The recent move by Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, to significantly reduce prices in Nigeria has triggered a wave of frustration and disappointment among users grappling with persistent payment issues. The decision to slash the cost of Starlink’s hardware kit by over 45%, from approximately N1 million…
Author: Smart Megwai
Smart Megwai
Smart is a technology journalist covering innovation, digital culture, and the business of emerging tech. His reporting for Innovation Village explores how technology shapes everyday life in Africa and beyond.
Bitcoin analyst Willy Woo has sparked excitement within the cryptocurrency sector, predicting the industry could reach 1 billion users by the end of 2025. While attaining this milestone would signal increased mainstream adoption, industry experts are divided on whether Woo’s optimism is well-founded. Woo’s prediction is based on an extrapolation…
The Nigerian government, under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has launched a comprehensive data tracking system aimed at addressing shortcomings in the nation’s education sector. This initiative marks a major step towards tackling issues such as lagging student performance, low enrollment rates, and inadequate support for vulnerable learners. A statement issued…
The Nigerian federal government, led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, has signed the Aso Accord with state governments and private sector stakeholders. The agreement aims to deliver affordable and accessible financial services to all Nigerians, with a particular focus on underserved and disadvantaged populations. Key figures endorsing the Accord include…
Threads, Meta’s text-focused social app, has surpassed a significant milestone, reaching 150 million monthly active users. This rapid growth, highlighted by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, represents a 20 million user surge since February and underscores a potential transformation in how users engage with social media. Industry reports suggest Threads is…
The indictment of an Equity Bank Kenya employee in connection with the bank’s recent $2.1 million fraud case underscores a growing trend of insider threats within the country’s financial sector. Initial reports by Innovation Village (per TechCabal) revealed the employee’s alleged installation of malware to facilitate the theft, highlighting major…
MTN South Africa, in collaboration with Investec and Electrum, is set to launch PayShap on its Mobile Money (MoMo) platform. This move will make MTN MoMo the first non-banking service provider to offer PayShap, a real-time, low-fee interbank digital payment solution. The partnership represents a major breakthrough in expanding financial…
While the Nigeria Startup Act’s potential to revitalise the tech sector is undeniable, its ability to drive solutions for long-standing local problems could prove its true legacy. The NSA’s focus on creating a supportive environment for innovative startups promises to unleash a wave of creative problem-solving directly tackling the challenges…
Logitech’s new “Logi AI Prompt Builder” software, paired with the AI Edition of its M750 wireless mouse, raises intriguing questions about our evolving relationship with AI. While a dedicated button offers the promise of simplifying complex interactions with powerful AI chatbots, its current form highlights the ongoing challenges of making…
The Namibian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has issued a stark warning: unregistered SIM card holders risk losing their phone numbers permanently if they fail to register by June 30th, 2024. This follows the recent deactivation of over 500,000 unregistered SIM cards in a nationwide crackdown mandated by the…
Tigo Tanzania has made history as the first telecom operator in the country to launch fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fiber-to-the-office (FTTO) services, ushering in a new era of reliable and high-speed connectivity. “Our new Tigo Fibre service reflects our commitment to empowering Tanzanians through cutting-edge internet access,” remarked John Sicilima, Chief…
The reported termination of the Katangowa project contract, originally awarded to Bridgeways Limited, has left a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the future of Lagos’s vibrant Computer Village. This situation raises troubling questions not only for the traders but also for the wider reputation of Nigeria as it seeks to…
The Nigeria Startup Act (NSA), signed into law in 2022, is starting to make its impact felt. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) reports that a total of 12,948 startups have registered on the official Nigeria Startup Portal. This enthusiastic response underpins the potential of the NSA to transform…
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has a massive undertaking ahead. The goal of registering 200 million Nigerians with the National Identification Number (NIN) by 2025 requires a dramatic acceleration of the enrollment process. With approximately 105 million NINs issued to date, nearly 95 million citizens still lack this key…
Nigeria’s push to become a leading force in the global development and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) has gained significant momentum. The “Developing the High-Level Strategy and Implementation Plan for a National AI Strategy for Nigeria” workshop, convened by the Federal Government, signals a commitment to shaping the future…
The recent suspension of Starlink’s roaming internet services in Zimbabwe, at the behest of the country’s telecom regulator POTRAZ, throws the spotlight on the nuanced regulatory environment facing satellite-based internet providers in Africa. Starlink’s ambitious goal of bringing high-speed connectivity to underserved regions clashes with the need for national authorities…
MTN MoMo, the popular mobile money platform, today announced a significant expansion of its international remittance capabilities. The service now boasts 25 new wallet corridors across 10 African countries, allowing users to send money to over 200 million wallets maintained by various partners in 24 nations. This latest expansion specifically…
Artificial intelligence research leader, OpenAI, has unveiled a major upgrade to their popular ChatGPT conversational AI. Powered by the groundbreaking GPT-4 Turbo language model, this latest iteration blends enhanced language prowess with the ability to analyse and generate responses based on visual content. This fusion of language fluency and image…
The lines between traditional messaging and AI-enhanced experiences continue to blur. Meta’s recent introduction of ‘Meta AI’, a powerful conversational AI chatbot, into WhatsApp in India and parts of Africa echoes a broader strategic shift as the company ramps up AI deployment across several of its key platforms. The move…
Apple’s recent alert to iPhone users across 92 countries about potential “mercenary spyware attacks” sheds light on an alarming trend in cybersecurity. These highly sophisticated attacks break from traditional malware strategies, selectively targeting individuals to gain access to their iPhones and the wealth of sensitive data they hold. Unlike common…