PoS agents now have less than 60 days to register their businesses

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July 8, 2024
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6 min read
POS

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Yokwe,

Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here's what I've got for you today:

  • PoS agents now have less than 60 days to register their businesses
  • Doing nothing, getting paid
  • Mediterranean cable to bring 5G to North Africa

PoS agents now have less than 60 days to register their businesses

PoS

Remember this? Over 1.8 million PoS agents must register with the CAC

Here’s a refresher course if you don’t recall: In May 2024, Nigeria's government directed all point-of-sale (PoS) operators to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) by July 7, 2024 to tackle fraud and improve transparency. 

So, what’s new? The CAC has extended the deadline for PoS agents to register until September 5, 2024. This announcement came on Saturday, with a warning that those who miss the new deadline could be prosecuted and risk losing their business.

The reason for the extension? They want to help operators in remote areas who might’ve struggled with network issues during registration. Some operators have been griping about how hard it is to register online, which got Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, involved. 

He suggested making it easier, like how state tax cards work, so the government can manage infrastructure without making life hard for businesses.

The bottom line: If you’re a PoS operator, get on it before September 5 or risk some serious trouble!

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But does this postponement surprise you? Not me. The government has a knack for extending deadlines on registrations. Remember the whole SIM-NIN linkage saga? They pushed that deadline over eight times since the original date back in December 2020.  Whether this will be any different, only time will tell.

Doing nothing, getting paid

Wotk Life series second edition

What would you do if you were getting paid to do nothing at work? Stay or leave? 

If I found myself getting paid for doing nothing at work, I'd seriously consider my options.

In 2020, right after the COVID lockdown eased up, I was hunting for jobs and landed an internship. They initially offered no salary or allowances, but I negotiated for them to cover my transport costs since they insisted I show up at the office daily, which seemed unnecessary to me.

So, I started going in, but it quickly became exhausting. Besides the sensory overload and burnout, there was just nothing to do. After a month, I asked to work from home most of the time, but my boss said no. By the end of the second month, I quit because I couldn't stand wasting time like that.

Reading Oluwanifemi's latest story made me think back. Even if I'd been paid well, I probably would've still quit. I can't stand sitting idle. I mean, during lockdown, I embarked on a 100-day writing challenge to keep busy.

Speaking of stories, in this week's edition of Work Life, Oluwanifemi spoke to Sharon*, who left a startup after six months because they were paying her to do nothing. Turns out, the CEO was using the office and staff to impress clients for his own trading business.

Curious to know all the details about the story? Click here to uncover all the juicy stuff!

Mediterranean cable to bring 5G to North Africa

5G
Photo by Z z: https://www.pexels.com/photo/5g-metal-sign-under-wire-construction-6200343/

North Africa's been lagging in the Mediterranean submarine cable scene, lacking a single cable linking all its countries. 

But that's about to change with Medusa, an 8,700km cable set to connect southern Europe to North Africa and possibly onward to Asia by 2026. This move is crucial as Internet demand skyrockets in the region.

The project faces challenges, though. Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya rely on old cables that can't handle today's bandwidth needs. Political tensions add to the complexity; Algeria and Morocco haven't been on good terms since 2021, and Libya's split between east and west complicates matters.

Despite past infrastructure projects failing, the EU-backed Medusa aims to bridge these gaps. It's financed partly by the EU and will be a neutral carrier, not owned by a single provider, which could ease regional telecom rivalries.

Medusa promises boosted Internet capacity and potential 5G rollout, though it might not lower costs due to the market's concentrated telecom control. Morocco stands to benefit most, being more open to investment than Tunisia or Algeria.

While digital growth could aid eCommerce, rural connectivity remains a challenge. North Africa may not become a major data hub like Saudi Arabia or the UAE, but Morocco and Egypt plan their own cloud platforms.

Overall, Medusa's expansion into the Red Sea could open new connections to Saudi Arabia, though recent cable damage has slowed progress. Despite hurdles, it's a step towards modernising North Africa's digital landscape.

Last week on Techpoint Africa

What I'm watching

Opportunities   

  • Pitch Friday is next Friday, July 12, 2024. Register here to attend and apply here to pitch.
  • EarlyNode is looking for a Technical Writer. Apply here.
  • Paystack is hiring for several roles in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. Apply by July 7, 2024 here.
  • Ventures Platform has over 100 job openings across its portfolio companies. Apply here.
  • Moniepoint is hiring for 70 positions in the United Kingdom and several Nigerian states, including Lagos, Abia, and Anambra. Check them out here to apply.
  • 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 productive week!

Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.

She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.
She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.
She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.

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