $19.90 per month, marking a premium entry into the growing AI-first browser market. First unveiled in May 2025 and offered to select users in early…

Google is piloting AI-generated article summaries on select publications’ Google News pages, aiming to provide users with more context before clicking through to full articles. The test includes major global publications such as The Guardian, Der Spiegel, El País, Folha, Infobae, Kompas, The Times of India, The Washington Examiner, and…