Jambo,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here's what I've got for you today:
- Your phone bill is about to change
- When AI goes wrong in court
- LemFi moves into Europe
Your phone bill is about to change
The Nigerian government is planning a tariff hike in the telecom sector, but don’t panic — it won’t be the 100% increase that telecom operators proposed.
According to the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is working on strategies to balance things out.
Tijani revealed this during a meeting with telecom operators, saying that while a price increase is on the table, it won’t be extreme. The push for a hike comes as telecom companies face rising operational costs, inflation, and naira devaluation.
MTN’s CEO, Karl Toriola, explained that the focus isn’t on profitability but the industry’s sustainability, highlighting how tough economic conditions have affected the sector.
Earlier, rumours about a 40% tariff hike caused an uproar, but the NCC debunked it, clarifying that no such plan had been approved. Still, the talk of a potential increase has drawn mixed reactions. Airtel, for instance, argued that higher tariffs are needed to maintain quality service and digital inclusion, given rising expenses.
Meanwhile, Tijani stressed that the government won’t leave infrastructure investment entirely to private companies anymore. He also noted the need for better service quality, not just higher prices. “People want meaningful connectivity, not just affordability,” he said.
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To simplify things for consumers, the NCC plans to introduce clearer billing templates. Many Nigerians have complained about confusing charges, with some feeling like telecom operators are “stealing” their data.
Despite the challenges, MTN reassured users it has no plans to pull out of any part of Nigeria, even as it navigates these tough times. The NCC is expected to announce the new rates soon, once it wraps up consultations and reviews a sustainability report from KPMG.
For now, it’s a wait-and-see situation, but the focus is on ensuring the telecom sector remains sustainable while still offering quality and affordable services to Nigerians.
South African law firm allegedly in hot water for using ChatGPT
What happened? A Pietermaritzburg law firm in South Africa, Surendra Singh and Associates, is in hot water for allegedly relying on AI tools like ChatGPT and Google to cook fake legal citations in a court case.
Per TechCentral, the drama unfolded when Judge Elsja-Marie Bezuidenhout of the Pietermaritzburg High Court called out the firm for presenting non-existent case references during hearings in September 2024.
The backstory? The firm was representing Godfrey Mvundla, a controversial politician who was suspended as mayor of Umvoti. While they initially secured an interim court order for him, the judge later overturned it. When the firm filed for leave to appeal, they included several case citations to back their argument, but things took a sharp turn when the judge realised most of these cases didn’t exist.
Out of nine cases cited, only two were real — and even one of those had an incorrect reference. The judge was unimpressed and dug deeper, asking the involved lawyer, Ms Pillay, for copies of the cases. Pillay, however, blamed the mess on an articled clerk, saying she hadn’t double-checked the references due to being overbooked.
The clerk was summoned to court and claimed she had found the cases using her university portal. But when asked for specifics, she couldn’t provide answers. The judge suspected AI tools like ChatGPT but didn’t get a clear admission.
The firm’s owner, Suren Singh, then appeared in court, saying he struggled to get the case references and even complained that his clerk was being unfairly pressured. He admitted to using Google to search for cases but didn’t take responsibility for the mess, instead suggesting that the opposing counsel was equally at fault for not verifying the citations.
Ultimately, the judge wasn’t having any of it. She slammed the firm for wasting judicial resources and said presenting fake case law was highly unprofessional. She ordered Surendra Singh and Associates to cover the legal costs from their own pockets and referred the matter to the Legal Practice Council for further investigation.
The takeaway? If you’re using AI or any tools for legal research, double-check your facts — or you might end up like this law firm, with egg on your face and a hefty bill to pay.
LemFi moves into Europe
LemFi, a remittance startup, just made a major move into Europe, now covering Italy, France, and Spain. For Nigerians living there, this means quick, zero-fee money transfers back home.
So, here’s the deal: Per Condia, LemFi teamed up with Modulr Finance, a payment provider with strong roots in the UK and Europe. Thanks to Modulr’s e-money licence, LemFi can easily expand into more European countries if they feel like it.
Why’s this a big deal? Well, remittances are massive, especially for countries like Nigeria, which ranks in the top 10 globally for receiving remittances. LemFi has been clever about its strategy, focusing on “send markets” (where people migrate, like Europe and North America) and “receive markets” (where the money goes, like Africa and Asia).
Since kicking off in 2020, LemFi has been on a roll. It started with Canada as its first send market and Nigeria as its first receive market. Fast forward to now, and it’s operating in 10 African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. In 2023, LemFi even cracked the US market — a massive remittance hub — and processed an eye-popping $2 billion that year.
But they’re not stopping at Africa. LemFi’s now going after the Asian diaspora, targeting countries like India, China, and Pakistan, which are among the world’s biggest remittance destinations. To make this happen, they’re bringing in top talent from companies like TerraPay and OPay.
And it’s not just about money transfers. LemFi’s planning to launch a card for its users in the US, UK, and Canada soon. With over a million users already and a big vision for the future, LemFi is positioning itself as a global remittance heavyweight.
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Have a fun weekend!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
