Annyeonghaseyo,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here's what I've got for you today:
- Nigeria could face another Internet disruption today
- Why are Nigerians obsessed with virtual weapons?
- LemFi gets approval to operate in Kenya
- Mogo partners Roam to push electric motorbikes in Kenya
Nigeria could face another Internet disruption today
The telecom workers' union, Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) is gearing up for an indefinite strike starting today, April 4, 2024, due to what they claim is mistreatment by Huawei subcontractors.
The union accuses companies like Reime Group and Allstream Energy Solutions of subjecting workers to unfair conditions, including long hours and inadequate security.
This isn't the first time the union has raised concerns. In May 2023, they issued a warning strike notice to Huawei over similar issues, but little progress was made in resolving the grievances.
According to PTECSSAN, attempts to address the issues with the Ministry of Labour and Employment have been futile, as the involved parties have refused to engage in meaningful discussions.
The potential strike could disrupt telecom services across Nigeria, adding to recent challenges faced by the country's Internet infrastructure. Just last month, Nigeria and several other African nations grappled with Internet outages caused by damaged subsea cables, resulting in significant economic losses.
PTECSSAN's decision to strike comes after unresolved issues, including the lack of recognition of workers' rights and refusal to negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
The union has urged Nigerians to brace for potential disruptions and is pushing for fair treatment of telecom workers moving forward.
Why are Nigerians obsessed with virtual weapons?
Let me tell you about my experience with Call of Duty Mobile (CODM). I first downloaded it back in 2020, but I deleted it because it felt like there was an update every time I opened the app, which was super annoying.
Then, in the following year, I decided to give it another shot, but for some reason, I never really got around to playing it. Anyway, let's dive into the game itself.
When it launched worldwide on October 1, 2019, it smashed records. In just three days, it racked up over 35 million downloads. And by the end of the first week, it hit a whopping 100 million downloads on both Google Play and the Apple app stores.
CODM is like the mobile version of the classic Call of Duty game, except it's designed by TiMi Studio Group, a Chinese game studio that made a crazy $10 billion in 2020.
Now, let's talk about gaming in Africa. It's blowing up, especially in countries like Nigeria. We've gone from playing a few matches in a sketchy game centre to watching gamers with decked-out rigs streaming online. The gaming industry in sub-Saharan Africa has exploded from 77 million gamers in 2015 to a whopping 235 million in 2023.
And the cash flow ain't slowing down either. Revenue from gaming in the region shot up from $200 million in 2015 to a cool $1 billion in 2023. Most of this growth is thanks to mobile gaming, with 88% of gamers in sub-Saharan Africa playing on their phones.
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So, why are Nigerians dropping big bucks on CODM every month? What's fueling their obsession with virtual weaponry? Dive into Bolu's latest story to find out.
LemFi gets approval to operate in Kenya
LemFi, a cross-border payment solution, just got the green light from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to operate remittances in Kenya.
This fintech has been rocking the Kenyan market since last June, and now, with the CBK's approval, it’s set to provide services while following the rules.
According to RightCard Payment Services Limited, aka LemFi, this approval is a big deal for its promise of making international payments super smooth for over 500,000 Kenyans in the diaspora.
So, what's LemFi all about? Well, it's a nifty mobile app that lets Kenyans abroad send money back home hassle-free.
Kenyans living in the UK, US, and Canada can zap money to M-PESA, Mobile Money, and Bank Accounts in Kenya within minutes, all at zero transfer fees.
But wait, there's more! LemFi also hooks you up with a Kenya Shillings wallet, where you can stash cash from your mobile money account. Plus, you can easily switch your Shillings to other currencies like USD, GBP, or CAD, depending on what you need.
Sidebar Alert: In February 2024, RightCard announced that it had received approval from the Bank of Ghana two months after the Bank of Ghana declared the company illegal.
Mogo partners Roam to push electric motorbikes in Kenya
Mogo, a Kenyan asset finance company, is joining forces with Roam, a local electric vehicle (EV) developer, to get more electric motorbikes on Kenyan roads.
Their plan? They're setting up 20 in-store spots across Kenya to make it easy for people to check out and buy Roam's electric bikes. Plus, they're offering financing deals to help buyers save cash and boost their daily earnings by up to 30%.
Even Mogo is getting in on the trend, purchasing electric bikes for its employees.
Roam's Chief Commercial Officer, Mikael Gånge, is pumped about the partnership, saying they're stoked to tap into the growing market of bodaboda (motorbike taxi) riders who want to switch to electric bikes, especially with petrol prices on the rise.
Rauls Leitis, from Mogo, sees potential in the electric motorbike market, especially with Roam's innovative products that let customers charge up at home or Roam hubs.
Founded in 2017, Roam has been on the move. And with $24 million from its recent Series A funding round, Roam's ready to expand fast and make sure Kenyans everywhere can get their hands on their electric bikes.
Despite the push for electric bikes, demand still outstrips supply. But Roam's aiming big, with plans to produce a whopping 50,000 electric bikes a year at their East African facility. That's a game-changer in a market of over three million bodaboda riders.
In case you missed it
- Meta refutes sharing users’ data with Netflix
- Uber raises driver earnings by 10% following a data-sharing dispute in Lagos
- 4 Nigerian startup bosses give their honest opinions about remote work
- Edo State government to launch API integration for e-hailing platforms to enhance safety
- Baobab acquires South Africa’s Reflector to empower portfolio companies
- MultiChoice to retain Patel as Chairman until the Canal+ deal closes
- Kenyan regulator okays Airtel tower deal after probe found no violations
What I'm reading and watching
- Microsoft 365’s Copilot gets a GPT-4 Turbo upgrade and improved image generation
- A Comedian’s Take on How to Save Democracy
- How Squats Heal the Body
Opportunities
- Zyolix is looking for a UI/UX & Product Designer for Saas Website. Apply here.
- Apply for the product manager role here.
- Lemonde Payments is looking for a Product UX Designer. Apply here.
- 0x is hiring a Senior Software Engineer (Full-Stack). Apply here.
- A US-based company is looking for a Junior Software Engineer to join our miniExtensions team. Apply here.
- Seedstars has announced INFUSE 2024, a global invitation for innovative applications aimed at fortifying health systems against climate threats and improving immunisation delivery. Apply here.
- Explore this website to find multiple job opportunities in Data that align with your preferences.
- If you are a software engineer, creative designer, product manager, design researcher, or a techie looking for an internship role, please, check out this website.
Have a terrific Thursday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
