The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a cautionary advisory to telecommunications operators in Nigeria, urging them to fortify their risk management strategies in anticipation of the transition from the current 5G technology to future generations, including 6G and 7G. Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC,…
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.
Silicon Valley-based startup Ocular AI, co-founded by Micheal Moyo and Louis Murerwa, has secured a spot in the prestigious Y Combinator Winter 2024 batch. This recognition adds another achievement to Ocular AI’s journey, offering a platform designed to enhance workplace efficiency by consolidating various tools, data, and SaaS applications into…
Africa’s startup ecosystem has been a focal point for innovation and growth in recent years. From fintech to agritech, entrepreneurs across the continent have been making significant strides. One crucial aspect that shapes the trajectory of these startups is the concept of exit events – strategic milestones that signal success…
Hatem Dowidar, former CEO of Vodafone Egypt and current Group CEO of Emirates Telecommunications Group (e&), has been appointed as a non-executive director to the Vodafone Group board. The announcement comes after Vodafone Group and e& entered into a strategic relationship agreement in May 2023. Dowidar, with a remarkable 30-year…
In response to the prevailing economic difficulties faced by many Nigerians, uLesson has announced a significant reduction in its software subscription prices. The popular digital learning platform revealed the move in a blog post today, emphasising the company’s commitment to ensuring quality learning remains accessible during challenging economic times. The…
3.0 Verse, a prominent Web 3 company headquartered in India, has officially expanded its operations to Africa, marking its entry into the continent with a launch in Nigeria. The company simultaneously announced a strategic partnership with the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN) during a ceremony held at…
The Tanzanian Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups has taken a significant step towards safeguarding children in the digital realm by establishing a national advisory council and launching the Child Online Protection (COP) campaign. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the various cyber threats faced by…
The United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report for 2024 reveals a slight upswing in Nigeria’s growth rate, projected to rise from 2.9% in 2023 to 3.1% in 2024. This positive trajectory is not exclusive to Nigeria, as the report indicates a continent-wide growth rate increase from 3.3%…
Cisco Systems, a leading technology innovator based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has revealed plans to streamline its operations by laying off more than 4,000 employees, constituting 5% of its global workforce of 85,000. This move follows earlier speculations, reported two days prior, that Cisco could announce layoffs as early as…
Today, renowned startup accelerator institution Y Combinator declared an open call for innovative startups as it kickstarts its YC Summer 2024 batch. In a significant update, the institution released a revamped “requests for startups” list, showcasing its eagerness to fund ideas in emerging sectors, including robotics and stablecoin finance. The…
MasterCard, a leading digital payments and technology company, proudly announces the appointment of Folasade Femi-Lawal as the Country Manager and Area Business Director for West Africa. With an impressive career spanning over 25 years in the financial and digital banking sector, Femi-Lawal is entrusted with steering MasterCard’s vision, fostering innovation,…
Carbon, the Pan-African fintech startup, has successfully acquired Vella Finance, a Nigerian fintech startup focused on SME banking. The undisclosed acquisition, executed through Carbon’s parent company, One Credit Limited, positions Vella Finance as Carbon’s business banking product, now rebranded as “Carbon Business”. Vella Finance, founded in December 2021 by Mark…
Tingbi Africa, a prominent technology solutions provider, has marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of its new office in Cape Town, South Africa. This expansion underscores Tingbi Africa’s commitment to broadening its regional footprint, complementing existing offices in Johannesburg and Nairobi, Kenya. Strategically situated on Kloof Street, the newly…
Moniepoint Inc. and NITHub Unilag are pleased to announce the commencement of applications for the second cohort of the HatchDev program, designed to cultivate the next wave of highly skilled software engineers in Nigeria. This strategic initiative aligns seamlessly with the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy’s commitment to…
Absa, a leading financial institution in Johannesburg, South Africa, has launched ChatWallet, an innovative wallet accessible directly through WhatsApp, marking in a new era of digital banking convenience. Demonstrating its dedication to inclusive banking, Absa introduces ChatWallet as a secure and affordable solution, seamlessly integrating everyday banking services with the…
In a recent report released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, electronic payment transactions in Nigeria surged to unprecedented heights in 2023, reaching a staggering N600 trillion. This remarkable increase represents a substantial 55% rise from the N387 trillion recorded in the previous year, showcasing the nation’s escalating reliance on…
IHS Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria have officially announced a strategic agreement, revealing that Airtel Nigeria will acquire a total of 3,950 tenancies over the next five years. The majority of these acquisitions are projected for 2024/2025, with the existing tenancies, encompassing around 6,000 sites, extended until December 2031. This comprehensive…
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has recently unveiled plans to implement comprehensive labeling for all AI-generated content across its platforms. This decision follows the discovery by Reverse Engineer Alessandro Paluzzi in August of the previous year, revealing Instagram’s intentions to introduce labels identifying posts created or…
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has raised an alarm regarding a surge in violations of its Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines by digital lenders, commonly referred to as loan apps. In an official statement signed by Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, the Acting Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer…
Vodacom Group, in collaboration with Safaricom, has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 200 million subscribers, marking a doubling of its customer base since 2018. This achievement was disclosed in the telecommunications group’s fiscal third-quarter update, covering the period ending December 31, 2023. Of the 200 million customers, 37.5%, equivalent…