Hola,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here's what I've got for you today:
- Starlink's ground-breaking move in Nigeria
- Work and romance: Why I’m still single
- Digital assets meet new rules in Ghana
Starlink's ground-breaking move in Nigeria
What's up? Starlink plans to enhance Internet service in Nigeria with a new project!
What’s it? The SpaceX Internet satellite company is setting up ground stations on about 29,000 acres across three states in Nigeria.
Per reports, the land for these ground stations is quite expansive, and the scale of the project highlights Starlink’s commitment to expanding its global network.
These ground stations will be in Okun Ajah in Lagos, Sagamu in Ogun State, and Port Harcourt in Rivers State. Construction has already kicked off in Lagos and is expected to wrap up by the end of 2024, with the other locations set to be completed in 2025.
Why should you care? Starlink's new ground stations are key for connecting their satellites to the Internet. They help speed up data transfer by cutting out some international delays. For Nigerians, this means faster and more reliable Internet.
Who’s it doing this with? Starlink is teaming up with Equinix, a big player in data centre solutions, to roll out these stations. Remember, the American Internet company made headlines in 2022 when it bought MainOne for $320 million, marking its strategic entry into Nigeria.
Let the best of tech news come to you
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy.
What’s more, since Starlink arrived in Nigeria in 2022, it’s quickly made waves, becoming the third-largest ISP by early 2024. Even though it costs more than local ISPs, people are digging its satellite service, especially in spots with terrible Internet.
Work and romance: Why I’m still single
So, last week, one of my friends barged into my room and gave me a lecture. He was pretty fired up and even playfully threw some jabs my way, all because I’m always glued to my laptop. He’s been on my case for a while, insisting I should cut back on work because he just can’t understand why anyone would work so much.
Hey, don’t get it twisted. I’m not saying I’m the hardest worker around. I work remotely, and if you do too, you know that the whole work-life balance thing is pretty much a myth. For me, it’s almost non-existent.
And it’s not just my friend who’s worried about my love life. My dad called me two months ago, asking when he’d meet my boyfriend. He pointed out that I’ve never brought anyone home as my partner, even though he used to tell me to focus on my studies and work hard, regardless of any potential suitors. Can you believe my old man? 😂
My cousins are also worried about my love life. One of them gave me a pep talk about going on tonnes of dates but not getting serious, like some reverse psychology move. Another cousin even suggested I pick one of the guys who visit me. I know you guys are subscribed, but yeah, that’s what they said! 😂 And no, you don’t know who said it. 😂
Anyhoo, why am I telling you all this, reader? It connects to this week’s Work Life edition. Oluwanifemi chatted with someone who’s put their romantic life on hold because of their demanding job. They explained that their workload makes it impossible to start or maintain a relationship, so they’d rather not bother if they can’t give it the time it needs.
PS: I’m not saying my romantic life is on hold—just that I’ve had no time to meet new people. But that’s changing! I’ve started going out more this month, mainly to events. 😂😂
Well, Oluwanifemi’s story is an interesting read, and I’m sure you don’t want to miss it. Even if you can’t relate personally, you probably know someone who can. Check it out here!
Digital assets meet new rules in Ghana
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) is shaking things up with new rules for digital assets!
After diving deep into Bitcoin, Tether, and other cryptocurrencies, they dropped draft guidelines on August 16 and are now seeking feedback from the public and industry experts.
With more Ghanaians jumping into crypto, the bank wants to tackle risks like money laundering, fraud, and terrorism financing. They’re aiming to boost consumer protection and make the crypto world safer.
The BoG is rolling out an eight-pillar framework focussing on tightening registration and reporting for crypto exchanges and virtual asset services.
If approved, exchanges will keep an eye on suspicious transactions and follow the Financial Action Task Force’s Travel Rule. They’re also planning to work with commercial banks and international regulators.
The central bank is joining forces with the Securities and Exchange Commission to set up rules for various digital assets. If crypto exchanges want to operate in Ghana, they’ll need to register with the bank and pass a sandbox test first.
What’s more, the apex bank is also looking for feedback from industry people, experts, and the public until August 31.
In case you missed them
- Diaspora dollars: How Africa's diaspora can fuel startup growth
- High Court denies motion to reverse billions of naira Flutterwave lost in PoS fraud
- Mobius Motors secures a 100% acquisition deal days after announcing its shutdown
- Less than 80% of Lagos workers earn up to 100k monthly: Increase earnings with these 5 side hustles
- Frozen #EndBadGovernance crypto wallets are on KuCoin and MEXC and still performing transactions
- Telcos in Nigeria mull partial service to support tariff hike push
- NFT houses: Lagos State Government plans to tokenise real estate
What I'm watching
Opportunities
- Apply as a lead backend engineer at Project Growth here.
- Apply as a Full-Stack Engineer here.
- Zapier is hiring a Senior Product Designer. Apply here.
- Grow Therapy is looking for a Senior Product Designer. Apply here.
- Chowdeck is hiring a Product Designer. Apply here.
- Are you a startup founder or operator in search of like minds to learn and grow with? Join Techpoint Africa's community to access resources, network, and build the future here.
- Follow Techpoint Africa's WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.
Have a fun weekend!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
