One of Africa’s major markets looks set to enter the ranks of African nations working on a bespoke policy to support startups and innovation. When Kenya’s other policies are considered, it…
Nigeria opens portal for $193 million MSME, startup payroll support fund
The Nigerian government has kicked off another phase of its economic sustainability plan as it opens registration portal to support MSMEs, startups with salary payments …
Nigeria’s economic recovery plan and a million-dollar bet on renewable energy
Nigeria’s apex bank has earmarked loan facilities of up to $1.3 million to provide energy in rural areas. However, in the broader context of Nigeria’s economic recovery plan, it raises a few questions…
Why Nigeria wants financial account holders to submit self-certification forms
The Nigerian government has ordered entities and individuals to submit self-certification forms to their respective financial institutions. A closer look shows a deep play for billions in offshore tax…
Blockchain: The tool that can help Africans build the next Facebook, Google
As Africa witnesses what could be termed a revolution in the cryptocurrency sector, Eric Annan, CEO of KuBitX makes a case for more Blockchain-based innovations that could birth the next Facebook or G…
Nigerian regulator amends crowdfunding regulations, resolves only few pain points
Nigeria’s Securities regulator has released a number of changes to its crowdfunding regulations. Though a few changes have been made, issues raised by industry players remain unsolved. But there…
Nigeria issues regulations on cryptocurrency, crypto startups, ICOs, others
The Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria, has issued regulations for digital currencies, initial coin offerings, and local and foreign companies and startups playing in the sector.…
Kenyan regulator wants Safaricom, Airtel, others to pay customers for service outages
The Kenyan Communications Authority has released a new policy to guide customer care activities in the telecom sector. In an interesting provision, telecom companies will be required to pay customers …
PC, smartphone shipments in Kenya hit $74 million during the lockdown
PC and smartphone shipments are experiencing declines globally as a result of the pandemic. But during the lockdown in Kenya, the importation of these devices surged 56% from last year in response to …
Bloggers, social media content creators, to obtain $97 permits in Uganda
Two years after a social media tax, Uganda’s ICT regulator has stated that from October 25, 2020, YouTubers, podcast owners, and all forms of social media users will have to obtain permission be…
In conversation with Obinna Ukwuani, Chief Digital Officer at the Bank of Kigali
A Nigerian entrepreneur and former Paystack executive was recently appointed chief digital officer of Rwanda’s Bank of Kigali. In what has been a fruitful journey for the past seven years, we take a p…
Why Payment Service Banks could face an uphill battle in the Nigerian market
Nigeria’s Apex bank made minor changes to the licensing regime for payment service banks. While there are some positive provisions, the policy leaves a lot to be desired given its goal for financial i…
Zimbabwe’s Cyber Bill: The good and the ambiguous law that could turn ugly
Yet another African country, Zimbabwe, is fast-tracking a cyber bill to guard against fake news. While this has been done in the past, these policies are seemingly coming under the guise of good inten…
Nigeria’s ICT ministry to supervise quest to provide digital identity for Nigerians
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the transfer of the national identity management commission to the ministry of communications and the digital economy…
Ekiti partners mobility startup, MAX.ng to digitise Okada and Keke operations
Similar to Kampala, Uganda, Ekiti State, Nigeria has partnered with on-demand mobility startup, MAX.ng to digitise operations for commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders with an eye on safety and se…
The impact of the pandemic on telcos and quality of the Internet in Nigeria
Data users increased by 7.5 million, vandalism of telecom infrastructure is on the rise, and Internet speeds have dropped. Here are some impacts of the pandemic so far in Nigeria’s Internet space…
Nigeria waives RoW charges on federal highways to boost Internet quality
The Nigerian federal government has waived RoW charges on federal highways around the country. While this has not been an issue at the federal level, the pressure for state governments to follow suit …
Kenya earmarks $140 million to connect public primary schools to the Internet
In yet another plan to boost e-learning, the Kenyan government and UNICEF will be co-funding a project to deepen Internet infrastructure and secure tablets for public school pupils in the country…
When calls and data could get cheaper for Nigerian states that slashed RoW charges
As of June 2020, seven Nigerian states had either slashed or zero-rated RoW charges for Internet infrastructure. Several benefits were listed, including cheaper calls and data, but how soon will they …
Inside the deep challenges of eCommerce and logistics in Nigeria
Despite the failures of the past few years, there appears to be renewed interest in Nigeria’s eCommerce and logistics industry. However, infrastructural and regulatory problems are still significant w…